Compound Back Exercises

Are you looking to take your back workout to the next level? Compound back exercises might be the key to achieving your fitness goals. These exercises target multiple muscle groups at once, making them efficient and effective for building strength and muscle mass.

Compound back exercises work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, targeting the major muscles of the back as well as supporting muscles. The main muscles worked by compound back exercises include:

1. Latissimus dorsi (lats): The largest muscles of the back, responsible for shoulder extension and adduction.
2. Trapezius (traps): Located in the upper back, involved in scapular retraction, elevation, and depression
3. Rhomboids: Situated between the shoulder blades, activated during rowing movements and scapular retraction.
4. Erector spinae: Run along the length of the spine, engaged during exercises like deadlifts and rows for spinal extension and stability
5. Posterior deltoids: Located at the back of the shoulders, involved in rowing movements and horizontal abduction
6. Biceps brachii: While primarily an arm muscle, the biceps assist in many compound back exercises like pull-ups and rows.

Additionally, compound back exercises often engage other muscle groups:

• Core muscles (including abs and obliques) for stabilization
• Glutes and hamstrings, especially in exercises like deadlifts
• Forearms and grip muscles

By targeting multiple muscle groups simultaneously, compound back exercises provide efficient and effective workouts for overall back development and strength gains

Applying some general exercise principles, here are our recommendations for including compound back exercises into your workout routine:

1. Frequency:

• Train your back 1-2 times per week.
• Allow 1-2 days of rest between back training sessions for optimal muscle growth and recovery.

2. Exercise selection:

• Include 2-5 different compound back exercises within a single week (microcycle).
• In each training session, perform 1-3 different  compound back exercises.

3. Workout structure:

• Incorporate both vertical and horizontal pulling movements in your weekly routine.
• You can focus on one plane of movement (vertical or horizontal) in each session if training back twice a week

4. Exercise variety:

• Rotate between slightly different compound back exercises and movement patterns to reduce chronic injury risk and target different muscle fibers
• Use as few exercises per week as needed to achieve your goals, saving variations for future training cycles.

5. Rest between sets:

• Rest periods typically range from 1-3 minutes between sets of back exercises
• Adjust rest times based on individual needs and exercise intensity.

6. Sample split: If training back twice a week, you could structure it like this:

• Day 1: Focus on horizontal pulls (e.g., barbell rows)
• Day 2: Focus on vertical pulls (e.g., pull-ups or lat pulldowns)

Remember to warm up properly before your workouts and maintain proper form throughout the compound back exercises. Consistency and progressive overload are key to seeing improvements in back strength and muscle development.

We have put together 10 of our favourite  Compound Back Exercises to get you started but thinking of mixing them up and changing tempo to create variety and progression.

1. Pull-Up/Chin-Up

Muscles Worked: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, upper back, and shoulders.

Description: Using an overhand grip (pull-up) or underhand grip (chin-up), pull your body up until your chin is over the bar. These compound back  exercises can be made more challenging by adding weights or more accessible with assistance machines.

Pull-ups and chin-ups are excellent for developing back width and thickness. Pull-ups (overhand grip) emphasise the latissimus dorsi, while chin-ups (underhand grip) allow for greater bicep involvement.

2. Barbell Bent-Over Row

Muscles Worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, biceps, and lower back.

Description: Grip a barbell with palms facing down, bend at the hips with a slight knee bend, and pull the barbell towards your torso. These compound back exercises can be performed with different grips to emphasise various muscle groups.

3. Deadlift

Muscles Worked: Entire back, glutes, hamstrings, and core.

Description: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, grip the barbell, and lift it by extending your hips and knees. Deadlifts are excellent for overall back development and strength.

The conventional barbell deadlift is arguably the king of compound back exercises. It targets the entire back, from the upper traps to the lower erector spinae, while also engaging the glutes and hamstrings. Proper form is crucial to maximise benefits and minimise injury risk.

4. T-Bar Row

Muscles Worked: Mid-back, latissimus dorsi, and biceps.

Description: Using a T-bar row station or a barbell anchored at one end, pull the bar towards your torso while keeping your back straight. These compound back exercises can be adjusted with different grips to target various back muscles.

5. Dumbbell Row

Muscles Worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, and biceps.

Description: With one knee and hand on a bench, pull a dumbbell towards your hip while keeping your back straight. This exercise allows for unilateral training, helping to correct muscle imbalances.

6. Lat Pulldown

Muscles Worked: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, and upper back.

Description: Using a lat pulldown machine, pull the bar down towards your chest while keeping your torso upright. This exercise is great for those who struggle with pull-ups.

7. Inverted Row

Muscles Worked: Upper back, latissimus dorsi, and biceps.

Description: Lie under a bar and pull your chest towards it, keeping your body straight. This exercise can be performed with different grips and heights to increase difficulty.

8. TRX Suspension Row

Muscles Worked: Upper back, latissimus dorsi, and core.

Description: Using TRX straps, lean back and pull your body towards the anchor point. These compound back exercises engage the core and stabilising muscles very effectively effectively.

9. Meadows Row

Muscles Worked: Upper and mid-back.

Description: Using a landmine attachment, pull the barbell towards your torso with one arm. This unilateral exercise helps ensure balanced development between both sides of the back.

10. Farmer's Carry

Muscles Worked: Entire back, shoulders, and grip strength.

Description: Hold heavy weights such as kettlebells in each hand and walk for a set distance or time. This exercise builds overall back strength and endurance.

Incorporating these compound back exercises into your routine can help you develop a strong, muscular back while also improving your posture and functional strength.

 The main goals & benefits of compound back exercises and why they are a great addition to your workout schedule are:

1. Increase muscle mass:

• Compound back exercises allow training multiple areas of the back through larger ranges of motion.
• This helps increase overall muscle mass in the posterior anatomy.
• For powerlifters, increased back muscle mass improves potential to build strength for powerlifting movements.

2. Increase muscular strength:

• Strengthening the upper body muscles helps maintain a rigid torso and correct posture during powerlifting and other compound exercises.
• A strong back provides support for squats, bench press, and deadlifts.

3. Reduce injury risk:

• Training back muscles with compound back  exercises helps maintain muscular balance between pulling and pushing muscles.
• This is especially important for powerlifters who do a lot of bench pressing, to keep shoulders healthy.

4. Improve posture and spinal support:

• Compound back exercises can help improve posture and support the spine.
• This can help reduce back pain and improve overall back health.

5. Enhance functional fitness:

• Back compound exercises can improve performance in everyday tasks like lifting objects.

6. Trigger hormonal responses:

• Compound back exercises movement can help trigger hormones that boost muscle growth.
• They also help burn more calories during workouts.

In summary, compound back exercises aim to build overall back strength and muscle mass, improve posture and function, reduce injury risk, and enhance athletic performance across various lifts and everyday activities.