The best workout for back: width, thickness and traps
Published October 11, 2026
The best back workout pairs a vertical pull for your lats (pull-ups or pulldowns), a supported row for your mid-back, and a shrug for your upper traps. Do 10 to 20 hard sets a week, split over two sessions, stopping 1 to 2 reps short of failure. Pick the plan below that matches your equipment and how fresh your lower back is.
EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Lat Pulldown, Dumbbells, Barbells +2
You've been lifting a year or more, can do at least 6 strict pull-ups, and want a wider and thicker back with bigger traps.
Splitting width and thickness into two days lets each pattern start the session fresh, which is where you push the heaviest loads. Each day gives about 11 hard sets, so your back gets roughly 20 sets a week across lats, mid-back and traps. Put Back B at least a day away from heavy deadlifts, since the barbell row also loads your lower back.
Back A: Width
Exercise
Sets × reps
RIR
Rest
Pull-Up1 warm-up set firstFull hang each rep. Add weight past 3x10
Run Back A and Back B on two different days, at least 48 hours apart, alongside your usual chest, shoulder and leg days. If you train push/pull/legs, use A and B as your two pull days.
How to progress
Use double progression: once every set reaches the top of the rep range at the target RIR, add the smallest weight jump next session. On pull-ups, add a few pounds on a dip belt once you get 3 sets of 10.
EquipmentSeated Row Machine, Lat Pulldown, Dumbbells, Incline Bench +1
You squat, deadlift or do heavy hinges elsewhere in the week, and your lower back is the first thing to give out on rows.
In lab testing the bent-over row put the highest load on the lower spine of the rows measured, so stacking it on top of heavy hinges makes your lower back the limit instead of your lats. Every exercise here is chest-supported, back-supported or seated, so you can take your back muscles close to failure on days your legs and hinges are also heavy. Reps sit a little higher because supported rows and cables reward control more than heavy loading.
Do Pull A and Pull B on two days a week, ideally not the day after your heaviest deadlift or squat session.
How to progress
Add reps first, then load: once you hit the top of the range on all sets with the target RIR, go up one plate or one dumbbell step. If a set ends because of your grip, not your back, use straps on the rows.
EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Resistance Bands, Dumbbells, Incline Bench
You train at home with adjustable dumbbells, an adjustable bench, a pull-up bar and bands, and can't do a full pull-up yet.
You can't build a pull-up without practicing one, so both sessions open with band-assisted pull-ups while you're fresh, and you move to a thinner band as you get stronger. Dumbbells top out at lighter loads than a gym, so rows and pullovers use 10 to 15 reps, which builds as much muscle as heavier sets when you take them close to failure. Volume starts lower, about 9 to 10 sets per session at 2 RIR, because you're newer to this and will grow on less.
Do Home Back A and Home Back B once each per week, with a day between. When that feels easy, add a third session that alternates them.
How to progress
On the pull-up: when you get 3 sets of 8 on a band, switch to the next thinner band and start back at 5 reps. On the dumbbell work, add reps until you hit the top of the range, then go up one dumbbell step.
Your lats are the width muscle, and they work hardest when your elbow drives down and back toward your hip. Build the week around one vertical pull (pull-ups, or pulldowns until you can do 6 clean reps), one row with the elbow tucked, and one straight-arm move that keeps your biceps out of it. That is exactly Back A in the full-gym plan.
Rows and deadlifts reach your middle traps but rarely grow the upper traps on their own. The plans here give them 3 to 5 direct sets a week: heavy shrugs with a one-second hold at the top, plus face pulls or wide-elbow rows for the middle of the back. If your traps lag, work up toward 6 to 10.
The pull-up loads your lats from a full overhead stretch to the bottom of the pull, and your bodyweight makes it hard to cheat. Once you can do 6 clean reps, it is the most direct width builder on this page.
How to do it
Grab the bar with palms facing away, hands a little wider than your shoulders.
Hang with straight arms, legs still, ribs down so your body doesn't arch.
Pull your shoulder blades down first, then drive your elbows toward your back pockets until your chin clears the bar.
Lower over about two seconds back to a full hang before the next rep.
Cues
Elbows to back pockets
Full hang every rep
Chest toward the bar, not chin over it
Common mistakes
Kicking or swinging to finish reps: stop the set when you need momentum and log that rep count.
Stopping short of a full hang: you lose the stretched half of the rep. Count only reps that start from straight arms.
Swap for: Neutral-Grip Pull-Up, Assisted Pull-Up, Lat Pulldown
Lats, loadable vertical pull
Lat Pulldown
Lats
The pulldown trains the same pattern as the pull-up but lets you pick the load, so you can run 8 to 15 reps at a precise effort. Grip width barely changes how hard the lats work, so use the grip that lets you pull the most weight through a full range.
How to do it
Set the thigh pad so your legs are pinned and your feet are flat.
Take a grip about one and a half times shoulder width and lean back slightly.
Pull the bar to your upper chest by driving your elbows down toward your ribs.
Let the bar rise until your arms are straight and you feel your lats stretch, then start the next rep.
Cues
Shoulders down before the pull
Elbows to ribs
Arms fully straight at the top
Common mistakes
Leaning far back and rowing the bar to your stomach: keep the torso angle fixed and lighten the stack.
Cutting the top short: let the weight stack nearly touch down so the lats get the full stretch.
Swap for: Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown, Single-Arm Lat Pulldown, Pull-Up
Pull-up builder
Band-Assisted Pull-Up
Lats
A band gives the most help at the bottom, where most people fail, so you practice the real pull-up pattern with full range. Moving to thinner bands gives you a clear path to your first unassisted rep.
How to do it
Loop a band over the bar and pull it through itself so it's locked in place.
Step one foot or both knees into the loop while holding the bar, palms facing away.
From a full hang, pull your elbows down to your sides until your chin clears the bar.
Lower slowly to straight arms without letting the band bounce you back up.
Cues
Slow on the way down
Elbows to your sides
Squeeze the bar hard
Common mistakes
Staying on the thick band for months: when you hit the top of the rep range for all sets, switch to the next thinner band.
Letting the band launch you out of the bottom: pause for a beat at the full hang.
Swap for: Assisted Pull-Up, Lat Pulldown, Inverted Row
Lats, unilateral row
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Lats, Upper Back
Bracing on a bench takes your lower back out of the lift, and one arm at a time lets you reach a deeper stretch than any barbell row. Pulling your elbow toward your hip puts the work on the lats.
How to do it
Put one knee and the same-side hand on a flat bench, other foot planted wide on the floor.
Let the dumbbell hang straight down from your shoulder with your back flat.
Drive your elbow back and up toward your hip until the dumbbell reaches your side.
Lower until your arm is straight and your shoulder blade slides forward, then repeat.
Cues
Elbow to hip pocket
Reach long at the bottom
Chest stays square to the floor
Common mistakes
Twisting the torso to heave the weight: if your chest opens toward the ceiling, the dumbbell is too heavy.
Rowing to the armpit with a flared elbow: tuck the elbow and aim it at your hip to keep the lats doing the work.
The bent-over row loads your whole back at once and is the heaviest row you can do. It also works your lower back hard to hold the hinge, so it belongs in the plan only when your lower back can spare the effort.
How to do it
Hold the bar with an overhand grip just outside your thighs.
Soften your knees and push your hips back until your torso is about 30 to 45 degrees above the floor.
Row the bar to your lower ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top.
Lower to straight arms while keeping the same torso angle.
Cues
Torso angle locked
Bar to lower ribs
Brace before every rep
Common mistakes
Standing more upright each rep to move more weight: the torso angle on the last rep should match the first.
Rounding the lower back as the set gets hard: end the set there, or drop the load.
With your chest on the pad, nothing limits the set except your back muscles. You can push close to failure without your lower back or balance giving out first.
How to do it
Set the seat so the handles line up with your lower chest when your arms are straight.
Press your chest into the pad and grab the handles.
Pull your elbows back past your torso and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Let your arms straighten and your shoulder blades spread forward before the next rep.
Cues
Chest glued to the pad
Elbows past your ribs
Let the shoulder blades travel
Common mistakes
Peeling your chest off the pad to finish reps: lighten the load and keep contact.
Short reps at the front: go all the way to straight arms or you lose the stretch.
Swap for: Machine Row, Seal Row, Incline Dumbbell Row
Mid-back, home or gym
Incline Dumbbell Row
Upper Back, Lats
A bench set to about 45 degrees gives you chest support with only dumbbells, so you get the mid-back work of a machine row at home. Flaring your elbows shifts it toward your upper back and middle traps.
How to do it
Set a bench to about 45 degrees and lie face down with your chest on the top of the pad.
Let the dumbbells hang straight down, palms facing back.
Row with your elbows out at roughly 45 degrees from your sides until your upper arms pass your torso.
Lower to straight arms and let your shoulder blades spread before the next rep.
Cues
Chin over the top of the bench
Elbows wide and back
Pause one beat at the top
Common mistakes
Lifting your chest off the bench to finish: drop to lighter dumbbells.
Shrugging toward your ears as you row: keep your shoulders down so your mid-back does the pulling.
Swap for: Chest-Supported Row, Seal Row, Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
Lats, isolation
Straight-Arm Pulldown
Lats
With straight arms, your biceps can't take over, so every rep goes to your lats. It's a good finisher after rows and pulldowns have tired your arms.
How to do it
Attach a straight bar or rope to a high pulley and step back a pace.
Hinge slightly at the hips with your arms out in front at about head height, elbows soft.
Sweep the bar down in an arc to your thighs without bending your elbows further.
Let it rise back to head height under control.
Cues
Arms are just hooks
Sweep to your thighs
Hips still
Common mistakes
Bending your elbows into a pushdown: lighten the weight until your arms stay fixed.
Rocking your hips to start the rep: set your stance and keep your torso still.
Swap for: Dumbbell Lat Pullover, Kettlebell Pullover, Single-Arm Lat Pulldown
Lats, stretched (home)
Dumbbell Lat Pullover
Lats
The pullover loads your lats at long length, the same position that straight-arm pulldowns train, with only one dumbbell and a bench. It's the home stand-in for a cable lat isolation.
How to do it
Lie across a flat bench with your upper back on the pad and your feet flat on the floor.
Hold one dumbbell with both hands over your chest, elbows slightly bent.
Lower it back behind your head in an arc until your upper arms are about level with your torso.
Pull it back over your chest along the same arc, keeping the elbow bend fixed.
Cues
Ribs down
Elbow bend stays the same
Pull with your armpits
Common mistakes
Arching your lower back to get more range: tuck your ribs and stop where your arms line up with your torso.
Turning it into a triceps extension by bending the elbows more: keep the angle set from the start.
Face pulls train the muscles that pull your shoulder blades back and rotate your arms outward, which rows alone leave under-trained. They take little recovery, so you can do them at higher reps at the end of the session.
How to do it
Set a rope on a cable pulley at about forehead height.
Grab the rope with thumbs pointing back toward you and step back until your arms are straight.
Pull the rope toward your face, splitting the ends apart so your hands finish beside your ears.
Return to straight arms under control.
Cues
Pull the rope apart
Hands finish by your ears
Elbows high
Common mistakes
Leaning back and using bodyweight: stand tall and use a weight you can hold at the end for a second.
Pulling to your chin with elbows low: raise the pulley or your elbows so it doesn't turn into a row.
Swap for: Dumbbell Face Pull, Band Face Pull, TRX Face Pull
Upper traps, heavy
Barbell Shrug
Traps
Shrugs are the most direct way to load your upper traps, and a barbell lets you go heavy. Traps that don't grow from rows and deadlifts almost always need this direct work.
How to do it
Stand with the bar at your thighs, overhand grip just outside your hips.
Keep your arms straight and your chest up.
Lift your shoulders straight up toward your ears as high as they go.
Hold for one second, then lower all the way until you feel your traps stretch.
Cues
Shoulders to ears
One-second hold
Arms stay long
Common mistakes
Rolling the shoulders in circles: go straight up and straight down.
Bouncing short reps with too much weight: use a load you can hold at the top for a full second.
Swap for: Dumbbell Shrug, Trap Bar Shrug, Cable Shrug
Traps, back-supported
Incline Dumbbell Shrug
Traps
Leaning back against an incline bench takes your lower back out of the shrug and makes the top position harder to cheat. It works with dumbbells only, so it fits a home setup too.
How to do it
Set a bench to about 45 degrees and sit back against it with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in.
Let your arms hang straight down at your sides.
Lift your shoulders toward your ears without bending your elbows.
Hold the top for a second, then lower slowly until your shoulders drop fully.
Cues
Back stays on the pad
Straight up, straight down
Hold the top
Common mistakes
Bending your elbows to help: the arms should stay straight like ropes.
Rushing the lowering half: take two seconds to come down.
Add one set each to the pull-up and lat pulldown and drop one set from the barbell row. Keep the total near 20 back sets a week so you're shifting volume, not stacking it.
Want bigger traps? Add a shrug day, not a shrug finisher
Move shrugs to the start of Back B, or add 2 to 3 sets to your shoulder day. Splitting trap sets over two days keeps each shrug set heavy instead of fading through a long block.
Can't do a pull-up yet in a gym
Use the assisted pull-up machine in place of the pull-up and run it for 3 sets of 6 to 10. Cut the counterweight by one plate each time you reach 10 reps on all sets.
Lower back cooked one week
Swap the barbell row for the chest-supported row or the incline Dumbbell row for that week. Your mid-back still gets the work, and your lower back gets a break.
Log the RIR, not just the weight
Write down how many reps you had left on every working set. If you log in RIRLift, it counts your weekly hard sets per muscle, so you can see whether your lats or traps are actually getting the volume you planned.
Questions
What is the #1 back exercise?
There isn't one exercise that covers your whole back. If you can only do one, the pull-up or lat pulldown trains the most back muscle at once. Pair it with a supported row to cover the mid-back.
What are the big 3 back exercises?
A vertical pull (pull-up or pulldown), a horizontal row (barbell row or chest-supported row), and a shrug. Those three cover your lats, your mid-back and your upper traps, and every plan on this page is built from them.
Is 3 exercises enough for back day?
Yes, if they are a vertical pull, a row and a shrug, and you do 3 to 4 hard sets of each. What matters is the number of hard sets per week, not the number of exercises.
What is the best workout for lats?
Pull-ups or pulldowns, plus a row where your elbow travels toward your hip, plus a straight-arm pulldown or pullover. Back A in the full-gym plan is exactly that combination.
What is the best workout for traps?
Heavy shrugs with a one-second hold for your upper traps, plus wide-elbow rows and face pulls for your middle traps. Start with 3 to 5 direct trap sets a week on top of your rows, and work up toward 6 to 10 if they lag.
How many sets should I do for back each week?
About 10 to 20 hard sets a week builds muscle well for most lifters, and more volume tends to add a little more growth as long as you recover. Beginners grow on the low end, so start there and add sets only when progress stalls.
Should I deadlift on back day?
Only if your lower back can recover from it. Deadlifts mostly train your glutes, hamstrings and spinal erectors, not your lats. If you already deadlift on leg day, keep back day to supported rows and pulls.
