Barbells are a widely accepted standard when it comes to workout equipment. They are versatile, easy to adjust as you get stronger, and allow you to use loads heavy enough to drive meaningful progress in the gym.
If you have access to barbells and the weight plates necessary to load them in a way that matches your current back strength, back workouts with barbells will help you further develop your back.
I’ve listed a handful of the most effective barbell exercises below divided by the back muscles they are best used for training.
Think of this like a cheat sheet that you can use to determine effective exercise replacements for any back workouts you happen to come across and want to use — even if you don’t have the equipment necessary to use the base program as-is.
This way, you’ll still adapt in the way the program intends, even if your equipment is limited — or, if you just have a preference to perform back workouts with barbells over other types.
If you want to perform a solid back workout with barbells, just perform the following barbell-only exercises in order for the number of sets and reps I prescribe alongside each.
Each exercise also comes along with a brief recommendation for where to put it in your back workouts, in case you decide you want to take one of these exercises and plug it into your own custom back workout.
Before that: if you're looking for a training program that'll help you set up every single one of your workouts for optimal muscle growth, I've got just the thing for you. Every BWS program is designed to be an all-in-one, science-based process that’ll get you building muscle FAST. For more information:
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Back Workout Placement: Given the immense strain this exercise places on your body, it should be performed at the start of any back workout that it is involved in.
Back Workout Placement: This exercise should be performed towards the beginning of your back workouts. Typically this should be one of the first 3 exercises performed.
Back Workout Placement: This exercise should be performed towards the beginning of your back workouts. Typically this should be one of the first 3 exercises performed.
The order in which you place an exercise in your workout can truly make all the difference in your results. Place the underhand narrow grip barbell row too late in your workout, for instance, and you're unlikely to sufficiently hit your upper back because your lower back is already fatigued—and will give up prematurely. But with so many exercises, how do you decide each exercise's placement in your workouts? That's where BWS programs come in. For more information:
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Back Workout Placement: Perform this exercise towards the end of your back workouts alongside any other isolation exercises that you have planned for your workout.
Back Workout Placement: This should be positioned towards the end of your workout. Given the lower back can sometimes help stabilize other exercises, it’s best to save this until a point where fatiguing your Erector Spinae won’t interfere with the rest of your back workout.
Barbell Conventional Deadlifts: 4 sets of 4-6 reps
Wide-Grip Barbell Rows: 5 sets of 8-10 reps
Underhand Narrow Grip Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
Barbell Shrugs: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Barbell Hyperextensions: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Who said it was impossible to get a good, effective back workout in when all you have is a barbell? Not me, that's for sure. That said, on days you have access to more equipment, you might also want to check out one of the best back workouts you could ever do in a gym here.
Once you have your training plan down pat, though, you should still remember to pair all of this with a solid nutrition plan to fuel and support your recovery and growth.
And for a step-by-step program that does all of this for you, by showing you how to train and how to eat week after week to maximize growth, then:
Click the button below to take my analysis quiz to discover the best program for you:
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