With so many back exercises, it might be hard to rank and decide where you should be focusing your efforts to build bigger lats while also increasing your strength. In this video, I’m going to show you the most popular back exercises ranked from worst to best to help you decide which ones you should be doing and the ones that belong in the “stop doing” category.
That being said, I am going to lay out the criteria for back the selections of back exercises. In order to be top ranking, it has to provide the opportunity for overload as well as being a solid choice for hypertrophy. If an exercise doesn’t meet this criteria, it will not rank as high as other selections for exercises for the back that do both.
So, lets start building the list and work from the bottom up, from the worst back exercises to the best back exercises.
WORST
1. 1-Arm DB Row
2. Behind the New Pulldowns
The 1-Arm DB Row sits at the bottom of the list due to it’s ability to cause injury in the form of a hernia. I myself have experienced two hernias for performing this exercise alone.This comes from asymmetrical loading in the lower portion of the body. Due to the lack of safety of the exercise, I am putting it at the bottom of this list.
The Behind the Neck Pulldown also belongs in the worst back exercise category, due to the safety of the exercise; taking the shoulders out of the scapular plane where the shoulders are in their most optimal (in terms of shoulder health) position.
BETTER
3. Renegade Row
4. Deadlifts
5. Pendlay Row
The Renegade Row is, to me, is not only a more metabolic driven movement, but it is a back exercise that has two major limitations. The first limitation is the need for core strength and stability, meaning lighter weights are required and makes it harder to overload. The second limitation is the lack of stretch on the lats.
While the deadlift is considered by some the king of all exercises, I would argue that it is not the best back exercise for building bigger lats. The lack of pure hypertrophy for the lats is what puts this exercise in the better category.
The Pendlay Row, while able to provide overload and simple access to a barbell, doesn’t sit higher on this list for exercises for bigger lats due to the safety factor that is built into the exercise. Without proper mobility and form, rounding of the low back easily occurs.
BETTER STILL
6. Tripod Row
7. Straight Arm Pushdowns
8. DB Pullover / Human Pullover
9. Seated Cable Row
The Tripod Row sits in this category because it overcomes the safety limitations of the 1-Arm DB Row. By keeping symmetrical loading of the lower body, you are avoiding strain on the inguinal canal – preventing hernias from occurring,
The Straight Arm Pushdown is a great lat driven exercise as not only doest the lat driven portion of the exercise help to build bigger lats themselves, it also helps to build something called straight arm scapular strength which will carry over to more compound movements.
The DB Pullover is an awesome exercise that allows you to drive the the weight using nothing but your lats. The only issue here is shoulder mobility preventing some from performing the exercises to an optimal benefit of the exercise for building big lats.
The Human Pullover is the calisthenics version of the DB Pullover that allows you to perform a similar movement without the use of equipment utilizing relative motion.
When it comes to the Seated Cable Row; to achieve a greater stretch on the the lats while also being able to load the exercise thanks to the use of momentum. Just make sure to keep good posture when performing the exercise.
ALMOST BEST
10. Meadows Row
11. 1-Arm High Cable Row
12. Lat Pulldowns / Rocking Pulldowns
13. Dead Rows
These 4 exercises are at the top of the list when it comes to building a big back. Make sure to watch the video to see the specific reasons as to why.
BEST
14. Barbell Rows / Chest Supported Rows
15. Weighted Pullups
The Barbell Row allows you to overload the exercise while also keeping the lower back in a safe position. If the low back is an issue, you can always perform the Chest Supported Row.
The Weighted Pullup allows for overload due to the use of weight and is also one of the best vertical pulling exercises, overcoming the potential equipment limitations of a Lat Pulldown.
For a complete step by step workout program that was created with the same level of science behind the selection of every exercise in the plans, be sure to head to athleanx.com via the link below and check out the program selector tool.
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Chris Wright
Much needed !!
Claim if you’re here within the first hour ticket hereee
I recently started exercising after like 2 years. I’m a pretty small guy.
Your channel helps a lot in my training. Thanks a lot for all the help. I hope you keep growing. ❤️
@Laxmi Narayan Bhandari Program your splits in a way that allows you to recover, do some stretching after you finish your workout, eat well, sleep well and do some moderate cardio. As far as supplements go Creatine, in my opinion, is all you need as long as you have a good diet. Last but not least drink a lot of water.
@MrOmonoiatis thanks a lot. My dad was also saying that drinking water helps in everything. Thanks a lot again for the tips.
@Laxmi Narayan Bhandari No prob, gotta spread the knowledge:p
same man, i am going to start after seeing your comment. Thanks for the motivation :) BTW I’m a small guy too.
Jeff’s exercises ranked videos are indispensable. I look at my local gym in a different light now, stay clear of the dodgy exercises and haven’t had a significant injury since becoming a subscriber.
It amazes me how many people go behind the head for lat pulldowns in 2022. Is there any benefit at all? Are people worried that leaning back a little will ruin the excercize? Pull-ups work without going behind the head (if possible), so why wouldn’t lat pulldowns?
@Vikhyat JJN
My favorite back exercise is the face pull
@Don F honestly I had this thought in 2016 and here we are, people still doing it. It’s all crazy.
Fact is, his worst to best exercises has changed over the years for content.
I think one arm rows are fantastic… Great stretch and you can go heavy.
@Philip Kalina that’s what I do!
Never liked them. Positions just too awkward and there’s other better options with easier form
My fave back exercise for the same reasons. Never felt any stress in the groin area, and Jeff is the only person I’ve heard of that has had this issue.
They are a great movement. They might not be a great movement for Jeff personally, but you can always find a person for whom a particular exercise isn’t great.
@Robert Gruen All he has to do is a few static hold stretches for the groin first if need be, it’s a great exercise, pro bb’s have been doing them for years yet he puts them bottom of the list, strange…
WORST
1:25 , one arm dumbell row
2:10 ,behind the neck pulldown
BETTER
2:51 , renegade rows
3:31 , deadlift
4:36 ,pendlay row
BETTER STILL
5:20 , tripod row
6:17 , straight arm pushdown
7:13 , db pullover
8:14 , human pullover
5:45 , seated cable row
ALMOST BEST
4:35 , meadows rows
10:30 , 1 arm hi-cable row
11:24 , regular lat pulldowns
12:25 , dead rows
BEST
13:00 ,barbell row
13:35 , weighted pullups
Your seated cable row and meadow row aren’t correct. Otherwise, thank you for time stamps
Barbell rows are a god tier exercise. I prefer pullups and pulldowns as a whole but BB rows are just so good for back growth.
So if it’s God tier but of the three you mentioned it’s only your third favorite, what are the other two?
@HkFinn83 Titan tier.
@HkFinn83 I do a ton of exercises for the back. Barbell rows are the best, even though they are not my favourite
Theu def are, i like the dead row since my lower back doesnt like staying in that positio
My top 2 are weighted pullups and 1 arm cable row. Happy to see those on the top! :)
Same.
I was so afraid the lat pull down was gonna be crossed off. I love it. fortunately, my favorites made it to the top! this was great Jeff. thank you for always putting safety first. this is why I follow you.
Currently the back is the most developed muscle group in my entire body and the exercises that helped me with that are only weighted pull ups, regular pull ups, pull up variations (wide and close grip, archer pull ups) and ring rows. When pull ups become too hard with my bodyweight i continue with resistance bands or australian pull ups in order to get an appropriate training volume.
so would you just stick to mastering the pull up
You should definitely add some more horizontal pulling exercises as pullups are all vertical pulls. Ring rows are good but adding barbell rows would make a huge difference.
You stand to gain the most when you work on something that you haven’t been doing as much so you might see some quick gains if you do some horizontal pulls like barbell rows, chest supported rows, seated cable rows etc.
@abdurrahman nashit you are right. I forgot to mention that i have also done a lot of front lever pull up progressions which are horizontal pulling exercises. However adding some barbell rows would definitely benefit me a lot. Thanks for the comment!
Ring rows too good
Good stuff bro
I love the renegade row but for a core exercise at the end of back day, I do a little bit of core work at the end of every workout and I love exercises that bring in my focus muscles of the day into the core work. Def an athletic focus kinda movement as opposed to really creating raw strength or hypertrophy
Kind of odd that he suggests that it’s better than the one arm row despite it being asymmetrically loaded.
@Body Unbound I think his reasoning is that the anchor point is your body rather than a static piece of equipment, by nature limiting the amount of weight you can use thus a safer exercise
Thanks very much for so much amazing content, Jeff!
Seems like the 1 arm hi-cable row could be done with resistance bands and a door anchor if you don’t have access to the machine.
I love this series! I have sent these to SO many people over the last year that are getting into lifting in my shop. Great work, keep them coming!
Ya know i switched out the gorilla row cus I really wasn’t feeling it in my muscles with a bent over db row and I would put my hand on the bench cus I remembered what you said about the asymmetric stance of the elevated knee. Didn’t even know it was called a tripod row
Great video Jeff, as usual. Thank you for all the content.
What about the T-bar row? I guess it does not necessarily check the optimal lat activation box but is one of my favorite back excercises. Wondering how it stacks up and maybe why it didn’t make the cut?
In his AX-1 series, Jeff has a pull day where the only two back exercises are pull-ups and renegade rows. That one always seemed like a poorly designed workout in a program with a number of questionably laid out days. This video sort’ve underscores that notion. I’m also kind’ve surprised the inverted body-weight row is not on here considering that, along with pull-ups, it basically forms the basis of back days in Jeff’s own AX-1 workout.
This video is only about lat development. The renagade row is according to jeff still a good exercise but not the best for building muscle in the lats.
I’ve been in the gym lifting weights for 35 years and recently starting feeling joint pain after I lift. I started watching your “best to worst” videos and following your suggestions and I’ve got to say I don’t feel as much pain after a workout. Thank you for these videos.