6 Best Compound Back Exercises for Building Muscle

If you’ve been going to the gym for a while now, chances are you’ve already done compound back exercises and don’t even know it.

These exercises are great for sculpting a back worthy of a Greek god while still giving the rest of the upper body a good workout. Compound exercises are multi-jointed, activating more than one joint at a time and, consequently, working several muscle groups at once.

So, if you want to give your back some extra attention while still working towards your overall strength goal, this article is for you. We’ll discuss the benefits of compound back exercises, and how to integrate them into a workout routine. Additionally, we’ll provide a list of some of the best exercises at the end.

What Are Compound Exercises?

Compound exercises are defined by their capacity to work several muscles at once. Usually, these exercises have a main muscle group they target while putting in work on others due to the nature of the movement.

For example, when you’re on the bench press, of course, you’re aiming to get your pecs jacked. However, depending on the variation, you also engage your triceps, deltoids, shoulders, and other muscles when executing it.

The same goes for every compound exercise: the deadlift engages leg muscles and core muscles, the lat pulldown (depending on the grip) can work both the back and the biceps, etc.

That makes compound exercises great for building overall strength while improving posture, and balance and developing a greater sense of body awareness, making them ideal for athletes.

Since compound exercises involve more than one muscle group, they are more complex exercises. Therefore, it’s better to perform compound exercises at the beginning of your routine, when you are ready to face them with a fresh mind and a well-rested body.

What About Isolation Exercises?

In contrast to compound ones, these exercises focus on the movement of one single joint, which means they only work one single muscle or muscle group at a time.

They are recommended when there’s an imbalance in the physique and a muscle or muscle group needs some extra attention, or perhaps when a specific muscle group can’t be properly engaged by any compound exercise, such as the rotator cuff muscles.

Isolation exercises are simpler by nature so you can do them at the end of your routine.

Best Compound Back Exercises

Now that all the explaining and clarification is out of the way, we can start talking about the best compound back exercises for sculpting the back of your dreams.

1. Pull-ups

It doesn’t get any more straightforward than push-ups. This exercise has been around since way before gyms were invented and consists simply of pulling your own weight up.

Pull-ups are sure to give your back the strength it needs (especially your lats) while also working several muscle groups such as your core and arm muscles. The best part about pull-ups though, is that they can be easily done at the gym, at your local park, or anywhere with an elevated bar that you can safely hang on to.

In addition, pull-ups have room for a ton of variations. For example, if you hold on to the bar with your palms facing you, on a supinated grip, the pull-ups become chin-ups, which is one of the best compound biceps exercises.

Here’s a step-by-step so you can get better at pull-ups:

1. Stand directly below a bar and grab it with an overhand grip with your hands a little over shoulder-width apart.
2. Start hanging off the bar by lifting your feet off the floor.
3. Now it’s time for the hard part: engage your core and back muscles as you pull yourself up. To better understand the motion, think of trying to pull your elbows towards your hips.
4. Once your chin is over the bar, slowly come down to the initial position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets.

2. The Deadlift

It is incredible how much of a complete exercise the deadlift can be. For the purposes of this article, we’re focusing on the deadlift’s impact on the lower back.

Meanwhile, it is a great exercise for your whole lower body, including the glutes, calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps. That’s why it is considered one of the best leg pull exercises.

To do a proper deadlift, you’ll need a barbell, plates, and preferably a surface where you can drop the weight in case things go wrong.

Here’s the tutorial:

1. Place the barbell with a challenging amount of weight in front of you. Your feet should be right under it.
2. Grab the bar with your hand just outside hip-width. Your forearms should be scraping giants the outer part of your knees.
3. Brace your core, push your hips back, and lift the bar by exerting force through your heels.
4. Once the bar is about hip height, contract your glutes and push the bar forward a bit with your pelvis.
5. Slowly lower the bar to the initial position
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets.

Also, if you want to give your hamstrings and glutes some extra love during deadlifts, you can try the Romanian deadlift variation. Check out the differences between regular deadlift and RDL.

3. The Lat Pulldown

This is the first compound back exercise of our list that is done using a machine. The lat pulldown is a classic in any workout routine and is a great exercise for your back.

Also, if you can’t do a full push-up yet, the lat pulldown is awesome for preparing to do it, since it’s the same movement as a push-up but you can adjust the weight.

Finally, if you choose to do the lat pulldown with an underhand grip, it can also engage your biceps and make them stronger.

Here’s a tutorial so you can improve your lat spread in no time

1. Select a challenging amount of weight and adjust your seat so your feet are firm on the ground and your knees are at a comfortable angle.
2. Sit down and make sure the thigh pads are holding your thighs in place for greater stability.
3. Facing the machine, grab the bar with an underhand grip and pull it towards your chest. Remember to keep your core engaged.
4. Slowly release the weight back to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets.

4. Bent-over Row

If you haven’t done the bent-over row exercise yet, you should definitely give it a try as it’s one of the best compound back exercise on the list.

Bent-over rows work wonders for getting a shirt-filling back and big biceps too. Just like the deadlift, you’ll need a barbell with a set of plates. The key to doing it properly is in the posture: you need to maintain your back straight to get the maximum benefits from this exercise.

Check out the step-by-step:

1. The setup is similar to the deadlift: a challenging amount of weight loader on a barbell placed in front of you.
2. With hands positioned just outside shoulder-width, grab the barbell by slightly bending your knees and moving your hips back. Your torso should be almost parallel to the ground.
3. Lock your core and pull the weight up until the bar touches your chest.
4. Slowly come back to the initial position
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets.

5. Inverted Row

Now for a body-weight exercise that can be done with almost no setup. The inverted row consists of pulling yourself towards a bar above. All you’re going to need is a bar and a stable place to rack it. The inverted row can easily be done at the gym or a park with an outdoor gym and is sure to give your back, and biceps if done with an overhand grip, a proper workout.

1. Set up a barbell on a rack at a height where your hands can barely reach the bar while lying on the floor.
2. On a stable plank position, pull yourself up.
3. Once your chest reaches the bar, lower yourself slowly.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets.

6. Single Arm Dumbbell Row

This exercise is a stellar choice for beginners since it is fairly easy to set up and execute while still delivering great results. All you need to do this exercise is a bench and a dumbbell. The single arm dumbbell row isolates your back in halves and works them separately.

1. Place one knee and one hand from the same side of your body on a bench. Your back should be straight and parallel to the ground. Don’t forget to brace your core.
2. Grab a dumbbell placed right under your shoulder and do a row motion by bending your elbows until they reach a 90º angle. Remember to use your back to lift the weight.
3. Once the dumbbell is close to your thorax, lower it slowly until it reaches its initial position.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets.

The Takeaway

Compound back exercises are a fantastic method for increasing overall strength and building your back muscles. It is also very time-efficient and a good option for those looking to spend less time at the gym.

Remember to do your compound back exercises at the start of your routine, that way you can get the most out of the exercises and reduce the chance of injuring yourself. Speaking about injuring yourself always remember to warm up properly before engaging in any form of physical activity

Pick any of the exercises listed above, and you’ll be more than set to crush your back goals in no time!

Take your gym session to the next level with the Flex APP! Download it and enjoy all its benefits, from an auto-progression tracker to a plate calculator and a community that cheers you on. Get fit with Flex!