Back Exercises
Does your back need extra help?
Click/tap here to get my Mass Targeting
Specialization program FREE
Hang Clean and Press and Clamp Pull-Ups
This combines a hang clean, overhead press, and pull-up into one awkwardly brutal grip-and-coordination challenge.
Plate Hook Pull-Ups
If standard pull-ups no longer challenge your upper back, this setup adds crushing grip tension and a completely different contraction stimulus.
Plate Hook Pull-Ups Setup Instructions
Breaks down how to safely set up Plate Hook Pull-Ups to maximize upper-back tension and pinch-grip strength using the hooked plate position.
Barbell Clamp Weighted Chin-Ups
Adds a 95 lb barbell clamp hold to weighted chin-ups, turning them into an extreme grip, pulling, and upper-body control challenge.
Two Bar Fat End Angled Bar Grip Destroyer Pull-Ups
Most pull-up variations challenge the back long before they truly challenge the hands. This setup shifts the weak link to the grip by combining thick handles, rotational instability, and increased loading on the weaker fingers.
Landmine "Suspended" Push-Pull (Drunk Uncle Kayak) Rows
This anti-rotation rowing variation creates massive full-body tension by forcing the core and spinal stabilizers to resist twisting while rowing the bar.
Plate-Balancing Sternum Pull-Ups
This turns pull-ups into a controlled back attack by forcing you from a vertical hang into a horizontal sternum pull-up while balancing the plate.
Kettlebell Clamp Outrigger One-Arm Pull-Ups
Uses a suspended kettlebell clamp hold and side-post support to create a brutal grip challenge that bridges the gap toward one-arm pull-up strength.
Toe Hold Weighted Chin-Ups
Holding a barbell on your feet completely changes weighted chin-ups by forcing strict form and creating a built-in overload drop set.
Two Vertical Bar Rotating Hand Fat End Pull-Ups
Uses rotating fat-end vertical bar grips to combine extreme grip demand with a natural forearm rotation that intensifies both the lat stretch and contraction.
WTF Chin-Ups (Rolling Redirect)
Uses rotating bumper plates to redirect the chin-up path from a deep pullover-style stretch into a sternum-pull position while massively increasing lat tension and grip demand.
"Machine-Like" Two-Bar Crossbar Landmine Rows
This setup turns two barbells into a surprisingly smooth “machine” row that feels remarkably close to a T-Bar row.
Two Handle Neutral Grip Pulldowns
Turns a standard pulldown bar into a neutral-grip setup that improves lat engagement and reduces shoulder discomfort during the movement.
Foot Hook Pull-Ups for Building Power Out of the Bottom of the Pull-Up
Uses an overcoming isometric against a foot-hooked bar to explosively train pull-up power and motor-unit recruitment out of the bottom position.
Ring-On-Bar Pull-Ups
This turns pull-ups into a pure grip survival challenge by balancing rings over the bar instead of gripping the bar directly.
Jefferson Curl/Back Extension Hybrid
Combines a Jefferson Curl with a landmine-style back extension to build spinal strength, loaded flexibility, and resilience through controlled spinal flexion.
Two Band Pull-Aparts for Upper Back
Uses crossed bands and direct horizontal tension to target the middle traps, rhomboids, and rear delts more effectively than standard band pull-aparts.
Weighted Inverted Rows
Adds serious resistance to inverted rows without machines, allowing heavy horizontal pulling while maintaining full-body control.
Figure 8 Strap Super Wide Grip Pull-Ups
Uses figure-8 utility straps to make ultra-wide pull-ups more stable and comfortable while strongly targeting the middle traps and upper back.
Two Wide Plate Hook Pull-Ups
The hooked plate setup dramatically increases grip demand and instability, forcing more control and tension throughout the pull-up.
Two Bar Angled Fat Grip Pull-Ups
The angled fat-bar position improves lat contraction and reduces body swing while the wrist bracing stabilizes the movement path.
Deep Stretch Smith Machine Barbell Rows
Uses a feet-on-incline setup to create constant upper-back tension while loading the muscles from a deep stretch into a powerful rowing contraction.
Playground Pull-Ups
The thick playground grip and angled setup create extreme hand and lat tension, making pull-ups feel completely different from a standard bar.
Overhand Playground Pull-Ups
These playground pull-ups force you to hang from bars too thick to fully grip, completely changing the difficulty of the movement.
Smith Machine Power One-Arm Rows
The fixed Smith bar lets you focus on aggressive power production and upper-back overload without worrying about balancing the weight.
Zero Gravity Pulldowns
These “Zero Gravity Pulldowns” make it look like you’re floating in midair while pulling against perfectly balanced resistance.
Ninja Traversing
Climbing and traversing vertical bars creates an intense grip and upper-body challenge where constant crushing tension is the only thing keeping you from sliding down.
Rack-Rail Pull-Ups
This awkward-looking pull-up variation dramatically changes how the lats fire by using an ultra-wide underhand rack grip.
High Pulley Plate Grip Pull-Ups
The suspended plate grip creates a more natural neutral pulling position while adding instability and grip demand without needing specialty attachments.
Rack Side-Grip Pull-Ups
This setup creates an “almost one-arm pull-up” by changing the mechanics and letting you control the amount of assistance mid-rep.
Monkey Bar Rack Pull-Ups (Planet Fitness at 5 pm)
Combines pull-ups, traversing, and hand-over-hand climbing into one nonstop back-and-arm challenge that’s as fun as it is brutally effective.
Outrigger One-Arm Chin-Ups
The outrigger arm provides adjustable assistance and body stabilization, allowing you to overload one-arm pulling strength without needing a true one-arm chin-up yet.
Band-Bar Leverage Single Arm Lat Pulldown
Uses a band-and-bar leverage setup to create a highly focused single-arm pulldown that strongly targets the lower lats through a deep contraction.
Fat Gripz Bar Traversing
This turns bar traversing into one of the toughest grip challenges imaginable by forcing you to move hand-to-hand across oversized fat handles.
Double Plate Hook Pull-Ups
The double-plate setup dramatically increases open-hand grip demand while adding a unique upper-back contraction pattern during the pull-up.
C.O.D. Pull-Ups (Change of Direction)
Blends a vertical pull-up with a horizontal row mid-rep to change the direction of tension on the lats and upper back for a more complete contraction.
Corner Rack Pull-Ups
The unique hand placement and outward force cue reduce upper-arm assistance, forcing the back muscles to work harder through a deep stretch.
Two Vertical V Bar Pull-Ups
These vertical-bar pull-ups completely change the feel of the movement by forcing your hands to clamp hard enough to stop yourself from sliding down.
Ab Barbell Weighted Chin-Ups
The hip-held barbell increases rectus abdominis demand while still allowing heavy vertical pulling for the back and arms.
Safety Squat Bar "Over The Top" Rows
Uses a rotary safety squat bar setup to create a rowing strength curve that heavily loads the stretched position while tapering resistance as leverage weakens.
Two Plate Open Hand Claw Grip Pull-Ups
The wide-open claw grip massively increases finger and forearm demand while also creating a shoulder-friendly neutral pulling position.
2 Bar Chest-Supported Meadows Rows
The chest support stabilizes the torso and reduces lower-body fatigue, allowing you to focus entirely on upper-back tension and rowing mechanics.
Chin-Up Negatives... how much extra weight should you use?
True weighted chin-up negatives overload strength by forcing you to fight the descent with maximal effort for 7–10 brutal seconds. Find out how to determine how much weight you should use.
Two Phase Pulldowns
Blends a lat pulldown and horizontal row into one continuous rep to train the lats and upper back through both stretched and contracted positions.
Safety Squat Bar Rotary Row
Uses the rotary action and offset loading of a safety squat bar to match the natural strength curve of the one-arm row while maximizing loaded lat stretch.
Magnet-Dumbbell Isometric Pull-Aparts
These magnet pull-aparts create a unique “fight to separate” tension that lights up the rear delts and upper back almost instantly.
Open Hand Pull-Ups
The oversized open-hand grip removes normal gripping leverage, forcing the fingers and forearms to work far harder throughout the pull-up.
3 Finger Grip Strength Chin-Up
By starting with the weaker fingers first, this method overloads the true limiting links in grip strength and improves overall pulling grip endurance.
"Turtle" Holds for Upper Traps and Neck
By removing grip and shrug range limitations, this setup allows the traps and neck musculature to handle extremely high loading directly in peak contraction.
Kettlebell Single Leg Raise Chin-Ups
Combines weighted chin-ups with explosive single-leg knee raises to train the anterior oblique sling through powerful upper- and lower-body integration.
Banded Lever Chest-Supported Row
The banded lever setup keeps constant lat tension while the row portion overloads the upper back, creating a full-back contraction throughout the movement.
Weighted Plate Hook Pull-Ups
Adds extra weight to Plate Hook Pull-Ups, turning an already brutal grip challenge into an advanced weighted upper-back and pinch-grip exercise.
My 3 Step Method For Getting Your First Pull-Up
Most people fail pull-ups because they skip the strength progression—this method systematically builds every piece needed for your first rep.
Two Vertical Bar Fat End Pull-Ups (leaning on rack)
The vertical fat-end grip removes normal gripping leverage, forcing the hands and forearms to work far harder throughout the pull-up.
Nautilus Pullover Machine Cable-Band Rig-Up
This cable-and-band rig recreates much of the legendary Nautilus Pullover machine by matching lat tension through both the stretch and contraction phases.
Vertical Barbell Climbing
This turns a barbell into a climbable “rope” that lights up the grip, forearms, back, and core in a completely different way than pull-ups.
Two Angled Bar Ninja Traversing Up and Down
This two-bar climbing setup combines grip, pulling, core, and coordination demands into a brutal Ninja Warrior-style upper-body challenge.
Retracted Rack Pulls For Upper Back Size and Thickness
This setup loads the upper back in a position you normally can’t row into, creating a completely different kind of trap and rhomboid overload.
Band-Cuff Pull-Ups
The forearm band tension creates continuous shoulder-adduction resistance, increasing lat engagement throughout the pull-up movement.
Reverse Hyper Setup Hack Using a Captain's Chair
The band-assisted unloading at the bottom helps decompress the spine while the lifting phase strengthens the lower back and posterior chain.
Band-Dumbbell Mid-Trap Shrugs
These band-and-dumbbell shrugs add forward directional resistance to strongly target the middle traps while also hammering the upper traps.
Uneven Bar Climbing Pull-Ups
This setup turns a power rack into a mini climbing obstacle by forcing you to transition between uneven bars mid-pull-up.
Explosive Barbell Suitcase Rows
The explosive setup allows the upper back to handle far more load than a strict row while still emphasizing stretch and contraction.
Get more chin-ups with Post-Activation Potentiation Training and Greasing The Groove
Heavy near-maximal holds activate high-threshold motor units before bodyweight reps, improving pulling power and rep performance.
Barbell Clamp Pull-Ups
This chin-up variation forces you to “clamp” a loaded barbell against the pull-up bar, creating an intense grip challenge unlike normal pull-ups.
Barbell Clamp Weighted Chin-Ups (+70 lbs on waist)
This variation forces your hands to fight being pulled open while doing weighted chin-ups, creating a completely different grip challenge than normal pulling.
Got a Lagging Muscle Group Or a Weak Exercise?
Click or tap here to get my Mass Targeting Specialization program FREE
Site Search
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
And see every new exercise and training technique when it's released!
Recommended For You...
Return to Prime
This revolutionary approach to building muscle and strength targets your underlying physiology to help reset your muscle clock back 20 years.
Learn the secrets to building muscle after 40, 50, 60 and beyond!