Nothing helps create that killer V-shaped physique better than a wide, muscular back. As those who’ve built monster-size backs of their own will tell you, it’s all about incorporating the best combination of back exercises to get wide up top.
If you’re looking to build a tapered torso that turns heads, look no further than the most popular back-expanding workout routines ever featured on Muscle & Fitness.
Whether you’re just starting out or have hit a plateau, now’s the perfect time for you to jump-start your upper-body workout program with any of the following back routines. With a healthy dose of back-targeted moves that hit the lats, traps, rear delts, and rhomboids from every angle, you’ll be sporting that Frank Zane-esque V-taper in no time.
Choose the back workout of your choice, and get ready to move some serious iron for a wider, more muscular back.
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Vince McMahon’s Back to Business Workout
WWE boss Vince McMahon prides himself on a monster-size back. Follow the chairman’s lead to build your own giant back with three giant sets.
Even when time is tight, you can train your entire back by pairing a vertical pull with a horizontal one to hit your middle and upper back, and lower and upper lats.
Put yourself through the paces of a high-volume session with this back-thrashing, single-exercise workout. It may be just one basic move, but your lats will feel the burn after knocking out the required reps.
With a bevy of back-blasting moves, this four-week training program targets every muscle system behind you. Tough out the duration for a stronger, chiseled back you can slap a billboard on.
Looking like the seven-time Mr. Olympia champion may not be in reach for mere mortals, but with Phil Heath’s favorite back exercises, you should be on your way to massive posterior growth.
This updated Level Up back regimen provides variety from the original routine while maintaining the meat-and-potatoes exercises we like so much for building a wider, thicker, and stronger back.
Few guys take their training as seriously as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which is why everyone’s favorite, ridiculously ripped celebrity sports a masterpiece of a physique—and why you should follow his lead for building a bigger back.
This 30-minute dumbbell workout to build your back is designed as a circuit workout. We’ll do four sets of 7 exercises, alternating between pushing and pulling movements, so we can produce maximum results with minimal time and equipment.
This workout will challenge you with a rapid-fire barrage of moves. Instead of simply hammering the back muscles over and over with rest breaks in between, this workout will alternate pushing and pulling exercises—but with no rest.
Francis Rocha’s Back Workout to Grow Thick and Wide
Brazilian-born Francisco Rocha is pushing 40, but he’s in better shape now than he was at 20. Over the years, he’s become more aware of the impact of a well-built back.
“A good back really stands out. You need to plan workouts that hit it from every angle to develop width and thickness.”
The 4-week Back-to-basics Workout for Muscle Growth
By becoming proficient at the nuts-and-bolts exercises that should make up the bulk of your training program, you’ll also develop a base level of strength and conditioning to set the stage for your greatest gains yet in the months to come.
The Traps-focused Workout to Build a More Intimidating Physique
When it comes to looking bigger than you really are, one muscle group is especially important: the trapezius, aka the “traps.” These muscles are ultra-noticeable, and training them hard definitely produces results.
This workout targets the traps hard, helping you develop the “dominant” physique you crave.
