Mid-Low Back and Lats

13 min

6 exercises

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns

3 sets

15 reps

Standing Two-Armed Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

3 sets

15 reps

Close Grip Pullups

3 sets

3 reps

Dumbbell Incline Bench Rows

3 sets

15 reps

Barbell Front Raises

3 sets

15 reps

Barbell Shrugs

3 sets

20 reps

This Mid-Low Back and Lats 13 min-minute gym workout plan effectively targets your back and shoulders. Easily follow this workout with confidence on your phone or printable exercise program with our clear exercise demonstrations. You can also look up step-by-step instructions for each of the 6 exercises and see which muscle groups they target. Enjoy!

For more pre-planned training plans and hundreds of workouts, check out Fit – a simple workout app you will love! Follow visual workouts, manage your training calendar, build your own routines, track your progress and more. Join thousands of Fit users and sign up today to claim your free week!

Mid-Low Back and Lats

13 min

6 exercises

Auto-advance Start exercises automatically
after a 5-second delay

Start workout Cancel workout

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns

3 sets

15 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back, Middle Back / Lats

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps

Set up a cable station with a straight bar attached to the top pulley.
Sit on the seat facing the station. Keep your feet flat and planted firmly on the floor.
Using an overhand grip, hold the bar as wide as comfortable. (Your hands should be about 1 1/2 – 2 times body width apart.)
Lean back slightly without arching your back.
Pull the bar towards the top of your chest using your shoulders while arcing your elbows out to the sides of your body.
At the end of the movement squeeze you shoulders together slightly and hold for a count of one.
Return to the start position by arcing your elbows forward while relaxing your shoulders.
Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Biceps, Forearms, Shoulders

Standing under a pull-up bar, reach up and hold onto the bar with an overhand grip. Make sure your hands are about twice your shoulder width apart.
Keep your arms straight and hang from the bar so that your arms are taking all of your weight.
Keeping your body straight and not swinging your weight, pull your body up towards the bar by pulling your elbows down towards your torso at an angle.
Continue lifting until your chest is nearly touching the bar. You should feel a “squeeze” at the base of your lats (about midway down your back and to the side) as they contract.
Once your lats have completely contracted at the top of the movement, slowly lower your body to the starting position.
Repeat.

By using a wide grip, your lats are doing most of the lift, rather than your biceps. It doesn't matter if you keep your legs straight or bent at the knees with your feet crossed. The important thing is that you do not use your legs to assist in lifting your body weight. As your strength increases, you can add weight by using a weight belt.

Standing Two-Armed Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

3 sets

15 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps

Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the dumbbells up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the dumbbells to the starting point.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps, Shoulders

Place a dumbbell on each side of a flat bench.
Place your right knee on the end of the bench.
Bend your torso from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, while placing your right hand on the bench in front of you for support.
With your left hand, pick up the dumbbell with an overhand grip. The palm of your hand should be facing into you.
Keep your lower back straight. This is the start position.
Using your back muscles, pull the dumbbell straight up to the side of your chest, keeping your upper arm close to your side. Exhale as you do so.
At the top of the movement, hold for a count of one and squeeze your back muscles.
Return to the start position inhaling as you do so. Repeat.
Complete all repetitions for one side before switching sides.

This exercise can be performed using a cable station, with a stirrup handle attached to either the high or low pulley.

Primary muscle group(s):

Middle Back / Lats, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Biceps

Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of water bottles at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the water bottles up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the water bottles to the starting point.

Primary muscle group(s):

Middle Back / Lats

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps

Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
Leading with your elbows, pull the handles of the resistance band back, bringing your shoulder blades closer together. Hold this contraction and slowly release to the starting position.

Close Grip Pullups

3 sets

3 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back

Secondary:

Biceps, Forearms, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Step up to the bar and grasp it with your palms facing you and arms close together.
Your arms should be fully extended.
Cross your ankles and bend your knees,
Pull your body up until your elbows are completely bent and close to your body, reaching your chin to the bar.
Lower your body until your arms and legs are fully extended in the starting position.

Primary muscle group(s):

Middle Back / Lats

Secondary:

Biceps

Sit at a Lat Pulldown machine and secure your legs underneath the padded surface. Select an appropriate weight on the stack. Reach up to grab the barbell, taking a close-grip. Your hands should be at or closer than shoulder-width.
Tighten your core and keep your chest up as you pull the barbell down and towards your chest. Be sure to pull with your lat muscles.
Once the bar is at your chest, slowly allow it to return to the starting position but don’t let the weight stack touch. Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps, Shoulders

Set the bar to your waist height.
Lie on your back under the bar.
Reach up and grip the bar with an overhand grip with both hands.
Keeping your body straight, pull yourself up towards the bar by pulling your elbows as far back as you can and trying to touch the bar with your chest.
Hold and squeeze your arm and back muscles.
Lower yourself back to the start position in a controlled motion.
Repeat.

For this exercise, you can use a Smith machine bar, an Olympic bar on a rack or any other straight, sturdy bar set to the right height. The lower the bar is to the floor, the more intense it will be due to the starting angles of your arms.

Dumbbell Incline Bench Rows

3 sets

15 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back, Middle Back / Lats

Secondary:

Biceps, Forearms, Shoulders

Lean forward into an incline bench
Using a neutral grip, hold a dumbbell in each hand so your palms are facing in.
Your arms should be fully extended and hanging straight down. This is the start position.
Pull your shoulder blades back and flex your elbows to pull the dumbbells up to your sides.
Hold and squeeze your shoulder and back muscles.
Return to the start position in a slow, controlled movement.
Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps

Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the dumbbells up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the dumbbells to the starting point.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back

Secondary:

Biceps, Shoulders, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Connect a V-bar attachment to the low pulley on a cable station or cable rowing machine.
Sit down at the station and place your feet on the foot pads or crossbar provided, while keeping your knees slightly bent.
Lean forward, keeping your back straight and grip the V-bar handles with both hands.
Keeping your arms fully extended pull back until your torso is at a 90-degree angle from your legs.
Your back should be slightly arched, with your chest should be pushed out. This is the start position.
Keeping your torso stationary, pull the handles back towards you while squeezing your back muscles.
Keep your arms close to your sides until your hands reach your abdomen. Exhale as you perform this movement.
Hold for a count of one.
Inhale as you return to the start position in a smooth movement.
Repeat.

Do not swing or rock back and forth as you perform this exercise. Doing so can cause lower back injury. <strong></strong> You can perform this exercise using a straight bar instead of a V-Bar. You can use an underhand or overhand grip.

Primary muscle group(s):

Middle Back / Lats, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Biceps

Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of water bottles at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the water bottles up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the water bottles to the starting point.

Primary muscle group(s):

Middle Back / Lats

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps

Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
Leading with your elbows, pull the handles of the resistance band back, bringing your shoulder blades closer together. Hold this contraction and slowly release to the starting position.

Barbell Front Raises

3 sets

15 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Secondary:

Abs, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Place a light-weighted barbell in front of you at your shins.
Squat down into position, driving your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Place your hands in an overhand grip on the barbell.
Stand up with a tight core and flat back. Keeping a slight bend in the elbows, raise the bar up and in front of you. Pause when your arms are parallel with the ground.
Slowly lower the barbell to your hip. Repeat the movement.

Primary muscle group(s):

Neck & Upper Traps, Shoulders

Secondary:

Abs

Holding a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip, stand tall with your chest up and core braced.
Begin by lifting the dumbbells in front of you. Keep the abdominals contracted as you raise the dumbbells. Feel the contraction in the shoulder muscles.
Once the dumbbells reach shoulder height, pause and slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Stand straight holding a water bottle in each hand with an overhand grip.
Hold the water bottles in front of your thighs with your palms of the facing your thighs. Keep your arms fully extended. This is the start position.
Raise the left water bottle out and upwards, while keeping a slight bend in your elbow. Your palms must always face down for this exercise.
Continue raising the water bottle until your arm is a little above parallel to the floor. Exhale as you are raising the water bottle.
Pause for a count of one.
Inhale and slowly lower the water bottle to the start position.
As you lower the left water bottle, begin to lift the right water bottle, duplicating the movement.
When both water bottles have been raised and lowered in a cycle, that is one repetition.
Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Holding the handle of a resistance band in each hand, step on the middle of the band with both feet. Stand up straight with a tight core and flat back.
Begin by lifting your hands straight up in front of you with an overhand grip. Be sure to keep a slight bend in the elbows at all times.
Pause at the top to feel the contraction then slowly lower the bands to the starting position.

Barbell Shrugs

3 sets

20 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Neck & Upper Traps

Secondary:

Shoulders, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Place your feet shoulder width apart and using an overhand grip at a little more than shoulder width, hold a barbell in front of you.
Your arms should be fully extended towards the floor, palms facing in towards your thighs. This is the start position.
Exhale and raise or shrug your shoulders up in a slow controlled movement. Do not use your biceps to assist in lifting the barbell.
Continue as high as possible then hold for a count of one.
Return to the start position in a smooth movement, inhaling as you do so.
Pause then repeat.

You can rotate your shoulders when performing this exercise. However this is not recommended for people with shoulder problems.

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and a dumbbell in each hand.
Keep your arms extended and by your sides and with your palms facing in.
Relax your shoulders so they hang as low as possible.
Raise the dumbbells by slowly lifting your shoulders in a shrugging motion. Hold for a count of one.
Slowly relax your shoulders to return to the start position.
Repeat.

You can also rotate your shoulders in a circular movement during this exercise. One direction on the lift, the opposite direction when lowering to the start position.

Primary muscle group(s):

Neck & Upper Traps

Secondary:

Upper Back & Lower Traps

Stand in front of a cable pulley. Feet are shoulder-width. Your core is tight and lower back is flat. Hold the cable bar and let it hang in front of you. Keep the weight close to your body.
Without using your arms, exhale and bring your shoulders towards your ears.
Hold the movement at the top then slowly bring the weight back down.

Workout done!

Exercises done

of 6

Total time

Return Browse more workouts