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Pulling/Rowing (Upper Back) Workout

5 exercises

T-Bar Rows exercise illustration
Dumbbell Incline Bench Rows exercise illustration
Low Cable Back Rows exercise illustration
Supermans exercise illustration

About this workout

Pulling/Rowing (Upper Back) Workout is a free 1 min workout plan with 5 illustrated exercises for your back. Follow the workout online, save it to your WorkoutLabs Fit account or download it as a printable PDF.

Tap any exercise in the workout to see the muscles worked, clear exercise illustrations and step-by-step instructions. Each workout includes sets, reps, rest times and notes so you can follow the plan without guessing.

Workout details

  • Duration: 1 min
  • Exercises: 5
  • Training focus: Back
  • Format: Interactive workout and printable PDF

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Questions about this workout

How long does the Pulling/Rowing (Upper Back) Workout take?

The full workout takes about 1 minutes, covering 5 exercises with prescribed sets, reps and rest periods. Using the built-in timers and auto-advance keeps you on pace from start to finish.

What muscles does this workout target?

This routine primarily works your lower back, middle back / lats, upper back & lower traps. Tap any exercise in the workout to see a muscle diagram showing exactly which primary and secondary muscles it activates.

How often should I do this workout?

For best results, do this workout 2–3 times per week with at least one rest day in between, and pair it with sessions that target other muscle groups.

Can I download or save this workout?

Yes – you can download this workout as a free printable PDF using the download button, or save it to a free WorkoutLabs Fit account to follow it on your phone, customize the exercises and track your progress.

Pulling/Rowing (Upper Back) Workout
5 exercises
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T-Bar Rows
T-Bar Rows exercise illustration
No sets / reps / duration specified
Sets/Reps not set
Get ready
321GO
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back, Middle Back / Lats
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps, Forearms, Upper Back & Lower Traps
  1. Set up an Olympic (long) barbell with weight plates on one end only.
  2. Put the other end of the bar against a wall or something heavy so it can’t slide backwards.
  3. Straddle the bar with your knees slightly bent.
  4. Bend forward at the waist until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor.
  5. Grip the bar close to the weight plates with both hands, using a neutral grip. One hand in front  the other. This is the start position.
  6. Keeping your back straight and exhaling, pull the bar straight up by bending your elbows until the plates touch your chest.
  7. Hold and squeeze your back muscles.
  8. Return to the start position in a slow smooth movement to place emphasis on your lats. Inhale as you do so.
  9. Keep the bar from touching the floor.
  10. pause then repeat.

This exercise can be performed using a cable station's low pulley or T-bar row machine. You can use a stirrup or double handle cable attachment to lift the weight by looping it under the end of the bar.

Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back, Middle Back / Lats
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps, Forearms, Upper Back & Lower Traps
  1. Set up a barbell on the floor and stand facing it with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  2. Bend forward at your waist and grip the barbell with an overhand grip.
  3. Keep your back straight and nearly parallel to the floor.
  4. Keep your head and neck straight. This is the start position.
  5. Without moving your torso, exhale and lift the barbell up towards you.
  6. Keep your elbows close in to your bodyand use your forearms to support the weight.
  7. At the top of the movement, hold for a count of one and sqyeeze your back muscles.
  8. Return to the start position inhaling as you do so.

If you suffer from lower back problems, this exercise is not recommended. Always keep your back straight throughout this exercise. This exercise can be performed using an underhand grip to engage the triceps also.

Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
  1. 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.
  2. 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):
Middle Back / Lats
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
  1. Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
  2. Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
  3. 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.
Dumbbell Incline Bench Rows
Dumbbell Incline Bench Rows exercise illustration
No sets / reps / duration specified
Sets/Reps not set
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Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back, Middle Back / Lats
Secondary:
Biceps, Forearms, Shoulders
  1. Lean forward into an incline bench
  2. Using a neutral grip, hold a dumbbell in each hand so your palms are facing in.
  3. Your arms should be fully extended and hanging straight down. This is the start position.
  4. Pull your shoulder blades back and flex your elbows to pull the dumbbells up to your sides.
  5. Hold and squeeze your shoulder and back muscles.
  6. Return to the start position in a slow, controlled movement.
  7. Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  1. Connect a V-bar attachment to the low pulley on a cable station or cable rowing machine.
  2.  Sit down at the station and place your feet on the foot pads or crossbar provided, while keeping your knees slightly bent.
  3. Lean forward, keeping your back straight and grip the V-bar handles with both hands.
  4. Keeping your arms fully extended pull back until your torso is at a 90-degree angle from your legs.
  5. Your back should be slightly arched, with your chest should be pushed out. This is the start position.
  6. Keeping your torso stationary, pull the handles back towards you while squeezing your back muscles.
  7. Keep your arms close to your sides until your hands reach your abdomen. Exhale as you perform this movement.
  8. Hold for a count of one.
  9. Inhale as you return to the start position in a smooth movement.
  10. 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  1. Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
  2. Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
  3. 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.
Inverted Rows
Inverted Rows exercise illustration
No sets / reps / duration specified
Sets/Reps not set
Get ready
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Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps, Shoulders
  1. Set the bar to your waist height.
  2. Lie on your back under the bar.
  3. Reach up and grip the bar with an overhand grip with both hands.
  4. 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.
  5. Hold and squeeze your arm and back muscles.
  6. Lower yourself back to the start position in a controlled motion.
  7. 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.

Low Cable Back Rows
Low Cable Back Rows exercise illustration
No sets / reps / duration specified
Sets/Reps not set
Get ready
321GO
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Biceps, Shoulders, Upper Back & Lower Traps
  1. Connect a V-bar attachment to the low pulley on a cable station or cable rowing machine.
  2.  Sit down at the station and place your feet on the foot pads or crossbar provided, while keeping your knees slightly bent.
  3. Lean forward, keeping your back straight and grip the V-bar handles with both hands.
  4. Keeping your arms fully extended pull back until your torso is at a 90-degree angle from your legs.
  5. Your back should be slightly arched, with your chest should be pushed out. This is the start position.
  6. Keeping your torso stationary, pull the handles back towards you while squeezing your back muscles.
  7. Keep your arms close to your sides until your hands reach your abdomen. Exhale as you perform this movement.
  8. Hold for a count of one.
  9. Inhale as you return to the start position in a smooth movement.
  10. 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):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
  1. 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.
  2. 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):
Middle Back / Lats, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Biceps
  1. 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.
  2. 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
  1. Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
  2. Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
  3. 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.
Supermans
Supermans exercise illustration
No sets / reps / duration specified
Sets/Reps not set
Get ready
321GO
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Abs
  1. Lie face down on a mat, with your arms fully extended above your head and your legs fully extended behind you.
  2. Lift your chest, arms and legs off the floor by arching your back. Only the tops of your quads and your lower abdomen should be in contact with the floor.
  3. Hold for a count of 2 while squeezing your abdominals and obliques.
  4. Return to the starting position for a count of one, then repeat.

This exercise can be done using one arm and it's opposite leg at a time. For example, right arm and left leg raised while your left arm and right leg remain on the floor. This method of execution allows you to use the free hand to push down on the floor to lift your chest higher from the ground.

Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings
  1. Lie face down on a hyper extension bench with your upper thighs and lower hips on the support pad. You must be able to bend at the waist freely.
  2. Lock your ankles under the footpads.
  3. Start with your body in a straight line head to toe.
  4. Place your arms across your chest, behind or at the side of your head.
  5. Slowly bend forward by relacing your, back and abdominal muscles.
  6. Continue as far as possible without rounding your back or raising your thighs from the support pad. You should feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings.Hold for a count of one.
  7. Return to the start position by contracting your back and abdominal muscles until your body is once again straight. Do not arch your back up at the end of the movement. Pause and repeat.

As your strength and flexibility increase, you can hold a weight plate against your chest for extra resistance.

Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
  1. Lie prone on a swiss ball with your feet hip width apart. You can place your feet against a wall for better stability. Clasp your hands behind your head with elbows pointing out.
  2. Engage your abs and raise your torso off the ball, hyperextending your spine.
  3. Return your torso to the ball to the starting position.
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Exercises done
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