{"id":343,"date":"2021-12-15T10:59:57","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T15:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ironmaster.com\/iron-blog\/?p=343"},"modified":"2026-01-23T13:39:04","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T18:39:04","slug":"upper-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ironmaster.com\/blog\/2021\/12\/15\/upper-back\/","title":{"rendered":"You Need a Strong Upper Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

You Need a Strong Upper Back,
\nEven if You\u2019re Not a Bodybuilder<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Let\u2019s face it:<\/strong>\u00a0Having a big, strong, muscular upper back is impressive. It just looks powerful, basically. A lot of people think the importance of a well-developed back ends in the realm of the aesthetic. \u201cI\u2019m not a bodybuilder. I just want a heavy squat, bench, and deadlift. So, why bother building the back in isolation?\u201d<\/p>\n

In this article, I\u2019m going to demonstrate how building your upper back *will* help you build a stronger chest, legs, and everything else by improving your strength and performance in the Big Three.<\/p>\n

And, if you are a bodybuilder, all of this will allow you to get much bigger as well.<\/p>\n

The Upper Back in the Bench Press<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Here are a couple of major ways the upper back helps the bench press.<\/p>\n

The first is stability. A bigger back creates a wider and thicker foundation upon which to press bigger, heavier weight.<\/p>\n

The second is injury prevention. When you allow your shoulders to creep up and forward during pressing, excessive elbow flaring is often the result. This causes undue shoulder stress because of the way the tendons of the shoulder interact with the shoulder joint, as Mark Rippetoe describes in \u201cStarting Strength.\u201d\u00a01<\/sup><\/p>\n

By keeping your shoulders pulled back and down (i.e. \u201cretracted\u201d and \u201cdepressed\u201d), you greatly reduce this injury risk. Your benching muscles (pecs, triceps, and front deltoids) also receive a deeper stretch at the bottom of the press, thereby resulting in better stimulation of the muscles you\u2019re trying to build.<\/p>\n

\"T-Bar<\/a>
Ultimate Row Handle, Landmine, Olympic Barbell, IM2000, Olympic Plates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Training the Upper Back for the Bench Press<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For a stronger bench press, rows are your best friend.<\/p>\n

Unless you can\u2019t perform barbell or other unsupported rows due to injury, cable or machine rows shouldn\u2019t be your main row styles. (If that is the case, though, don\u2019t worry; you\u2019ll be 100% fine).<\/p>\n

Instead, focus primarily on building your Barbell Rows, including the standard Bent-Over, as well as the many Barbell Row variations available, such as the Snatch-Grip, Yates, and Pendlay Rows.<\/p>\n

The T-Bar Row and its variations, such as the Supported T-Bar, Wide-Grip, Narrow-Grip, Meadows Row, and many others, are excellent options. The T-Bar Row is also great because it can be easier on the lower back. Why? Because you can get a good horizontal pulling movement while remaining more upright.<\/p>\n

The Upper Back for Squatting<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The upper back is integral to maximal squat development for three main reasons. The first is somewhat obvious.<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re performing a back squat, what is the bar resting on? Your upper back. Whether you\u2019re squatting high-bar (bar on upper traps) or low-bar (bar on rear deltoids), upper back strength is easily the limiting factor when it comes to pushing your squat to higher and higher numbers.<\/p>\n

The second reason is, again, injury prevention. If your upper body rolls forward–shoulders collapse, elbows tuck under, et cetera–injuries of the knees are common as your entire body lurches and falls forward unwittingly. Doesn\u2019t sound fun, does it?<\/p>\n

The third reason relates to giving yourself a mechanical advantage: the thicker your back, the farther *back* the bar can go (not down, but back, as Louie Simmons points out in his \u201cWestside Book of Methods\u201d2<\/sup>), thereby making it easier to keep the bar over the midfoot (midfoot is midway from the back of the heel to the tip of your big toe), which is where it should be no matter what style you\u2019re squatting with for maximal strength.<\/p>\n

\"Andre<\/a>
IM2000, cable row<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Training the Upper Back for Squatting<\/strong><\/h3>\n

No matter how you squat, the two main areas you want to focus on are the trapezius and the rear deltoids.<\/p>\n

For the rear delt, you want to focus on row variations in which the elbow is either very flared away from the body or very tucked to the side. So, for flared: Snatch-Grip, Wide T-bar, or Wide-Handle Cable Rows. For tucked row styles: Yates, Close-Grip T-Bar, or Neutral-Grip Cable Rows are perfect. All of these will conveniently develop the traps, as well.<\/p>\n

The Face Pull is an amazing exercise for building the rear delt, as is the oft-overlooked Lying Side Raise, favored by classic bodybuilders like Serge Nubret for its ability to pummel the rear delt into submission.<\/p>\n

And, the Reverse Fly is a useful option for building the rear delts.<\/p>\n

For the traps, use Above-the-Knee Rack Pulls (a type of deadlift with a very short range of motion), Shrugs, Farmer\u2019s walks, and Dumbbell Upright Rows. To build the mid\/lower traps, use the Reverse Shrug. Also, if you do any type of pullup or pulldown, remember to push the shoulder DOWN at the bottom of each rep. This helps produce a thicker mid-upper-back, filling the gap between the shoulder blades.<\/p>\n

The Upper Back in Deadlifting<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A stronger upper back provides more stiffness during the deadlift. Similar to a squat, a weak upper back can result in forward movement at the upper and lower back which can limit strength and lead to injury.<\/p>\n

Additionally, rowing (when done correctly) builds the external rotators of the shoulder, which are responsible for pulling you into the correct position and engaging the lats during the deadlift. This is also important as it shortens the distance the weight is moved as seen when performing a proper deadlift.<\/p>\n

And what else do rowing and pull-up build? The lats themselves! Stronger lats = more tightness and stability = a stronger deadlift.<\/p>\n

On top of that, rows and pullups build grip strength. If your upper back is not the limiting factor in your deadlift, your grip may very well be.\u00a0Scrap the straps and mixed grip for as long as you can, keep it simple, and just build some good grip strength!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Training the Upper Back for Deadlifting<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For deadlifting, plenty of rows are always helpful, but pull-ups with an outside-shoulder-width grip are also fantastic. This is because a wider grip uses shoulder adduction (pulling your elbows into your sides) to build your back, whereas rows generally work the back through shoulder extension (pulling your elbows behind you). Strengthening the back in multiple movement patterns leads to a stronger, thicker, wider lat muscle that is able to remain stable and tight during stupid-heavy deadlifts.<\/p>\n

All of the aforementioned row styles help build the deadlift, so I won\u2019t mention them again. Regarding pull-up variations, any pull-up or pull-down with a grip that is outside shoulder width can do the trick. And don\u2019t forget: if it gets too easy, add weight.<\/p>\n

Speaking of weight, when it comes to pull-downs, don\u2019t go too light. Build up some fatigue, get some mind-muscle connection, and put the work in. You\u2019re not just trying to fluff the muscle-up; you\u2019re trying to make it stronger. I mean, what are we; bodybuilders?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

How to Organize and Structure Upper Back Training<\/strong><\/p>\n

You should work your upper back at least twice a week, or at every workout. Do at least some of your back work before your main press, squat, or deadlift. And if your back is especially lagging, do a \u201cback phase,\u201d as advised by the late, great John Meadows (who invented the\u00a0Meadows Row<\/a>). Emphasize back training in your program for a specific length of time–Four weeks, for example.<\/p>\n

A few things to keep in mind:<\/strong><\/p>\n