Back Workout for a Wider, Stronger Frame
A complete back session that builds width through vertical pulling and thickness through heavy rows, twice a week for six weeks.
Program Overview
A back has two dimensions and most training builds one. Width comes from vertical pulling that flares the lats; thickness, the density you see from the side, comes from heavy horizontal rowing through the mid back. This session trains both every time you walk in: a heavy row or pull leads while you are fresh, a vertical pull follows, and rear delt work finishes the upper back that rows alone leave behind. Phase 2 brings in rack pulls and assisted chin ups, two of the most effective and least used movements in our library. Every exercise includes a form video.
For back paired with the arms that assist it, our back and biceps workout covers it. If you want two different back sessions a week rather than one repeated, our lat and upper back workout splits width and thickness into separate days.
Who Is This For?
This plan suits you if:
- Your back lags your mirror muscles
- You row but rarely feel it anywhere but your arms
- You have access to a barbell, cables, and an assisted pull up machine
- You have two sessions a week to give it
Slot this into a complete week from our muscle building programs page.
Weekly Schedule
Phase 1: Row Heavy, Pull Wide (Weeks 1-3)
The barbell row opens the session while you are fresh, the pulldown builds the width behind it, and the single arm cable row lets each side reach through a longer range than two hands allow. Pull with the elbows on everything; if you only feel your biceps, drop the weight until your back takes over.
Torso angle on rows stays fixed. If your body rises to move the bar, the weight is lying to you.
Hinge forward and row the bar to your lower ribs, then lower under control.
Pull the bar down to your upper chest by driving the elbows down and back.
Row a single handle to your side, allowing a longer range through the torso. Work both sides.
Hinged at the hips, open the arms wide and squeeze the shoulder blades together.
An easy walk to move blood through the muscles you trained without adding fatigue.
Gentle mobility for whichever joints felt stiff getting into position last session.
Phase 2: The Dead Stop and the Bar (Weeks 4-6)
The Pendlay row resets on the floor every rep, which removes momentum and rewards nothing but pulling strength. Rack pulls load the whole back isometrically with more weight than any row allows, and assisted chin ups start your path to the bar with the friendliest grip there is.
On assisted chin ups, drop the assistance by one plate whenever you clear the top of the rep range. That is your progression toward unassisted reps.
Row explosively from a dead stop on the floor with your torso parallel to the ground.
Underhand grip on the assisted machine, pull your chin over the bar.
Deadlift from pins set just below the knee, focusing on the top half of the pull.
With one knee and hand on a bench, row the dumbbell to your hip. Work both sides.
A relaxed walk on your off days. It adds up more than people expect over a training block.
A short mobility circuit for the hips and thoracic spine.
Back Workout PDF
Width from vertical pulls, thickness from heavy rows, one session run twice a week for six weeks.
This is a single session you run twice a week for 6 weeks with full gym access, around 35 minutes. Phase 1 (weeks 1-3) runs 4 exercises for 12 sets: heavy barbell rows, pulldowns for width, single arm cable rows for range, and rear delt work. Phase 2 (weeks 4-6) swaps in dead-stop Pendlay rows, rack pulls that load the whole back with more weight than any row, and assisted chin ups with a clear plate-by-plate path toward your first unassisted rep.
- Width And Thickness Every Session A vertical pull and a heavy row in every workout, so the back grows in both dimensions instead of one.
- The Dead Stop Advantage Pendlay rows start every rep from the floor. No stretch reflex, no body English, just pulling strength.
- A Path To The Bar The assisted chin up progression in Phase 2 is written plate by plate, so six weeks from now the pull up bar is closer than it has ever been.
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Includes both training phases, the weekly schedule, and exercise cues for the full session. Download instantly after you submit the form.
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Nutrition Guidance
Back volume is some of the most demanding training there is, and it recovers on food like everything else. Our macro calculator sets your targets and our recipes help you hit them. For more depth, read how to tell if your training is working and the complete guide to bulking and cutting.
What Actually Matters Here
- Protein: 1.6 to 2.2g per kg daily. The back is the biggest muscle system in your upper body and eats accordingly.
- Calories: At or above maintenance to grow. Heavy rows in a deep deficit mostly build fatigue.
Grip usually fails before back on this session. Eat properly, rest fully between heavy sets, and use straps late in a session rather than cutting sets short.
