The best hypertrophy workout for your back

medinews November 21, 2022

74 3 minutes read

Does the term “hypertrophy back workout” make your eyes glaze over? It may sound complicated or obscure, but hypertrophy training is actually a tried-and-true way to grow your muscles. Simply put, it means you’re training with the goal of making your muscles grow, and it works best when targeted to specific muscle groups in targeted workouts. In the back hypertrophy workout below, I applied this method to the back muscles. (If you’re ready for more, also check out these leg, arm, chest, and shoulder hypertrophy routines.)

Hypertrophy 101

Any hypertrophy routine requires three key factors to generate gains:

Volume: This refers to the total number of sets (and cumulative reps) of work the muscle is subjected to in one workout or across multiple workouts.
Intensity: The amount of stress a muscle absorbs.
Mechanical tension: This refers to the muscle that spends time under tension throughout its functional range of motion. To do this, you need to look closely at the muscle’s action in the body and prioritize exercises that challenge the muscle as much as possible in its range of motion.

For most lifters with a decent fitness base, the best way to achieve hypertrophy benefits is to focus on different body regions with each workout. This, of course, is called isolation training. If you use isolation training methods to prioritize a muscle group in a particular workout, you can spend all of your time in the gym giving that muscle group a serious pump.

When done correctly, and supplemented with a healthy, high-protein diet with a calorie surplus (ie, consuming more calories than are expended during exercise), the body responds by allowing this muscle group to grow. Below I used this method on the back side. Read on for the best hypertrophy back workout to add to your workout plan.

How to train your back muscles

The back is made up of multiple muscles, so there are many angles and directions you can use to target different parts of the back. However, most experts agree that targeting the entire back requires primarily pulling motions. With that in mind, it’s important to remember that pulling exercises require grip strength and can fatigue the forearms and biceps. This workout is designed to prevent arm and hand fatigue before your back gets a chance to do real work.

The best hypertrophy back workout

A. Pull-ups x max reps (5 sets): Rest as long as needed between sets.
Perform B1 and B2 as a superset for 4 rounds. Rest as long as needed between sets.
B1 V handle pull down x 8
B2. Chest Supported Reverse Flye x 12: Lie on an incline bench with your chest toward the floor (your chest should be on the higher side of the bench). Grab two dumbbells; keep them directly below you. Bend your elbows slightly and pull your shoulder blades back, squeezing them together as you pull the weights up and out in an arc on either side. Keep your elbows slightly bent throughout the movement, ending with your elbows higher than your hands. See here for a video demo.
Superset C1 and C2 for 4 rounds. Rest 2 minutes between rounds.
C1. Dumbbell Facial Train x 12
C2. Cobra Pulldown x 10 (each arm): Line up an incline bench with a high pulley. Lie on your side on the bench with your head closest to the pulley. Wrap your forearm under the bench for more stability. With your upper arm, hold the cable and perform a one-arm “pull down” pattern. The added stretch and power angles isolate and work the lats. Plus, you have the freedom to rotate your wrist and adjust your elbow position for the best shot.
D. Suicide Row x 10-12 (3 sets): This movement not only serves as a perfect finishing touch for your back, but for your entire posterior chain. Prepare with a fixed barbell or EZ bar and a horizontal back extension machine. Position yourself in the machine while holding the bar in a full hang with an underhand grip at arm’s length. While holding the weight at arm’s length, bring your torso up and pivot at the waist. Once your back is parallel to the floor, immediately row the weight up to your chest. Lower your torso back down, bring the weight back to the floor, and repeat the exercise. It should be a real burner, so rest between sets as long as you need to.