This article ranks 20 popular back exercises, categorizing them from S-tier (super) to F-tier (fail) based on scientific principles of muscle growth. The criteria for a top-tier back exercise include: a significant stretch with high tension, a comfortable and pain-free movement with a smooth resistance profile, and a clear progression strategy.
Renegade rows fall short in several areas. They limit the stretch due to the floor and distribute tension across multiple muscles, hindering back activation and pump. Combining a plank with a row dilutes the focus on the back, similar to other combination exercises like dumbbell row plus curl, press, or kickback. These prioritize the smaller muscles, leaving the back under-stimulated. Therefore, renegade rows and similar combination exercises fall into the F-tier.
While deadlifts are excellent for overall strength, they don’t optimally target lat or mid-back growth. The limited range of motion and isometric tension restrict muscle activation and pump. Although easily overloadable, strength gains often stem from hamstrings and glutes rather than the back. Thus, deadlifts rank in the C-tier for back hypertrophy, acknowledging their benefit for spinal erector development. The above-the-knee rack pull, essentially a deadlift with reduced range of motion, falls into the F-tier due to its limited benefits and potential for equipment damage.
Wide-grip pull-ups provide high tension and a deep stretch, promoting a good back pump. Despite the uneven resistance profile, they offer easy progression through added reps or weight. Neutral-grip pull-ups share these benefits with a greater lat emphasis. Both earn an S-tier ranking. Chin-ups, while excellent for upper body strength, shift some tension to the biceps, placing them in B-tier for back development.
Wide-grip lat pulldowns offer a great stretch, smooth tension, and convenient overload progression, earning an S-tier placement. Neutral-grip lat pulldowns share these advantages, emphasizing lats over mid-traps, also placing them in S-tier. Half-kneeling one-arm lat pulldowns deliver high stretch, tension, and individual lat focus, securing an S-tier ranking as well. Cross-body lat pulldowns increase lat stretch further, but the awkward movement may deter some, placing them in A-tier.
Barbell rows provide stretch and tension, but stability issues disperse tension to other muscles. While still effective for back development, they aren’t the optimal row variation, landing in B-tier. Yates rows, with their upright posture and looser form, reduce lat and mid-trap stretch despite allowing for heavier loads, ranking them in C-tier. Pendlay rows, with a more bent-over posture, enhance stretch and tension, placing them in B-tier. Deficit pendlay rows, increasing the range of motion, earn an A-tier ranking.
Meadows rows deliver exceptional mid-back stretch and tension, with a unique unilateral focus, securing an S-tier placement.
Meadows Row
Inverted rows offer a great stretch and mind-muscle connection but lack optimal progression options, placing them in C-tier. One-arm dumbbell rows offer substantial stretch, smooth movement, and stability, but potential weight limitations slightly hinder progression, placing them in A-tier. Kroc rows, despite their looser form, leverage momentum effectively while maintaining a good stretch, earning an A-tier ranking.
Freestanding T-bar rows provide stretch and tension but can be challenging to balance, placing them in B-tier. Chest-supported rows enhance stability and focus on the back, making them an essential bodybuilding exercise and an S-tier choice.
Chest Supported T-Bar Row
Cable rows offer deep lat stretch and a strong pump, with easy progression. Both close-grip and wide-grip variations earn S-tier rankings, with the latter emphasizing mid-traps. Rope face pulls, while effectively targeting the mid-back, can be unstable. Modified versions performed seated or lying down eliminate this instability, improving their ranking to A-tier.
Cable lat pullovers provide a significant lat stretch and strong mind-muscle connection. While primarily a higher-rep exercise, the deep stretch and lat isolation benefits warrant an A-tier placement. Dumbbell lat pullovers emphasize tension at the bottom of the movement, maximizing the stretch and also earning an A-tier ranking.
Among the S-tier exercises, chest-supported rows stand out as the best overall for targeting both lats and mid-back. Conversely, renegade rows are deemed the least effective for hypertrophy due to their instability and diluted tension.
