zakruti.com » Sport, fitness, workout » Jeff Cavalier

The ONLY 2 Upper Back Exercises You Need (NO, SERIOUSLY)

video description

Rating: 4.5; Vote: 2

What would you say if I told you there were only 2 upper back exercises you need to do in order to get a yoked upper back and traps? In this video, I am going to show you the two upper back exercises that should make up the bare minimum of your back workouts. Not only are these two upper back exercises great for building big traps but they will also help you in your compound lifts. Some might tell you that you only need two exercises total in order to build a muscle group. I disagree. I don t think anyone should be limited to picking just two exercises for a muscle group because each one often has multiple muscle heads as well as multiple functions that can be targeted individually through exercise selection. The chest is great example of this; it has three heads as well as two separate functions. Some might tell you that all you need is a flat bench press and an incline bench press. You are only hitting two of the three heads of the chest with this selection and while you are pressing, you are not getting adduction - another function of the chest. In the case of the upper back muscles, you need to understand that they include more than just the upper traps. The upper back is also made up of the middle and lower traps as well as the rhomboids predominately. Targeting and developing these muscles effectively will give that yoked appearance as well as provide stability and strength that will carry over to the big lifts. Often in the case of performing compound lifts such as the bench press, squat, and deadlift; it is not the major muscle groups lacking strength that causes a failed lift. It happens to be the upper back not being strong or stable enough to handle such loads that end up causing the lift to fall apart. In the case of the upper back, this is simply the foundation of what your upper back training should include. Not every upper back workout needs to include both of these exercises, but a complete training plan for your back will at least build off them or include them at some point. The first upper back exercise of the only two upper two back exercises you need is a variation of what Swede Burns likes to call a Throat Pull. This exercise will target the upper traps, rhomboids, levator scap, and rear delts - the major muscles that make up the upper back. The first version of the Throat Pull requires a low anchored cable and a rope attachment. Lean forward with a good hip hinge, grab the rope with an overhand grip and row the ropes up towards the level of your neck. At the same time, you want to shrug the muscles of the upper back backwards instead of upwards like on a traditional shrug. The other version of the throat pull can be performed on an incline bench with an E-Z curl bar. Kneeling over the bench with your chest on the pad, grab the bar and push back towards your body to engage your lats. From here, bring the bar forwards and again row up towards your neck while shrugging. Choose either variation as the first of your two upper back exercises, depending on what equipment you have access to. The second upper back exercise you need to build a bigger upper back is one of my favorite exercises of all time. The Face Pull with an overhead raise. This exercise effectively targets the upper back muscles to help develop the middle and lower traps, rhomboids and rear delts. Remember that when performing this exercise, you want to achieve external rotation by leading the movement with the thumbs pointing backwards. Doing so will help keep the shoulders in a healthy position while building the supporting muscles of the upper back and traps. You can superset these two exercises, as Swede mentions, to build muscle in the upper back. Building stronger muscles in this area is also important towards posture. Having poor posture not only affects your appearance, but how well you can perform in the gym as well. We know that bad posture creates limitations when performing exercises with proper form and range of motion. Now, if you want to take your back training to the next level that hits every function of the upper back as well as targets the muscles from different angles, there are many exercises to choose from. I don t think we should ever be limited to just two exercises for a muscle group, the upper back included. But you should at least start with these two exercises to build the foundation of your upper back s growth.
Date: 2023-06-27

← Stop Doing DB Bench Press Like This (I'M BEGGING YOU)

How to Do 15 PULLUPS OR MORE in a Row (GUARANTEED) →

Related videos

You're Wasting Your Money On Protein (NEW RESEARCH)

• Jeremy Ethier

This Diet Plan Is Getting Men Over 40 Jacked!

• Muscle Monsters

This is Why You’re Not Growing!

• Ryan Humiston

The Most EFFECTIVE Way to Get Abs in 2026

• Jeff Cavalier

This place is like Disneyland for adults! #stemcells #health #longevity

• Ryan Humiston

The ULTIMATE Rear Delt Fly Tutorial #reardelts #biggershoulders

• Ryan Humiston

Comments and reviews: 20

clamum
Relevant to my interests.
My upper back is so fricking weak. I can do one armed dumbbell rows, 3 sets of 8 with a 65 lb weight. For me that's pretty good.
But I'll do a chest supported row on an incline bench, with my elbows flared out so it's mid/upper back focused, and have to use 15 and 10 lb dumbbells. My three decades of horrible slouched forward posture may have something to do with it (my posture is way better than it used to be but still have some to go.
Lat-focused rows are ok but man when I try to flare my elbows and really retract scapula and pinch shoulder blades together I have almost no strength. I also find the motion fairly difficult because it's very natural to me to shrug my shoulders way up when doing it that mid/upper bank focused way.
reply

Benjamin
Also for me my personal opinion is having strong muscles in your back and general upper lower whatever helps you throughout the day just holding yourself up with your posture while you're doing your work if it's physical work factory constantly bending or just standing for long periods of time it kills your feet but if your back is strong enough you won't buckle because one little mistake and you can hurt yourself doing anything
reply

Kevin
I know the biceps do not connect to your middle traps like they do to the lats. I think most of these exercises are basically, rear delt Exercises. Activating the middle trap is very Difficult, Because they basically just go along for the ride because they're not connected to the bicep like the lats. Just read a study saying that there's very little middle trap activation doing rows if any at all.
reply

Ketan
Deadlifts with chin-ups & pull-ups (3-4 sets) (8, 6, 4 reps)
Cable/Barbell row (3 heavy sets)
Face pull variation (3 light sets)
Lat pulldown (3 sets)
Straight bar lat pullover (3 sets)
DB shurgs (3 sets)
This is my back workout inspired by a lot of your videos. Tell me if it's correct or not and it's I perform them the sequence I have written them above
reply

Bernard
I would live to see a vid with a Bowflex-type home gym machine from Jeff - I find form to sometimes be much trickier as a newbie, i would SO love to see the pro/PT guidelines and Athlean-X type of advice.
Whether or not that happens, thanks so much for doing what you do, guys, such solid and consistently outstanding and rigorous yet accessible content. Well done.
reply

sport
can you do 2 lower back exercises. looking for deadlift alternatives. dont want to do them as the risk reward just isnt it worth it for me. yeah i know if i learn to do it with perfect form every time then its a great exercise but it doesnt take a million times to injure yourself, just one day of lack of focus or too much weight and thats it. thanks
reply

Richard
Cheap gym tip. You should have a multiple postion chin up bar and a dip bar. To get a good row exercise you're going to want to do a hanging row on the dip bar with your feet up on a chair. Like how the gymnast do hanging rows on rings with their feet up on a pad, same thing but with the dip bar and a chair.
reply

Exxie
The only two upper back exercise I have done are lat pulldowns and barbell rows in high reps. Although it's interesting how the other coach said that the reason why powerlifters fail in bench is because of a weak upper back. My bench is weak as shit so, I'm highly consider getting these exercises in
reply

Akbar
Hi Jeff, thanks for posting these videos. I have been subscribing to your programs for almost 3 years now (beast, ultimate arms, Xero, Xero 2, elastix. I have been meaning to as if you're considering coming up with a plan similar to ultimate arms but with bodyweight/elastics. Thanks
reply

John
The second one (face pull variety) is solid AF.
I do NOT like that first one. for the same reasons as the upright row. Nope nope and nope. Shoulders is one reason. too much internal rotation. and also causes me huge wrist pain.
reply

Dan
You have bent over rows and pull Downs. and many variations. newbies always like to start out with a variation. because the blind is leading the blind. it's just like fishing people that don't know how to fish never catch a fish!
reply

youssefzyadpt
What about Christmas tree part on back some video about i know some and close grip pull up lower back extension its work too some more but i hope some good technique come from your experience! Thanks
reply

Mr. Gabriel
It's very important to have the muscles in all areas of the back (top, mid, and lower. Because the muscles support the cervical, thoracic, and lumber parts of the spine very very important!
reply

Jonathan
Could you do mid back next? That's an area I'm struggling to target and develop. Loving this series so far its helped me be more efficient in my workouts since time is now a limiting factor.
reply

ubermench3000
I'm confused. Didn't you have 100 effective reps routine for the back. Are you saying that is obsolete? is there a straight-up routine for people who don't have a PhD in fitness?
reply

Simon
I really like your videos and content. I unfortunately don't have access to the gym and just have Bodyweight. Could you do a series for the time crunched and time limited please?
reply

sport
That dude Jesse seems to be working out for years and he looks average. Is he one of those ectomorphs that has hard time gaining? If that s the case he should be more lean.
reply

Brian
These are good; since I do not go to a gym and do not have an fully inclinable bench, I would like to see what can be done using dumbbells and (maybe) a Total Gym.
reply

Waldo
For the face pull: I dont have two ropes, so I use Tie Down Straps and just wrap them around my hand. Works great in my opinion, and can get the perfect length.
reply

Bodyz
Guys. The weight belt in the video makes it hard to consider you only 2 exercises for back. Gotta have a core based back exercise to prep stabilizers maybe.
reply

Add a review, comment