Bodyweight back workout: 5 exercises, sets and reps

Bodyweight back workout

5 exercises 17 sets about 45 min no weights, plus a pull-up bar and a sturdy table or a low bar

The back is several muscles that do different jobs, so one exercise is never enough. This session pulls from above for the lats, rows for the upper back, and finishes with the lower back.

Without weights the load is fixed, so effort comes from slower lowering, pauses, harder variations and more reps.

Start this workout free Creates your account with these 5 exercises already loaded. Free to log, no card.

The workout

Pull-Up4 × 6Start from a dead hang. Pull your elbows down to your ribs until your chin clears the bar.2 min rest
Inverted Row4 × 10Hang under a bar set at hip height with a straight body, and pull your chest up to it.2 min rest
Chin-Up3 × 6Palms facing you, hands shoulder-width apart. Pull until your chin is over the bar and lower all the way.90 s rest
Prone Y Raise3 × 12Lie face down, arms overhead in a Y. Lift them off the floor with thumbs up and hold for a second.60 s rest
Superman3 × 12Lying face down, lift your arms and legs a few centimetres off the floor and hold for two seconds.60 s rest

Muscles worked

Front

Back

Lats11
Upper back9
Biceps7
Forearms5.5
Shoulders3
Lower back3
Traps3

Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.

How to run it

Start with five minutes of easy movement and one easy set of the first exercise. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.

Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. When a set reaches the target comfortably, slow the lowering to three seconds or move to a harder variation before you add reps without end.

Once or twice a week. Leave a day between this and any session with heavy deadlifts or squats, since the lower back works in all three.

In myreplog

It is already set up. These 5 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.

Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.

Questions

How long does this back workout take?

About 45 minutes. That is 17 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.

What muscles does it work?

Mostly the lats, upper back and biceps. The forearms, shoulders, lower back and traps assist. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.

What equipment do I need?

No weights, plus a pull-up bar and a sturdy table or a low bar.

What is the best exercise for a wider back?

Vertical pulls: pull-ups, chin-ups and lat pulldowns. They train the lats, which are what give the back its width.

How do I train my back without it hurting my lower back?

Use rows that take the lower back out of it, such as a chest-supported row or a seated cable row, and keep the weight where you can hold a flat back for every rep.