How Many Back Exercises Should I Do?

When it comes to fitness, one of the most debated questions is how many back exercises per workout or per muscle group you should do. The back is composed of several major muscles, each playing an important role in posture, pulling strength, and overall muscle growth. But with so many exercises available, it’s easy to wonder: do you need five different pulling exercises in your back workout, or will two exercises be enough?

In this complete guide, we’ll break down the muscles of the back, the number of back exercises you should include, and how to structure an effective workout routine for maximum muscle size, strength, and balance. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to create a back workout that works every muscle group efficiently without wasting time.

Why Back Training Is Crucial for Your Workout Routine

The back is one of the largest muscle groups in your body, and training your back is crucial if you want balanced strength and size. Many people focus heavily on chest or arms, but a strong back provides stability, prevents back pain, and supports muscle growth across other lifts.

Think of back training as the foundation of pulling strength. Whether you’re doing rowing exercises, vertical pulling exercises, or isolation exercises to target specific areas of the back, each workout should include at least a couple of exercises that work the back through a full range of motion.

Another reason to prioritize back exercises is posture. A lot of back muscles are responsible for keeping your shoulders retracted, protecting your spine, and helping you avoid injuries. Skipping back days can lead to muscle imbalances, poor performance, and long-term discomfort.

How Many Back Exercises Per Muscle Group Should You Do?

This is the big question: how many exercises per muscle group are enough? For the back, most experts agree that 2–4 back exercises per workout can effectively target every major muscle without overloading you with volume.

The number of exercises per workout depends on your goals. If you want to build muscle mass and muscle size, you’ll need enough sets per muscle to create muscle activation and stimulate muscle hypertrophy. For beginners, two exercises may be enough, while advanced lifters may need more exercises to target stubborn areas of the back.

The key is not to do too many back exercises per workout. Overloading with 8–10 different movements can hurt your recovery and waste training time. Instead, focus on compound exercises that activate every muscle, and then add isolation exercises for weak points.

The Major Muscles of the Back Explained

To understand back training, you need to know the muscles of the back. The back is comprised of multiple layers of back muscles, but the major muscle groups include:

Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)

The largest muscle in the back, responsible for the “V” shape.

Trapezius (Traps)

Extends from the neck down the mid back, important for posture.

Rhomboids

Located between the shoulder blades, stabilizing scapular movement.

Erector Spinae

Runs along the spine, important for lower back stability.

Teres Major and Minor

Assist in pulling and rotating the arms.

Understanding the major back muscles helps you choose exercises that target each area effectively. Back training should include a mix of exercises that target the upper back, mid back, and lower back for balanced muscle growth.

Back Is Comprised of Upper and Lower Regions – Why It Matters

The upper and lower back have different roles, so your workout should include exercises to target both. The upper back muscles (lats, traps, rhomboids) respond well to pulling exercises like rows, pull-ups, and lat pulldowns.

The lower back needs strength for stability and injury prevention. Deadlifts, back extensions, and good mornings are great exercises to help strengthen the erector spinae and support overall back health.

By combining upper back and lower back exercises, you’ll not only build muscle mass but also improve posture, strength, and athletic performance. Ignoring one area of the back is a mistake that can limit your progress.

Best Back Exercises for Strength and Size

If you’re looking for the best back exercises, start with compound exercise movements that work multiple areas of the back at once. Pull-ups, barbell rows, and deadlifts are considered some of the best back exercises you can do.

These exercises that target multiple muscle groups also stimulate strength and muscle hypertrophy. For balance, add isolation exercises like straight-arm pulldowns or face pulls to hit specific muscles in the back.

Rowing exercises and vertical pulling exercises should be staples in any complete back workout. They ensure you’re activating every muscle fiber and building strength and size across all areas of the back.

How Many Exercises Per Workout for Effective Back Training?

So, how many exercises per workout should you actually do? A good rule is: Beginners: 2–3 back exercises per workout. Intermediate/Advanced: 3–5 back exercises per workout.

This ensures enough volume without doing too many back exercises per workout, which can slow down recovery. For example, a back workout might look like this:

• Pull-ups (3 sets)

• Barbell rows (3 sets)

• Deadlifts (3 sets)

• Optional: Face pulls (3 sets)

This simple workout routine targets all the major back muscles while keeping the number of back exercises manageable.

Back Day Workout: How to Build a Complete Back

A back day workout should be a complete back session that targets every muscle. To create a back workout that balances strength and size, include:

• Vertical pulling exercises (like pull-ups or lat pulldowns).

• Rowing exercises (like dumbbell rows or barbell rows).

• Lower back strengthening (like deadlifts or back extensions).

• Isolation exercises (like face pulls for rear delts and traps).

This approach ensures a complete back workout without needing a lot of back exercises. You’re covering the largest muscle groups and improving overall strength and size.

Figuring Out How Many Back Exercises You Really Need

When figuring out how many exercises you need, think of back training in terms of sets per muscle group rather than just the number of exercises. For example, instead of doing six different exercises, you could do 3–4 exercises with 3 sets each to cover every muscle.

The number of back exercises per workout should depend on your recovery and training goals. If your goal is strength and muscle gain, focus on quality and intensity, not just the number of back exercises.

 Remember: more is not always better. Intense back sessions with 3–4 effective exercises can outperform a workout with 10 different movements done without focus.

Sets Per Muscle Group – What Science Says

Research shows that 10–20 sets per muscle group per week is effective for muscle hypertrophy and muscle gain. This means you should spread your sets of back training across 2–3 workouts per week for best results.

For example, you might do 3 sets of pull-ups, 3 sets of barbell rows, and 3 sets of deadlifts in one workout, and then repeat similar movements in your next back session. Over the week, this adds up to the recommended sets per muscle group.

Some lifters benefit from 5 sets per exercise, while others prefer fewer sets per muscle with more intensity. What matters is hitting the major muscle groups in the back consistently.

Tips to Create a Back Workout That Targets Every Muscle

When you create a back workout, follow these principles:

• Include compound exercises for strength and size.

• Add isolation exercises to target weak points.

• Use a full range of motion for better muscle activation.

• Contract your back muscles at the peak of each rep.

• Incorporate a variety of exercises over time to prevent plateaus.

Incorporating a variety of exercises ensures every muscle in the back is trained. This doesn’t mean doing a lot of back exercises in one session—it means rotating exercises across multiple workouts per week.

Isolation Exercises vs. Compound Exercises: Which Are Better?

Both isolation exercises and compound exercises have their place in back training. Compound lifts like deadlifts and rows build muscle mass and strength and should be the foundation of your workout. Isolation exercises to target smaller areas of the back, such as face pulls or reverse flys, help build strong back muscles with balanced development. The best approach is combining both types of exercises in a complete back workout.

How Often Should You Train Back Per Week?

The back is one of the largest muscle groups in your body, so training it more than once per week is a good idea. For most people, 2 workouts per week is a good balance for back training and recovery. This allows enough sets per week for muscle growth without risking overtraining. If you do a lot of back and biceps work in one session, you may need more recovery before your next back day.

Avoiding Overtraining and Back Pain with Smart Back Sessions

Doing too many back exercises or not allowing muscle recovery can lead to overtraining and back pain. To avoid this, keep your back sessions intense but not overloaded. Stick to a number of back exercises you can recover from, and listen to your body. Smart back training means balancing volume, recovery, and intensity. Overloading with unnecessary exercises can hurt your progress and cause injuries instead of helping muscle growth.

Conclusion: The Right Number of Back Exercises Per Workout

The back is one of the largest muscle groups and requires thoughtful training. The number of back exercises per workout should match your goals, experience, and recovery capacity. For most lifters:

• 2–4 exercises per muscle group per workout is ideal.

• Focus on compound exercises and add isolation movements only when necessary.

• Spread sets per week across 2–3 workouts for maximum strength and size.

Key Pont – How Many Back Exercises Per Workout?

• The back is comprised of multiple muscle groups that need different types of exercises.

• Include both upper and lower back exercises for balanced growth.

• 2–4 back exercises per workout is enough for most lifters.

• Aim for 10–20 sets per muscle group per week for muscle hypertrophy.

• Use a mix of compound and isolation exercises for best results.

• Avoid doing too many back exercises per workout—quality beats quantity.

• Smart back training leads to strength, size, and long-term injury prevention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How much back exercises should I do?

A1: You should do 2–4 back exercises per workout, focusing on compound movements like pull-ups and rows, and adding isolation exercises only if needed.

Q2: How many back and bicep exercises should I do?

A2: For a back and biceps workout, aim for 3–4 back exercises and 2–3 bicep exercises. This ensures both muscle groups are trained effectively without overloading volume.

Q3: How many back workouts should I do?

A3: Most lifters benefit from 2 back workouts per week, which provides enough volume for muscle growth while allowing proper recovery.

Q4: Which back exercises should I do?

A4: The best back exercises include pull-ups, barbell rows, deadlifts, and lat pulldowns. Adding face pulls or back extensions can help target specific areas of the back.

Q5: Are three exercises enough for the back?

A5: Yes, three back exercises are enough if you choose effective compound movements that target the major back muscles, such as pull-ups, rows, and deadlifts.