Your back muscle is indeed a powerhouse of your strength, and if you are no longer at the beginner level and ready to start your journey at the intermediate level, then you are in the right place. In this guide, we will take a look at workouts that will help you target your muscle more focused and can target all the major and minor muscles of your back. You can add these exercises to your split days to develop a stronger, thicker, and more defined back.

Let’s jump straight into the workout, which consists of four highly effective exercises designed for intermediate lifters.

1. Pull-Ups—The Foundation Movement

Pull-ups are the best and an essential bodyweight exercise that focuses on multiple muscle groups simultaneously, from biceps to back to shoulders to core. It’s best for all. For intermediate lifters with decent back and grip strength, pull-ups are the perfect exercise to begin your workout session with.

Setup & Form:

1. Use a rod to hang on and go with a shoulder-width grip.
2. Perform a thumb-less grip if you want to engage the lats more effectively.
3. Focus on full contraction at the top of the movement and controlled descent.
4. Avoid hanging fully at the bottom to protect your shoulder joints.

Muscles Worked:

• Lats
• Upper back
• Rhomboids
• Small stabilizing muscles in the back
• Elbows and shoulders (joint engagement)

Tips:

• Perform pull-ups at the beginning of your workout session.
• If you’re struggling, use a stool
• Wrist straps can help if your forearms fatigue too quickly.

Sets & Reps:

3 sets of 10 reps and focus on strict form over volume.

2. Barbell Bent-Over Rows—Mass Builder

It’s one of the best exercises for intermediates; this OG classic exercise targets hips, core, entire back, and arms too. Technically, it’s for all your upper body and, of course, is a compound exercise. Though it’s often debated due to its form complexity.

Setup & Form:

1. Hinge at the hips and keep your upper body at a stable 45-degree angle.
2. Keep your back flat to avoid rolling or injury.
3. Keep your grip just outside the shoulder width.
4. Pull the bar toward your lower ribcage and control it on the way down.

Muscles Worked:

• Middle and upper back
• Lats
• Rear delts
• Spinal erectors

Tips:

• Use a rack to safely pick up and re-rack the barbell.
• Maintain control throughout the range of motion.
• Use straps to help isolate the back and reduce grip fatigue.

Sets & Reps:

3 sets of 10 reps, on the third set, do a drop set by reducing the weight and performing max reps.

Rest:

1.5 to 2 minutes between sets, depending on fatigue.

3. Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows—Isolated Engagement

This exercise is insane for isolating the lats and improving muscular balance between both sides. As per experts, you can try a modified setup to avoid injury.

Setup & Form:

1. Keep one hand on an inclined bench and both feet on the ground.
2. Keep your chest high and avoid rotating your torso.
3. Pull the dumbbell back with a strong elbow drive and then control the stretch.

Muscles Worked:

• Lats
• Traps
• Rhomboids
• Biceps

Tips:

• Keeping both feet on the floor reduces lower back rotation.
• You can use straps and a thumb-less grip to engage your lats fully.
• Focus on a full stretch and contraction in each rep.

Sets & Reps:

3 sets of 12 reps per side, choose a weight that challenges you for exactly 12 reps.

Rest:

90 seconds to 2 minutes between sets, especially before the final set.

4. Seated Cable Row—Finishing Touch

The final exercise in our list is the seated cable row. It’s one of the excellent exercises to finish your workout with. It’s best as a finisher because it targets the entire back, especially the lats and mid-back, through a well-controlled range of motion.

Setup & Form:

1. Use two handles to maximize the range of motion.
2. Start with a pronated grip, or palms facing down, and transition to a supinated grip, or palms up, as you pull.
3. Avoid rounding your lower back; in other words, keep the spine neutral.

Muscles Worked:

• Lats
• Traps
• Rhomboids
• Biceps

Tips:

• Use a weight that allows exactly 12 focused reps. Don’t go with heavy weight.
• Use wrist straps if needed, but maintain proper form.
• Feel the stretch and contraction in every rep.

Sets & Reps:

3 sets of 12 reps

Rest:

60 to 120 seconds depending on fatigue levels.

Final Thoughts: Training Smarter

This guide covers all the best exercises for targeting your back, whether using compound or isolation movements. Each of the exercises complements the other exercise, this follows each for best results and gets you a dream width of your lats to the density of your mid-back.

Key Guidelines:

• Don’t rush between sets. Focus on quality reps, not quantity.
• Use tools like wrist straps and stools if needed to maintain proper form.
• Train with 100% effort and always listen to your body.

By any chance, if you found this guide useful, then let us know by commenting down below. And eat well and exercise well to see the best results.

Train hard, stay consistent.