Back and Shoulder Exercises: 5 Moves That Should be Part of Your Routine

There're a few movements that should be mandatorily added to your list of regularly performed back and shoulder exercises. Wide, 3D shoulders and a thick, muscular back are true signs of upper body strength.

Proper exercise selection, higher workout intensity, and higher weekly volume are ideal for both the back and shoulders. It's generally advised to perform twice the pulling volume as compared to the push volume for optimal posture and shoulder health.

---

Top Back and Shoulder Exercises

The following five back and shoulder exercises, or one of their variations, should be performed 2-3 times a week for maximal hypertrophy and muscle gain:

1) Pull-up

Pull-ups simply cannot be avoided in your arsenal of back and shoulder exercises. If you want to target your lats, delts, upper back and core in one go, pull-ups are the movement for you.

Instructions:

• Grab onto the pull-up bar with an overhand grip (underhand for chin-ups).
• Brace your core and glute muscles.
• Use your upper back, lats, and arms to lift yourself up to the bar.
• Make sure the chin comes over the pull-up bar.
• Lower yourselves down slowly. Repeat.

---

2) Face Pull

Face pulls are an ideal way to train the traps, upper back, and rear delts while improving external rotation and general shoulder health.

Instructions:

• Stand upright with your legs shoulder-width apart. Attach a rope to the highest pulley of the cable machine.
• Grasp the ends of the rope using a neutral grip. Pull the load towards your face/nose. Adding in a rotational element will engage the external rotators.
• Hold the contraction for a second, and return to the starting position. Repeat.

---

3) Barbell Row

If you want to perform back and shoulder exercises that also help with building explosive strength and athleticism, the barbell row is your best friend. This movement can help build the upper back, spinal erectors, and rear delts.

Instructions:

• Stand in front of the bar with your mid-foot underneath it.
• Bracing your core, and grab the barbell with an overhand grip. Raise it towards your hips, and assume the classic rowing position. Make sure to keep the back flat throughout.
• Row the bar towards your sternum in an explosive movement.
• Return back to the starting position. Repeat.

---

4) Seated Cable Row

There are a few cable back and shoulder exercises that help in improving posture and growing the last, rhomboids, traps, and rear delts like the seated cable row. The use of cables keeps constant tension in the muscles throughout the movement, causing more hypertrophy.

Instructions:

• Go to the cable machine, and attach any handle of your choice (v-bar, straight bar, or ropes) while sitting down with the knees bent slightly.
• On grabbing the attachment with outstretched arms, you should feel the lats engaging. Take care not to arch your lower back.
• Pull the handle towards your lower abdomen while squeezing your scapulae together. Keep your chest up throughout.
• Restrict body momentum to a minimum. Return to the starting position.

---

5) Overhead Barbell Press

The overhead press is an underrated exercise that can help you build amazing shoulders, traps, triceps, and upper back muscles.

Instructions:

• Stand upright with the bar held in rack position.
• Hold the barbell with a shoulder-width grip. That can vary based on your height and arm length. Choose a position that feels most comfortable for your shoulders.
• Squeeze your glutes, and brace the core.
• Press the barbell straight overhead. At the overhead position, the bar should line up with your mid-foot.
• Lock out your elbows at the top.
• Shrug your shoulders to complete the movement, and return to the starting position. Repeat.

---

Can back and shoulder exercises be programmed together?

Yes, it is a good way to make your workout more efficient, save time, and improve your work capacity. Train the weaker body part out of the two first for optimal results.

---

Takeaway

The aforementioned back and shoulder exercises can help target both muscle groups together. The delts and back are stubborn muscles that require a lot of volume, especially with moderate weights, for maximal hypertrophy.