The Best and Worst Back Exercises for Muscle Growth: A Complete Ranking
.jpg)
Building a strong, wide, and muscular back is a goal shared by many lifters, from beginners to advanced athletes. The back is made up of multiple muscle groups—the lats, traps, rhomboids, erector spinae, teres major, and rear delts—all of which require a variety of angles and resistance profiles to develop fully. Yet, not all back exercises are created equal. Some movements deliver an incredible stretch and contraction that maximizes hypertrophy, while others fail to provide enough tension to the target muscles.
In this article, we’ll carefully analyze 20 of the most popular back exercises, ranking them from S tier (super effective) to F tier (fail). At the end, we’ll crown one movement as the ultimate back builder, while also naming the exercise you should probably avoid if your main goal is muscle growth.
How We Evaluated Each Exercise
To make the rankings fair, we’ll judge each movement based on three criteria:
-
Stretch and Tension
A good hypertrophy exercise should provide both a meaningful stretch of the target muscle and high levels of tension throughout the movement. Exercises that don’t stretch the lats, traps, or mid-back effectively will score lower. -
Feel and Mind-Muscle Connection
The exercise should feel smooth, not painful or awkward. It should allow for a strong contraction, a satisfying pump, and the ability to focus tension on the back rather than unrelated stabilizers. -
Progression and Overload
To grow, you need to progressively add weight, reps, or sets over time. Exercises that allow for straightforward progression score higher, while those with awkward setups or limited loading potential get bumped down.
The Worst Back Exercises (F Tier)
Renegade Rows
Renegade rows combine a plank with a dumbbell row. While creative, this hybrid exercise fails the hypertrophy test. The plank component shifts effort to your core and shoulders, leaving your back under-stimulated. The dumbbell row portion is compromised because you’re balancing instead of focusing on pulling. The result? Poor stretch, minimal pump, and little overload potential.
Other “two-in-one” hybrids, such as row + curl, row + press, or row + kickback, suffer from the same problem—the weaker muscle in the chain fails first, leaving your back unstimulated. These may burn calories, but they won’t build a wide, thick back. Verdict: F tier.
Above-the-Knee Rack Pulls
Rack pulls can overload your spinal erectors, but when performed above the knee, they barely challenge the lats or traps through a meaningful range of motion. They also hog plates, bang up gym equipment, and often feel awkward. Unless you’re a powerlifter chasing max deadlift numbers, they don’t belong in a hypertrophy-focused program. Verdict: F tier.
Deadlifts: Strength King, But Not a Back King
The conventional deadlift is an iconic exercise for total body strength. It trains the spinal erectors, glutes, and hamstrings extremely well. But as a pure back hypertrophy movement, it doesn’t deliver.
-
Stretch & Tension: Deadlifts don’t put your lats through an active range of motion. The tension is mostly isometric.
-
Feel: Most lifters don’t feel much of a pump in their mid-back or lats.
-
Progression: Deadlifts are easily overloaded, but most of the strength comes from your posterior chain, not your back muscles.
That said, deadlifts do thicken the lower back and improve overall strength, so they aren’t useless. But for hypertrophy purposes, they sit in C tier.
Pull-Ups and Variations
Wide-Grip Pull-Ups (A Tier)
One of the most classic back exercises, the wide-grip pull-up provides excellent lat and upper-back activation. It offers a nice stretch at the bottom and looks impressive when performed with good form. Downsides? The resistance profile is uneven—easy at the bottom, brutally hard at the top. Still, they are progressive and effective. Verdict: A tier.
Neutral-Grip Pull-Ups (A Tier)
With a neutral grip, you place slightly more emphasis on the lats while sparing the shoulders. Same benefits as wide grip, but with a touch more comfort. Verdict: A tier.
Chin-Ups (B Tier)
With palms facing up, chin-ups involve the biceps heavily, which takes some tension away from the back. Still a solid exercise, but not the most back-focused. Verdict: B tier.
.jpg)
Lat Pulldown Variations
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns (S Tier)
This machine staple is one of the most reliable back builders. It offers:
-
A huge stretch at the top
-
Smooth, even tension throughout
-
Stability from the seated position
-
Easy progressive overload with pin loading
It trains both the lats and mid traps effectively, making it one of the most versatile back exercises. Verdict: S tier.
Neutral-Grip Pulldowns (S Tier)
Similar to wide grip, but with even more lat emphasis. Driving elbows down improves engagement. Verdict: S tier.
Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Pulldown (S Tier)
This “optimal” favorite allows you to isolate each lat independently. The stretch is phenomenal, stability is manageable, and progression is simple. A great option for fixing imbalances. Verdict: S tier.
.jpg)
Cross-Body Pullover / Pulldown (A Tier)
Twisting the torso adds more stretch, but the setup feels awkward for many. Still excellent for hypertrophy. Verdict: A tier.
.jpg)
Row Variations
Barbell Row (B Tier)
A classic, but with drawbacks. While it provides good tension and stretch, it requires balance, and stabilizers often limit performance. Effective, but not the best. Verdict: B tier.
Yates Row (C Tier)
A more upright row popularized by Dorian Yates. Easier to load, but reduced stretch and reliance on momentum downgrade it. Verdict: C tier.
.jpg) |
Pendlay Row (B Tier)
The stricter cousin of the barbell row. Offers great lat stretch and consistent form, but less stability compared to supported movements. Verdict: B tier.
.gif)
Deficit Pendlay Row (A Tier)
Allows for deeper stretch by standing elevated. Better range of motion = better hypertrophy stimulus. Verdict: A tier.
Meadows Row (S Tier)
Named after John Meadows, this landmine row variation is one of the best. Huge stretch, high stability (when braced), and massive mid-back pump. Verdict: S tier.
.gif)
Inverted Rows (C Tier)
Good stretch and feel, but progression is limited—you’ll either be stuck with high reps or awkward plate loading. Verdict: C tier.
One-Arm Dumbbell Row (A Tier)
Despite controversy, this remains a back-building staple. Big stretch, stable setup, and good overload potential (until dumbbells run out). Verdict: A tier.
 |
Croc Row (A Tier)
A looser, high-rep version of the dumbbell row. Uses momentum strategically, aligning with natural strength curves. Surprisingly effective. Verdict: A tier.
.jpg)
T-Bar Row (B Tier)
Looks epic, feels decent, but balance issues and awkward setup hold it back. Verdict: B tier.
.jpg)
Chest-Supported Row (S Tier)
The gold standard for back hypertrophy. Stable, heavy, and fully focused on the lats and mid traps. Whether with machines, dumbbells, or barbells, chest support removes lower back fatigue and maximizes tension. Verdict: S tier.
.jpg)
Cable Rows (S Tier)
Few exercises provide as deep a stretch and as strong a pump. Leaning forward enhances the negative, and progression is simple. Both close-grip and wide-grip variations belong in S tier.
%2033735886%20_%20Shutterstock.jpg)
Isolation and Accessory Movements
Rope Face Pull (B to A Tier)
When done conventionally, face pulls are unstable and awkward (B tier). But when modified—seated or lying down—they become excellent for mid-back hypertrophy (A tier).
.webp)
Cable Lat Pullover (A Tier)
Offers one of the best lat stretches you can find, with excellent mind-muscle connection. Best used for higher reps. Verdict: A tier.
Dumbbell Pullover (A Tier)
Similar to the cable version, but tension drops at the top. Still, the bottom stretch is highly anabolic. Verdict: A tier.
The Winners and Losers
-
Best of the Best (S Tier Plus): Chest-Supported Rows
They combine stability, overload, and total back engagement better than any other exercise. -
Worst of the Worst (F Tier Hell): Renegade Rows
Too unstable, too compromised, and simply not effective for hypertrophy.
Final Thoughts
If your goal is a thicker, wider, and more aesthetic back, prioritize S tier exercises like chest-supported rows, cable rows, and lat pulldowns. Use A tier movements like pull-ups and dumbbell rows to add variety. Limit your time with C or D tier lifts unless you enjoy them, and avoid F tier exercises altogether if muscle growth is your main focus.
By focusing on exercises that provide stretch, tension, progression, and a great feel, you’ll maximize your back development and build a physique that looks powerful from every angle.