Every gym enthusiast is prone to making a common mistake. They focus on training the most visible muscles. This is only natural. After all, their definition directly impacts the appearance of your physical appearance externally.
But to train the entire body holistically, you must pay attention to the muscles you can’t see. A great way to do so is by adding vertical pull exercises on your back day. These work the core and back muscles, enhancing your posture and building strength.
The Most Effective Vertical Pull Exercises for Your Back
1. Banded Kneeling Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown is one of the best exercises to build back strength. All you need for this variation is a resistance band. Follow the steps below.
- Loop your resistance band around the chin-up bar or an anchor point.
- Grab the handles of the resistance band. Kneel on the floor below the anchor point.
- Engage your core and shoulder blade muscles.
- Pull the handles down until they reach your shoulder height.
- Pause for a second and then release the band until it reaches the initial position.
2. Cable Bar Lat Pulldown
This exercise involves using a cable machine and a bar attachment to perform a pulling motion that targets the muscles in the back and arms. Follow the instructions below.
- Adjust the cable machine weight to your level.
- Attach the cable bar to the pulley at the machine’s top.
- Face the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Using an overhand grip, grab the cable bar with an overhand grip.
- Pull the cable bar towards your chest. Keep your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a second and slowly release the bar back to the beginning position.
3. Cable Bar Crossover Lat Pulldown
Cable crossover lat pulldown is a compound exercise. It targets the latissimus dorsi with a crossover motion that increases the stretch and contraction of the lats. Here’s how to do it.
- Kneel on the floor between two cables.
- Grab a handle in each hand in a manner that your palms face forward.
- Pull the handles down toward your torso. Let your hands rotate inwards when you pull the cables.
- Hold this position for a second.
- Let the weight return to the initial position as you maintain tension in your back.
Must Read: Horizontal Pull Exercises
4. Pull-up
A pull-up increases your grip strength and the strength of your back. It’s one of the most basic vertical pull exercises that you can do without fancy equipment. All you need is a bar and your body weight. Follow the steps below.
- Grab a bar with your palms facing outward. Your hands should be wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your back and arm muscles. Bend your elbows.
- Pull your body up till your chin is above the bar.
- Pause for a moment and return to the starting position.
5. Single Arm Cable Pulldowns
Single-arm cable pulldowns are most effective in targeting the lats. This is because they put your shoulders through a vast range of motion. Unlike the traditional cable pulldown involving both hands, you don’t stop when both shoulder blades touch each other. Here’s how to do it.
- Adjust the weight to a comfortable load.
- Grab the attachment and sit firmly under the knee pad.
- Pull the attachment down toward the floor. You must feel tension in your back.
- Hold this position for a moment. Now, return the attachment slowly to the beginning position.
6. Side-to-Side Pull-up
This exercise engages your lats and back. You pull your body from one side to the other. This improves your muscle definition and strength. Below are step-by-step instructions to perform a side-to-side pull-up.
- Grab the bar with your hands. They should be a bit wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Pull yourself up to the bar. Your chin should be above the bar.
- Now, in this position, pull yourself to the right, then to the left. Then pull yourself back to the center.
- Finally, push yourself outwards about 3 to 6 inches.
- Lower yourself back down to the initial position.
7. Prone Lat Pulldown
This is a vertical pull exercise to build your back without equipment. You can do this even if you don’t have a pull-up bar. Follow the steps below.
- Lie with your face down on the mat.
- Raise your chest and head off the floor. Extend your arms overhead.
- Bend your elbows and pull them toward your torso. Bring your shoulder blades together.
8. Dumbbell Upright Row
Are you looking for vertical pull exercises for the back with dumbbells? The dumbbell upright row works the shoulders and upper back. In this exercise, most of the work is done by your deltoids and traps. Below are the steps to perform this movement.
- Hold one dumbbell in each hand. Use a pronated grip (palms facing downwards)
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms so the dumbbells are at hip height.
- Pull the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Keep the dumbbells close to your body.
- Lift the dumbbells until they are at mid-chest or shoulder height.
- Return slowly to the initial position by lowering the dumbbells.
Must Read: Body Composition Exercises
9. Chin-up
Chinups work your arms, shoulders, and lats. Mastering the movement takes time. It’s essential to perform the exercise with proper form to reap its benefits. Follow the steps below.
- Stand with your arms shoulder-width apart. Grab the overhead bar with an underhand grip.
- Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar. Keep your neck in a neutral position.
- Hold this position at the top.
- Now, slowly lower yourself back down.
10. Deadlift
Don’t miss out on deadlift because it’s a lower-body-dominant move. The compound exercise works your lower back along with the glutes, hamstrings, and posterior chain. Follow the steps below.
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart.
- Step up to the loaded barbell. The bar’s center should be over your midfoot.
- Hinge your hips back. Bend your knees till you reach the barbell. Grab it with an overhand grip. Engage your lats and keep your chest up.
- Push through your feet and drive through your hips. Stand up with tension.
- The bar should be close to you and slightly touch your shins. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
- Now, lower back down with tension.
11. Alternating Neutral Lat Pulldown
Alternating neutral lat pulldown addresses strength imbalance. It builds strength in your muscles so they can perform the traditional lat pulldown in proper form with more weight. Below are the instructions to perform this movement.
- Sit on the lat pulldown machine. Keep your feet flat and back against the pad.
- Using a neutral grip, grasp the bar.
- Pull the bar down towards your chest. Keep your back straight and engage your core.
- Holding the bar, release one hand and extend it straight out
- Now, return it to the bar.
- Alternate hands for each repetition.
Building a Stronger Back with Vertical Pull Exercises
Vertical pull exercises work both the large and smaller muscles. The big moves target lats and traps, while others target biceps and the back of your shoulders. For a complete back workout, it’s best to switch between the various exercises described above. Doing so will ensure that every back muscle is strengthened, improving your overall body strength for the long term.
