Machine Back Exercises

This is the largest back selection on the site, and for good reason: back exercises benefit more than most from a fixed path. A pulldown or a plate-loaded row lets you focus entirely on pulling with the back rather than on holding a position, so a hard set stays a back set right up to the last rep. Hammer Strength iso-lateral rows go further and let each side work independently while still being supported.

Machine assisted pull-ups belong here too, and they are the most reliable route to an unassisted pull-up, because you can dial the assistance down in small steps. The rowing machine, ski erg and VersaClimber are the conditioning end of the same group: they train the back through thousands of repetitions under fatigue, which builds endurance rather than size.

Beginner11

Intermediate5

Other equipment for Back

Frequently asked questions

Is the lat pulldown as good as a pull-up?

For building the lats, close. The pulldown lets you work with less than bodyweight, go past failure, and control the tempo precisely. The pull-up demands full-body tension and builds relative strength the pulldown does not. Use the pulldown to get strong enough for pull-ups, and keep both after that.

Which machine back exercise builds width?

The vertical pulls: the pulldown variations and the machine assisted pull-up. Width comes from the lats, and the lats are loaded hardest when the arms travel overhead. Rows build the thickness of the mid-back instead.

Does the rowing machine build your back?

It builds back endurance and some muscle in beginners, but the loads are too light and the reps too many to be a serious size or strength stimulus. Treat it as conditioning that happens to use the back, not as a replacement for rows.