Building a strong, thick, muscular back comes down to more than just deadlifts and pull-ups. If
you want to add some density to your midsection, then you better incorporate heavy horizontal
pulling and lots of it.
Think you need fancy machines to build up your back? Think again. Too many of us have
forgotten that the basics have always been and always will be best. Check out these three tried-
and-true rowing variations that can be done in basically any gym and will help you build a bullet-
proof backside.
 

1) The Bent Over Barbell Row (BO rows)-

Unquestionably one of the best exercises ever
to build brute strength, power, and a big back. While many are familiar with the barbell
bent over row, most people still get it wrong. If you’re doing lightweight BO rows thinking
you’re effectively training your lats...you’re wrong. The only thing you’re doing when
performing a BO row with a 65lb barbell is wasting your valuable training time. I don’t
care about a perfect bar path or a perfectly flat back, doing light weight BO rows does
not send your body a signal to grow bigger or stronger. Period. So do yourself a favor,
drop the lightweight BO rows and quit looking like a newbie.
You must remember the barbell row is a major compound movement that incorporates a
lot of muscles: the low back erectors, hamstrings, glutes, lats, rhomboids, traps,
forearms, biceps, etc...I could go on.
With that said, to maximize the benefit of this amazing exercise, you must maximize
mechanical tension. Go heavy. You’ll never get stronger if you never lift more weight. It’s
literally that simple. It’s totally acceptable to use some momentum and body english
when performing BO rows! Dorian Yates, arguably the greatest bodybuilder of all time
performed BO rows with 405lb for reps. Ed Coan, the Greatest Powerlifter of all time
performed BO rows with 500lbs!!! Any coincidence that both of these men were
renowned for having INSANE back development? No.
If you want to have a strong, muscular back, make the Bent Over Barbell Row a staple in
your training regimen. Treat this lift like any other major compound lift and vary the sets
and reps, but always keep the weight moderate to heavy. I recommend 3-5 sets of 4-8
reps. An ideal time to perform your BO rows would be after your heavy deadlifts. Right
after your final set of deadlifts, strip the bar down to 60-70% of your heaviest deadlift and
immediately perform your rows. You’ll take full advantage of the potentiation effect and
these heavy BO rows will feel amazing (speaking from personal experience.)

2) The Seal Row (SR)-

When your low back or CNS feels fried from heavy lifting and BO
rows are out of the question, make these your go-to rowing variation. The SR is an
extremely effective exercise that’s amazing for building the lats and entire mid/upper
back. With your chest supported, this takes the low back, glutes, and hamstrings out of
the equation. By eliminating those major posterior chain muscles, you put all the stress
on the mid/upper back, allowing you to really focus on isolating the lats, rhomboids, and
traps. When performing Barbell seal rows, imagine pulling the bar through the bench
each rep to maximize ROM and muscle activation. This might make a loud clang every
rep, but who cares!?!? Bonus tip: Perform a 5-10 second isometric hold pulling the bar
against the bottom of the bench on the final rep of each set. Insane back pump
guaranteed.
Alternatively, you can also perform the SR with dumbbells or kettlebells. The set-up
takes less time and allows for a greater ROM on the concentric phase without the bench
blocking you. When training for strength, I recommend heavy barbell seal rows. 3-5 sets
of 5-8 reps works well. When training for hypertrophy, I prefer barbell seal rows at a
lighter weight, or DB/KB seal rows. I recommend using straps to eliminate grip fatigue
allowing you to take each set close to failure. 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps at moderate weight
should do the trick.
 

3) The Single Arm DB Row-

Probably the most popular of all rowing variations and for
good reason: it’s simple and effective. When done correctly, the Single arm DB row
lights up your lats and lower traps. I prefer doing the 3-point row with a bench as it
allows you to keep your chest more parallel with the ground so you can better isolate the
lats without other muscles compensating too much. Personally, I have found using a
heavy dumbbell for 3 sets of 15-20 unbroken reps to elicit the most metabolic stress and
best hypertrophy response. I would not worry too much over the exact DB path in the
rowing motion either. Don’t stress over minutiae. Trust me, if you’re doing heavy weight
for high reps, you will damage some muscle and get an awesome training effect.
Really focus on the mind-muscle connection and just make sure you’re not swinging
DBs or using too much momentum. Again use straps, so you can take the lats and traps
to complete muscular failure. Enjoy!!