Ranking

Best upper back exercises

Exercises where upper back is a main mover, best muscle growth rating first, with more weight on ratings several sources agree on. Growth per unit of fatigue and injury risk are shown when rated.

  1. 1Seated cable row, start positionSeated cable rowHorizontal pullCable
    Growth
    4.3 4 sources
  2. 2Chest-supported row, start positionChest-supported rowHorizontal pullDumbbells
    Growth
    4.5 2 sources
  3. 3Wide-grip seated cable row, start positionWide-grip seated cable rowHorizontal pullCable
    Growth
    5.0 1 source
  4. 4Barbell bent-over row, start positionBarbell bent-over rowHorizontal pullBarbell
    Growth
    3.8 4 sources
  5. 5Barbell chest-supported row, start positionBarbell chest-supported rowHorizontal pullBarbell
    Growth
    4.0 1 source
  6. 6Deficit Pendlay row, start positionDeficit Pendlay rowHorizontal pullBarbell
    Growth
    4.0 1 source
  7. 7Kelso shrug, start positionKelso shrugHorizontal pullDumbbells
    Growth
    4.0 1 source
    Worth the fatigue
    5.0 1 source
  8. 8Machine chest-supported T-bar row, start positionMachine chest-supported T-bar rowHorizontal pullT-bar row machine
    Growth
    4.0 1 source
  9. 9Prone reverse fly, start positionProne reverse flyRear delt raiseDumbbells
    Growth
    4.0 1 source
  10. 10Machine chest-supported row, start positionMachine chest-supported rowHorizontal pullChest-supported row machine
    Growth
    3.5 2 sources
  11. 11Free-standing T-bar row, start positionFree-standing T-bar rowHorizontal pullBarbell
    Growth
    3.0 1 source
  12. 12Pendlay row, start positionPendlay rowHorizontal pullBarbell
    Growth
    3.0 1 source
  13. 13Inverted row, start positionInverted rowHorizontal pullBarbell
    Growth
    2.0 1 source