Try these machine back movements to grow your posterior chain.
Strengthening your back offers numerous benefits, including improved posture, protection of your spine, muscle building, and enhanced overall functionality. A strong back enables you to lift heavier weights, lowers the risk of injury, and contributes to a better quality of life (1). While free weights, such as barbells and dumbbells, as well as bodyweight exercises, are excellent for targeting the back, incorporating cable machines into your routine can add variety and precision to your training. Below, we explore the five best cable exercises to elevate your back workouts.
Overview — Why Cable Machines?
To build muscle and strength, it is essential to engage in weight training and supplement it with a balanced diet rich in whole, nutrient-dense foods. However, the focus of this post isn’t on your diet, but on a practical way to optimize your training.
A prevalent method for working your muscles is using free weights, which act as a form of resistance, such as dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and barbells. However, cable machines provide an extra dimension to your training by working your back muscles through a smooth resistance, a better range of motion, and constant tension during your training sessions (2).
Below are the benefits of using cable machines to train.
- They are highly effective in improving your range of motion, which enables better muscle and strength gains.
- They offer a safer means of training compared to free weights.
- When using a cable machine, it provides constant tension on the target muscle, a crucial factor for muscle growth and development (3).
- Cable machines are commonly found in gyms and various fitness centers, making them readily available for use.
- When using cable machines, unlike free weights, this equipment offers stability and balance, especially with heavier loads. The more the load, the more effective your training.
Best Cable Back Exercises
Now that we understand the importance of using cable machines for back training and their advantages over free weights, what exercises can you do to improve the quality of your back?
To understand these exercises, you need to know what the back muscles are. The back muscles can be grouped into three:
- Superficial Back Muscles
- Intermediate Back Muscles
- Intrinsic Back Muscles
Superficial Back Muscles
The extrinsic back muscles can be seen close to the surface of your skin. These muscles include the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, traps, and levator scapulae.
Intermediate Back Muscles
The intermediate back muscles are just below and above your ribcage. They are the serratus posterior superior and the serratus posterior inferior.
Intrinsic Back Muscles
The intrinsic are the deepest layers of your back muscles and are closest to your spine.
Training Your Back Muscles
So if you’re looking to perform targeted back exercises, it is essential to do routines that work all aspects of your back. For instance, exercises that target your upper back include those that work your traps, lats, rhomboids, and levator scapulae. Some of these exercises include cable shrugs, cable bent-over rows, and omni lat pulldowns.
For your mid-back, the muscles include the erector spinae, mid-traps, rhomboids, and traps. You can use routines like close-grip cable rows or close grip cable lat pulldowns. Finally, for the lower back, you can perform exercises such as cable pull-throughs or cable deadlifts. So, when training your back, remember to target all your major back muscles.
1. Cable Omni Grip Lat Pulldowns
The cable omni grip lat pulldown is an excellent back builder. The omni grip lat pulldown combines three different grip styles into one back-pulling routine. These grip styles are the reverse grip, the wide grip, and the narrow grip.
How To Do
- Attach the omni bar to the cable machine and load the appropriate weights.
- Start by grabbing the bar with a wide pronated grip and take a seat, driving your feet to the floor.
- Now pull the bar towards your chest while you slightly lean back.
- Pause for about two to three seconds and slowly return the weights to the starting position for another rep.
- Perform this exercise for as many reps as you desire.
2. Cable Deadlifts
Deadlifts are commonly known as the ultimate exercise for building the back. Adding the cable deadlift provides constant tension on those targeted back muscles, which is a good recipe for growth.
How To Do
- Set up the bar and place it at the lowest setting of the cable machine.
- Take one step back and use a shoulder-width stance to create tension in your lower body.
- Engage your core muscles and maintain a slight arch in your back while pushing your chest out, and then grab the bar using your preferred grip.
- Next, take a deep breath and slowly lower the bar by hinging at your hips. Ensure you maintain a slight bend in your knees throughout the movement.
- Immediately, you feel that stretch in your hamstrings, and slowly pull the bar back to your starting position.
- Repeat this for as many reps as possible.
3. Incline Cable Chest Supported Rows
The incline cable chest supported row is excellent for working your back muscles. It eliminates momentum and cheating with other free weight routines.
How To Do
- Set the bench to an incline angle of 45 degrees and attach a wide bar to the cable machine.
- Stand over it, place your chest on the pad, and firmly plant the balls of your feet on the floor.
- Engage your core and slowly pull your elbows towards your hips as you row the cable.
- Hold this position for about two to three seconds and slowly return to the starting position.
- Repeat this for as many reps as possible.
4. Cable Rows
The cable row can help add width and muscularity to your back. Form is important during this routine because you don’t focus on putting stress on the shoulders. Instead, focus on the back.
How To Do
- Attach a bar to the cable machine and sit on the bench.
- Next, grab the bar using an overhand grip and keep your back straight.
- Slightly lean back and slowly push with your elbows until the bar is an inch from your body.
- Pause in this position for about one to two seconds and slowly return the bar to the starting position.
5. Cable Shrugs
Cable shrugs are a great way to isolate your trap muscles and build them. When using a cable machine, you can work the trap muscles through different angles to stimulate maximum muscle growth.
How To Do
- Set the cable machine to its lowest level and attach a rope or bar to it.
- Next, grab the rope using a neutral grip and stand back until your traps are fully stressed.
- Stand straight and fully relax your shoulders.
- Now, raise your shoulders up and back as high as possible and hold for about two to three seconds.
- Breathe out and slowly lower your shoulders back to their starting position.
- Repeat this movement for as many reps as you desire.
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References
- Heneweer, H., Staes, F., Aufdemkampe, G., van Rijn, M., & Vanhees, L. (2011). Physical activity and low back pain: a systematic review of recent literature. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 20(6), 826–845. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-010-1680-7
- Signorile, J. F., Rendos, N. K., Heredia Vargas, H. H., Alipio, T. C., Regis, R. C., Eltoukhy, M. M., Nargund, R. S., & Romero, M. A. (2017). Differences in Muscle Activation and Kinematics Between Cable-Based and Selectorized Weight Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(2), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001493
- Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
