Upper back: moves, progressions and balance

Set up. Set a bar in a rack at about waist height. Lie underneath, grip it a little wider than your shoulders and hold your body straight with your heels on the floor.

1. Brace your stomach and squeeze your glutes.
2. Pull your chest up to the bar, driving the elbows back.
3. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your body in one straight line.
• Bend your knees to make it easier.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top.

Common mistakes

• Letting the hips sag.
• Leading with the chin instead of the chest.

Set up. Stand inside a trap bar with your feet about hip width apart. Hinge down and grip the handles at their middle.

1. Flatten your back and lift your chest.
2. Push the floor away with your legs and stand up tall.
3. Lower the bar by sitting the hips back and bending the knees together.

Form cues

• Keep your arms long and relaxed.
• Stand straight up between the handles.
• Brace before each rep.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the back at the bottom.
• Leaning back at the top.

Set up. Sit at the cable row with your feet on the platform and knees slightly bent. Grip the handle and sit tall with your arms straight.

1. Pull the handle toward your stomach, driving your elbows back.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Let the handle move forward under control until your arms are straight and you feel a stretch across the upper back.

Form cues

• Keep your torso upright and still.
• Keep your shoulders down.
• Pull to the belly button area.

Common mistakes

• Rocking back and forth to move the weight.
• Shrugging the shoulders up to the ears.

Set up. Place one knee and the same hand on a flat bench, back flat and parallel to the floor. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand with the arm hanging straight.

1. Pull the dumbbell up toward your hip, keeping the elbow close to your side.
2. Squeeze the shoulder blade back at the top.
3. Lower the dumbbell under control to a full stretch.
4. Finish the set and switch sides.

Form cues

• Keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor.
• Pull toward the hip, not the chest.
• Keep your neck neutral.

Common mistakes

• Twisting the torso to lift the weight.
• Using only a short range at the top.

Set up. Adjust the machine so your chest rests on the pad and you can reach the handles with straight arms. Plant your feet.

1. Pull the handles back, driving your elbows past your body.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Return under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your chest on the pad.
• Keep your shoulders down.
• Pause briefly at the back.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the chest off the pad to move the weight.
• Cutting the stretch short at the front.

Set up. Lie face down on the machine's angled pad with your feet on the platform. Grip the handles with straight arms.

1. Lift the weight off its rest and pull the handles toward your chest.
2. Squeeze your upper back at the top.
3. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your chest on the pad.
• Lead with the elbows.
• Keep your neck relaxed.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the chest off the pad.
• Shrugging toward the ears.

Set up. Set the Smith bar at about knee height. Grip it a little wider than your shoulders, unhook it and hinge forward with soft knees and a flat back.

1. Pull the bar toward your lower ribs.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Lower to straight arms under control.
4. Rotate the bar back onto the hooks after the set.

Form cues

• Keep your torso angle fixed.
• Brace your stomach.
• Pull with the elbows.

Common mistakes

• Standing up with each rep.
• Rounding the back.

Set up. Set a cable at chest or waist height with a single handle. Stand or sit facing it, holding the handle in one hand with the arm straight.

1. Pull the handle toward your side, driving the elbow back.
2. Squeeze the shoulder blade back.
3. Let the arm go forward under control, allowing the shoulder to reach slightly.
4. Switch sides after the set.

Form cues

• Keep your hips square.
• Keep the elbow close to the body.
• Control the stretch.

Common mistakes

• Twisting the torso to pull.
• Letting the shoulder shrug up.

Set up. Attach a long bar to the low cable. Sit with your feet on the platform, grip the bar wide and sit tall with straight arms.

1. Pull the bar toward your upper stomach with elbows flared out to the sides.
2. Squeeze your upper back.
3. Return under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your chest up.
• Keep the elbows high.
• Keep the torso still.

Common mistakes

• Leaning back to pull.
• Shrugging the shoulders.

Set up. Set a bench to a low incline and lie face down on it, chest on the pad. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with the arms hanging straight.

1. Pull the dumbbells up toward your hips, elbows driving back.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your chest on the bench.
• Keep your neck neutral.
• Pause at the top.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the chest to swing the weights.
• Shrugging instead of rowing.

Set up. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, feet about hip width apart. Hinge down, grip the bar just outside your knees and bring your shins to the bar.

1. Flatten your back, pull your chest up and take the slack out of the bar.
2. Push the floor away with your legs, keeping the bar close to your shins.
3. As the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward until you stand tall.
4. Lower the bar by pushing the hips back first, then bending the knees once it passes them.

Form cues

• Keep the bar touching or close to your legs.
• Keep your back flat from start to finish.
• Brace your stomach before each rep.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the lower back as the bar leaves the floor.
• Letting the hips shoot up first so the back does all the lifting.

Take care. Learn the hinge with light weight first, and end the set when your back can no longer stay flat.

Set up. Hold a barbell with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders. Hinge at the hips with soft knees until your torso is well inclined and the bar hangs below your shoulders.

1. Brace your stomach and keep your back flat.
2. Pull the bar toward your lower ribs, driving your elbows back.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top.
4. Lower the bar under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your torso angle fixed.
• Lead with the elbows.
• Keep your neck in line with your back.

Common mistakes

• Standing up more with every rep to heave the weight.
• Rounding the lower back.

Set up. Straddle a barbell anchored in a landmine or T-bar base, attach a close handle and hinge forward with soft knees and a flat back.

1. Hold the handle with straight arms.
2. Pull it toward your chest, driving the elbows back.
3. Squeeze your upper back at the top.
4. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your torso angle steady.
• Brace your stomach.
• Keep your chest up.

Common mistakes

• Standing up as you pull.
• Rounding the lower back under the load.

Set up. Set up as for a barbell row with the bar on the floor, torso nearly parallel to the floor, back flat and hands just outside shoulder width.

1. Brace and pull the bar explosively from the floor to your lower chest.
2. Touch the body briefly with the elbows driven back.
3. Lower the bar back to the floor under control.
4. Reset your back before the next rep.

Form cues

• Each rep starts dead from the floor.
• Keep the torso flat and still.
• Pull fast, lower controlled.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the torso to start each rep.
• Dropping the bar and losing position.

Set up. Stand with a wide stance and toes turned out, the bar over the middle of your feet. Reach down between your legs and grip the bar about shoulder width apart.

1. Push your knees out over your toes and bring your hips close to the bar.
2. Flatten your back, lift your chest and take the slack out of the bar.
3. Push the floor apart and stand up, keeping the bar close.
4. Lower the bar under control the same way.

Form cues

• Keep your knees in line with your toes.
• Keep your torso fairly upright.
• Keep the bar against your legs.

Common mistakes

• Letting the knees cave in.
• Lifting the hips before the bar leaves the floor.

Set up. Lie face down on a high flat bench with a barbell on the floor or on blocks underneath. Grip it a little wider than your shoulders with straight arms.

1. Pull the bar up to the underside of the bench.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
3. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your whole body on the bench.
• Lead with the elbows.
• Pause briefly at the top.

Common mistakes

• Lifting the chest off the bench.
• Cutting the bottom of the range short.

Set up. Anchor one end of a barbell in a landmine or corner. Stand beside the free end, hinge with a flat back and hold the end of the bar in one hand.

1. Pull the bar end toward your hip, elbow close to your side.
2. Squeeze the shoulder blade back.
3. Lower under control to a straight arm.
4. Switch sides after the set.

Form cues

• Keep your hips and shoulders square.
• Brace your stomach.
• Keep the torso angle fixed.

Common mistakes

• Rotating the torso to lift.
• Rounding the back.

Set up. Set the bar on the rack pins or blocks at about knee height. Stand close with feet hip width apart, hinge down and grip just outside your legs.

1. Flatten your back and take the slack out of the bar.
2. Drive the hips forward and stand tall.
3. Lower the bar back to the pins under control.

Form cues

• Keep the bar against your thighs.
• Keep your back flat.
• Finish standing straight, not leaning back.

Common mistakes

• Hyperextending the lower back at the top.
• Dropping the bar onto the pins.

Set up. Stand on a low, stable platform or plates with the bar over the middle of your feet. Hinge down and grip the bar just outside your knees.

1. Bring your shins to the bar, flatten your back and lift your chest.
2. Push the floor away and stand up, keeping the bar close.
3. Lower under control back to the floor.

Form cues

• Keep your back flat at the lower start.
• Keep the bar against your legs.
• Use less weight than your normal deadlift.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the back to reach the lower bar.
• Using a platform that wobbles.

Take care. Start light: the deeper start makes holding a flat back harder.

Set up. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet and grip it very wide, so the bar would sit in your hip crease when standing. Hinge down with a flat back.

1. Lift your chest and take the slack out of the bar.
2. Push the floor away and stand up, keeping the bar close.
3. Lower under control to the floor.

Form cues

• Keep the shoulders over the bar at the start.
• Keep the back flat.
• Use straps if grip limits the set.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the upper back under the wide grip.
• Letting the bar drift away from the legs.

Set up. Hang from a bar with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders, arms straight.

1. Pull your shoulder blades down and back to start the movement.
2. Pull yourself up by driving your elbows down toward your ribs.
3. Bring your chin over the bar.
4. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your body still, legs together.
• Think of pulling the bar down to you.
• Finish every rep at full hang.

Common mistakes

• Kicking or swinging to get over the bar.
• Stopping halfway down between reps.

Set up. Choose an assistance weight, kneel or stand on the platform and grip the handles above you with straight arms.

1. Pull your shoulder blades down.
2. Pull yourself up until your chin is over the handles.
3. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• More assistance makes it easier.
• Keep the chest up.
• Use the full range every rep.

Common mistakes

• Bouncing off the platform at the bottom.
• Using so much assistance that the set stops being hard.

Set up. Adjust the seat so you reach the handles above and in front of you with straight arms. Sit tall with your chest against the pad if there is one.

1. Pull the handles down and back toward your sides.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades down and together.
3. Return under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Drive with the elbows.
• Keep the shoulders away from the ears.
• Keep the torso still.

Common mistakes

• Jerking the handles with the body.
• Shortening the range at the top.

Set up. Stand with the bar over the middle of your feet, feet about hip width apart. Grip the bar just outside your legs with a flat back and arms straight.

1. Lift the bar off the floor as in a deadlift, keeping it close.
2. As it passes mid-thigh, extend your hips, knees and ankles explosively.
3. Pull yourself under the bar and turn your elbows forward to catch it on the front of your shoulders.
4. Catch in a partial squat, then stand up and lower the bar under control.

Form cues

• Keep the bar close all the way up.
• Let the hips do the work, not the arms.
• Fast elbows into the catch.

Common mistakes

• Pulling early with the arms.
• Letting the bar swing away from the body.

Take care. This is a technical lift: learn it with a qualified coach and light weight, and use bumper plates on a suitable floor.

Set up. Stand tall holding the bar at your thighs with an overhand grip just outside your legs. Hinge slightly so the bar slides to just above your knees.

1. Keep the bar close and the back flat in the hang position.
2. Extend your hips, knees and ankles explosively.
3. Pull under the bar and turn the elbows forward to catch it on the front of your shoulders.
4. Stand up, then lower the bar to the thighs under control.

Form cues

• Stay over the bar until the hips drive.
• Keep the arms relaxed until the pull under.
• Catch with high elbows.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the bar out in front.
• Catching with low elbows so the wrists take the load.

Take care. Learn this lift with a qualified coach and light weight before loading it.

Set up. Stand with a kettlebell on the floor between your feet, feet about hip width apart.

1. Hinge at the hips with a flat back and grip the handle with both hands.
2. Push the floor away and stand up tall.
3. Lower the bell by pushing the hips back.

Form cues

• Keep the bell between your feet.
• Keep the back flat.
• Squeeze the glutes at the top.

Common mistakes

• Rounding the back to reach the bell.
• Squatting it up with the knees forward.

Set up. Use a box or bench to get your chin over the bar with an overhand grip.

1. Step off the box and hold the top position.
2. Lower yourself as slowly as you can to a full hang.
3. Step back onto the box and repeat.

Form cues

• Aim for a slow, even descent.
• Keep your shoulders set.
• Keep your body still.

Common mistakes

• Dropping the last part of the range.
• Jumping up so hard you swing.

Set up. Loop a resistance band over a pull-up bar and place one foot or knee in the loop. Grip the bar a little wider than your shoulders.

1. Hang with straight arms, supported by the band.
2. Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar.
3. Lower under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• A thicker band gives more help.
• Keep the body still.
• Use the full range.

Common mistakes

• Letting the band catapult you out of the bottom.
• Losing your footing in the loop.

Set up. Set a rope on a cable at about face height. Grip the rope ends with palms facing down or in, and step back until the arms are straight.

1. Pull the rope toward your face, separating the ends.
2. Finish with your hands beside your ears and your elbows high.
3. Return under control to straight arms.

Form cues

• Lead with the hands pulling apart.
• Keep the elbows high.
• Stand tall without leaning back.

Common mistakes

• Pulling to the chest with low elbows, which makes it a row.
• Leaning back to move heavy weight.

Set up. Hinge forward at the hips with a flat back, or sit and lean forward over your thighs, holding a dumbbell in each hand under your chest.

1. With a slight bend in the elbows, raise the dumbbells out to the sides.
2. Squeeze the back of your shoulders at the top.
3. Lower slowly to the start.

Form cues

• Keep the torso still.
• Think of moving the arms out wide, not back.
• Use light weights.

Common mistakes

• Squeezing the shoulder blades so the upper back takes over.
• Swinging the weights up.