11 Best Cable Back Exercises for a Stronger & Wider Back

Cable back exercises can give you some amazing gains in building a thicker, stronger and wider back. Doing back exercises with a cable machine can also help to boost your other larger compound lifts like overhand press and deadlifts.

Performing back exercises with a cable machine by using different angles, weights and attachments can target all the major and smaller muscles of your back.

There are a lot of primary and secondary muscles that you need to engage in a back workout in order to build a well-developed back.

To build strength, you will need to incorporate a variety of back exercises that targets your lower back and upper back. Also targets the upper-mid portion of the back, the lats, lower back and all the secondary muscles.

So, read the article till the end to know 11 best cable back exercises to build back that you will be proud of.

• Also Read : 7 Best Rear Delt Exercises for Strength and improve your Posture
  
  
• Also Read : 8 Best Barbell Back Exercises for Building a Big Back

Benefits of Doing Cable Back Exercises

There are numbers of benefits of using cable machine for back muscles, including:

• Builds muscle and strength: if you perform correctly back exercises with a cable machine can generate some muscle strength and size gains. Cable machines are great for hypertrophy rep range of 6 to 20.
• Cable machine exercises suited for all fitness levels: performing back exercises with a cable, both beginners and advanced lifters can get a lot of benefits. Advanced level lifters might want to target specific smaller muscles like teres major/minor. Beginner level lifters can use the cable machine to do back exercises as the cable exercises help to keep movements consistent in the right range of motion.
• Great for isolation: cable back exercises are great for isolation, the combination with multiple attachments, angles, body positions and other equipment make it easy to isolate specific muscles.
• Helps to maintain proper form: the cable machine can help to maintain proper form and proper lifting technique, and prevent injuries. Performing back exercises with a cable machine can help you move through a full range of motion without vying off the intentional path.
• Constant tensions on muscles: cable machines apply constant tension on your muscles, which is a necessary component to build strong lean muscles.
• Extremely versatile: using the cable machine to perform back exercises, you can move your arms in many directions, this means you can target the muscles from multiple angles safely and effectively.

11 Best Cable Back Exercises for a Wider Back

Here are 11 best cable back exercises for building stronger and wider back, and also build muscles and increase overall upper body strength.

01. Face Pull

The face full is one of the most popular cable machine exercises and favorite for etching in the revealing the muscles of the traps, posterior, rhomboids and rotator cuff muscles. This exercise also improves your body posture and keeps the joints safe for heavier upper back exercises.

How to perform:

• Attach a rope to the cable machine at the upper part, so the pull comes eye-level.
• Stand in front of the cable machine and hold each end of the rope and take a few steps back.
• Bend the elbows and start pulling the rope towards your face.
• When the rope gets close to your face, separate your hands until your elbows travel slightly behind your back.
• Hold the movement of a second and then return back to the starting positions.
• Do 2 to 4 sets of 12 to 16 reps.

The movements should be slow and fully controlled, the face pull works for a shoulder and back.

02. Close-Grip Lat Pulldowns

The close-grip lat pulldown is the best and effective compound exercises that target your upper lats and increase the strength of your entire back. Performing this exercise can increase your elbow’s range of motion, and this exercise is done seated and legs are stabilized beneath the pad.

How to perform:

• Lock your thighs under the pad and feet flat on the floor and your knees at 90-degrees.
• Hold the bar with close grip, your hands should be closer than shoulder-width, and palms facing downward.
• Tighten your core and keep your chest up, pull the bar down towards your chest while engaging your lats.
• hold the position for a second and then slowly allow it to return back to the starting position keeping tensions throughout the movement.
• Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps.

03. Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns

The wide-grip lat pulldown is the most efficient back exercise which focuses on your upper back muscles, and this exercise helps build muscle mass and works multiple muscles.

The wide-grip lat pulldown exercises target the lats and the secondary muscles of the rhomboids, traps, and delts. To get the most benefits from this exercise, you will need to perform the movement with a slow and controlled motion.

How to perform:

• Sit on the lat pull-down machine, adjusting it so your thighs are fit under the supports.
• Hold the bar with a pronated grip, with your hands more than shoulder-width apart.
• Exhale, slowly pull the bar down towards your chest, until it touches the upper part of the chest.
• Hold the positions for a second and slowly return the bar back to the starting position.
• Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps.

04. Straight-Arm Pulldown

The straight arm pulldown is one of the great cable back exercises for focusing on lats and isolating lats. It also targets the triceps, rhomboids, posterior deltoids and teres major muscles in your upper arms.

How to perform:

• First, attach a straight bar to the upper pulley handle of the cable machine.
• Hold the bar at shoulder width, with an overhand grip, and take a few steps back and feet hip-width apart.
• Keep the elbows locked, engage the lats and pull the bar down towards your thighs.
• Hold the movement for a second and slowly return back to the starting position with controlled motion.
• Do 2 to 4 sets of 12 to 16 reps.

05. Reverse Lat Pull-Down

The reverse lat pull-down is a variation of the lat pulldown and this puts more focus on the lower lats by allowing you to keep your elbows tighter to the body. This exercise is similar to the close-grip lat pulldown but a simple change of the gripe.

How to perform:

• Attach a wide grip handle to the lat pulldown machine.
• Hold the handle with an underhand grip, at just inside of shoulder width.
• Then, pull the handle down towards your body until the elbows are in line with your torso.
• Hold the position for a second and then slowly return back to the starting position under control.
• Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps.

06. Close Grip Seated Cable Row

The close grip seated cable row is one of the best exercises and shifts the focus to the mid back (traps) and rhomboids to build a thicker back musculature and also improve your posture. With this exercise you are able to lift heavier weight compared to a wide grip row.

How to perform:

• Set up the V bar to the cable machine and sit on the bench, and keep your feet on the foot rests and your knees are slightly bent.
• Hold the bar with a neutral grip and push back until your rams are stretched.
• Keep your back straight and chest up with your shoulder forward, pull the bar towards your sternum.
• Hold for a second, and then slowly straighten the arms back to the starting position.
• Do 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 14 reps.

07. Cable Wide Grip Row

The cable wide grip row can make your back muscle thicker, because the majority of the work is done by the upper back muscles. So, these muscles will grow thicker rather than wider. Try to pull the weight towards you, using your back muscles.

How to perform:

• Attach the wide grip bar to the cable machine.
• Sit on the bench and hold the bar with an overhand grip, with your arms wider than shoulder width apart.
• Push back so your arms are straight and your knees are slightly bent.
• Lean back slightly with your back straight and your chest up, and pull the bar towards your sternum.
• Hold for a second, and then slowly return back to the starting position.
• Do 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 14 reps.

08. Cable Deadlift

The cable deadlift is a great compound exercise to strengthen the lower back, glutes and legs. This exercise can be done as in the video above. This exercise can help you to improve your form.

How to perform:

• Attach the stirrups to the cable machine, close to ground level.
• Stand straight facing away to the cable machine.
• Hold the stirrups with an overhand grip.
• Squat down into the starting position keeping your back straight.
• Bring your body up by pushing into the ground with your feet. Once your hands reach the knees level then bring your hips forward while straightening out your back.
• Hold the movement for a second, then slowly lower back to the starting position.
• Do 2 to 4 sets of 12 to 16 reps.

09. Kneeling Cable High Row

The kneeling cable high row works your upper back muscles from a different angle. And also strengthens the muscles of the lats, upper back and also activates the glutes and core.

How to perform:

• Attach a rope to the cable machine at higher level (head level).
• Kneel on the floor a few feet back, facing towards the cable machine.
• Hold the rope with a neutral grip, keeping your arms fully extended up in front of you.
• Pull the rope through your elbows down towards your face, until your elbows are at your sides.
• Hold the position for a second and then slowly return to the starting position.
• Do 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 14 reps.

10. Cable Bent-Over Row with Bar

The cable bent-over row is an amazing compound exercise that works well on the back muscles and core muscles. You can perform this exercise with different hand placement to target lower back or upper back muscles.

How to perform:

• Attach a bar to the cable machine, close to the ground.
• Stand behind the bar and hold it with an overhand grip, at little wider than shoulder width apart.
• Hinge at the hips and lean forward until your torso parallel with the floor.
• Keep your knees slightly bent and back straight, then pull the bar up until elbows are parallel with the ground.
• Hold for a second and then slowly lower the bar to the starting position.
• Do 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 14 reps.

11. Cable Reverse Fly

The cable reverse fly exercise is the best finisher to your back workout and puts a high focus on the rhomboids and posterior deltoids, which can add to the V-shaped torso look.

How to perform:

• Stand straight between two single-side cable attachments, the cable handles are attached to eye level (higher level) to the cable machine.
• Hold the handles on the opposite side (cable crossed in front of you) and step one foot back and keep the chest up.
• Then pull the cable out to the sides.
• Hold the position for a second and slowly return to the starting position with controlled motion.
• Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps.

Full Cable Back Workout

Above we mention many exercises that engage both primary and secondary muscles in order to build a stronger and wider back.

Here we are added 5 exercises to make a perfect cable back workout. To perform these exercises, all you need is a cable machine and a couple of different handle attachments. This workout takes about 45 to 60 minutes, keeping the rest periods 30 to 45 seconds.

Close-Grip Lat Pulldowns	2 to 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps
Straight-Arm Pulldown	2 to 4 sets of 12 to 16 reps
Reverse Lat Pull-Down	2 to 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps
Cable Wide Grip Row	2 to 4 sets of 10 to 14 reps
Kneeling Cable High Row	2 to 4 sets of 10 to 14 reps

FAQs On Cable Back exercises

Conclusion

Your back is one of the biggest muscle groups and support systems of your body. Targeting the larger muscles of your back can build strength and size of the back.

Most of the back workout routines include standard deadlift, bent-over rows, pull-ups to build strength and mass. By incorporating these cable back exercises into your back workout routine, you will get the most benefits to build a stronger and wider back.   

But make sure you’re doing the exercises with proper form and intensity. Remember, always talk to your personal trainer or physician before starting any exercise program.

Hopefully, you like this article, if you have any questions and suggestions kindly put them in the comment box below. 

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