So, how many back exercises should you do in one workout? The quick answer is that there is no single perfect number for everyone. It usually depends on how often you train your back, how much work you do in total for your back muscles each week (this is called training volume), and what your goals are, like building bigger muscles (hypertrophy) or getting stronger. Most people do between 2 and 6 exercises for their back in one training session.
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Why Your Back Muscles Matter
Having a strong back is super important. It helps you stand up straight. It helps you lift things. It even helps you with other exercises like bench press. The back is made up of many different muscles. You have the big muscles on the sides (lats). You have muscles in the middle and upper back (rhomboids, traps). You also have muscles in the lower back. To get a strong and complete back, you need to work all these different parts. This is why you usually need more than just one exercise.
Grasping Training Volume
Thinking about “how many exercises” is helpful. But it is more important to think about “how much work” you do in total. This is called training volume for back muscles. Volume is often measured by the number of hard sets you do for a muscle group in a week. A “set” is a group of reps you do one after another. For example, if you do 10 reps of pull-ups, rest, then do another 10, that is two sets.
Fitness experts often suggest a certain number of sets per muscle group each week to see good results. For back muscles, this weekly total is key. How you split this total volume across your training days changes the number of exercises you do in any one workout.
Optimal Back Workout Volume: Finding the Right Amount of Work
How much work is right for your back muscles? It changes based on who you are and what you want.
For most people who want to build muscle size (back hypertrophy workout), doing about 10 to 20 hard sets for the back muscles each week seems to work well.
- Beginners: If you are new to working out, your back muscles do not need as much work to grow stronger and bigger. Beginner back workout volume can be lower. Maybe starting with 8-12 sets per week is good. This helps your body get used to the work. It also helps you learn the right way to do the exercises. Doing too much too soon can cause pain or injury.
- Intermediate to Advanced: If you have been training for a while, you might need more volume to keep seeing changes. 12-20 sets per week is a common range. Some very advanced people might even do a bit more, but this is not needed for most people. Going much higher than 20 sets can sometimes slow down your progress because your body cannot recover well enough.
Remember, this is the weekly total. The number of exercises you do in one session helps you reach this weekly total.
Back Training Frequency: How Often You Train Your Back
How often you train your back each week has a big effect on how many exercises you do in one workout.
- Training Back Once a Week: If you only train your back one time every seven days, you need to fit your whole weekly volume into that one session. If your target is 15 sets for the week, you might do all 15 sets on that one day. If you do, say, 3 sets per exercise, you would need about 5 different exercises (15 sets / 3 sets per exercise = 5 exercises). So, training back once a week often means doing more exercises in that one session (maybe 4-6 exercises).
- Training Back Two Times a Week: This is a popular way to train. If you train back two times, you can split your weekly volume. If your target is 15 sets, you might do 7 or 8 sets in your first back workout and 7 or 8 sets in your second back workout. If you do 3 sets per exercise, you would need only 2 or 3 exercises in each session (7-8 sets / 3 sets per exercise ≈ 2-3 exercises). Training back two times a week usually means fewer exercises per session (maybe 2-4 exercises) but you train back more often.
- Training Back Three or More Times a Week: Some workout plans train muscle groups even more often, like in a full-body split. Here, you might do a few sets for your back in almost every workout. This means you would do very few back exercises per session, maybe just 1 or 2. But you would train back sessions more frequently during the week.
Training a muscle group more often with lower volume each time can be good for learning exercises and for recovery. It lets you do high-quality sets more often.
Workout Split Back: How Your Week Looks
Your overall workout split changes when you train your back and how many exercises you do then.
- Bro Split (Training each muscle group once a week): If you have a day just for “Back Day,” you need to do all your back exercises and sets on this one day. This usually means doing many different back exercises (4-6+). The goal is to hit your full weekly back workout volume in one session.
- Upper/Lower Split (Training upper body on some days, lower body on others): In an upper body workout, you train push muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) and pull muscles (back, biceps). You will split your back volume between these upper body days. You might do 2-4 back exercises on one upper day and 2-4 different back exercises on the other upper day. This split trains the back two times a week.
- Push/Pull/Legs (PPL Split): This split has a dedicated “Pull Day,” which is mostly back and biceps. This is similar to a “Back Day” in a bro split, so you might do a higher number of back exercises (4-6) on Pull Day to reach your weekly volume. If you do PPL twice a week (PPLPPL rest), you’d split the volume, doing fewer exercises on each Pull day (maybe 3-5).
- Full Body Split: Here, you train the whole body several times a week (like 3 times). In each full-body workout, you do a few exercises for each major muscle group. For your back, this means doing maybe just 1 or 2 back exercises in each workout. But you train back more often across the week.
The structure of your workout split directly affects the number of sets and exercises you need to do in any one session to hit your total weekly training volume for back muscles.
The Role of Sets Per Exercise
The number of sets for back exercises you do for each move also matters. Most people do 3-4 hard sets for each exercise.
Let’s say your goal is 12 sets for your back this week.
- If you do 3 sets for each exercise: You need 4 exercises (12 total sets / 3 sets per exercise = 4 exercises).
- If you do 4 sets for each exercise: You need 3 exercises (12 total sets / 4 sets per exercise = 3 exercises).
So, if you choose to do more sets of fewer exercises, the number of exercises goes down. If you do fewer sets of more exercises, the number of exercises goes up. Both can work, as long as the total volume is right for you. Doing 3-4 sets per exercise is common because it lets you get enough practice on that exercise and build up good volume for that specific movement pattern.
Selecting the Right Back Exercises Per Session
It is not just about how many exercises. It is also about which back exercises you choose. Your back muscles work in different ways. To work the whole back well, you should pick exercises that cover these different movements. This is back exercise selection.
The main movements for the back are:
- Vertical Pulling: Pulling weight down towards your body or pulling your body up towards your hands. This works the lats a lot (the wide muscles on the sides). Examples: Pull-ups, Lat Pulldowns.
- Horizontal Pulling: Pulling weight towards your body while your body is more upright or bent over. This works the middle and upper back muscles more (rhomboids, traps, rear delts). Examples: Barbell Rows, Dumbbell Rows, Seated Cable Rows, Machine Rows.
- Lower Back: Exercises that work the muscles lower down on your back. Examples: Deadlifts (also work legs), Good Mornings, Back Extensions.
To get a complete back workout, you usually want to pick at least one vertical pull and one horizontal pull.
- If you are doing 2-3 back exercises in a session, you might pick one vertical pull (like lat pulldowns) and one or two horizontal pulls (like seated cable rows or barbell rows).
- If you are doing 4-6 back exercises in a session, you have more room. You might pick two vertical pulls (pull-ups and lat pulldowns), two horizontal pulls (barbell rows and dumbbell rows), maybe a face pull for upper back/rear delts, and possibly a lower back exercise like Romanian deadlifts or back extensions.
The number of exercises is tied to making sure you hit the different parts and actions of the back muscles. A good back workout routine will include a mix of these movements over the week.
Sample Back Workout Routines Based on Frequency
Here are simple examples of how many exercises you might do depending on how often you train your back. These assume you are doing around 3 sets per exercise and aiming for about 12-15 sets per week.
Sample 1: Training Back Once a Week (e.g., Bro Split “Back Day”)
Total Weekly Volume: 12-15 sets
Sets Per Exercise: 3
Number of Exercises: 4-5
- Exercise 1: Vertical Pull (e.g., Lat Pulldown) – 3 sets
- Exercise 2: Horizontal Pull (e.g., Barbell Row) – 3 sets
- Exercise 3: Vertical Pull (e.g., Pull-ups or Assisted Pull-ups) – 3 sets
- Exercise 4: Horizontal Pull (e.g., Seated Cable Row or Dumbbell Row) – 3 sets
- Exercise 5 (Optional): Upper Back/Rear Delt focus (e.g., Face Pulls) or Lower Back (e.g., Back Extensions) – 3 sets
Sample 2: Training Back Two Times a Week (e.g., Upper/Lower Split)
Total Weekly Volume: 12-15 sets, split over 2 days (6-8 sets per day)
Sets Per Exercise: 3
Number of Exercises Per Session: 2-3
- Upper Body Day 1:
- Exercise 1: Vertical Pull (e.g., Lat Pulldown) – 3 sets
- Exercise 2: Horizontal Pull (e.g., Barbell Row) – 3 sets
- Exercise 3 (Optional): Another horizontal pull (e.g., Dumbbell Row) – 2-3 sets
- Upper Body Day 2:
- Exercise 1: Vertical Pull (e.g., Pull-ups or different Lat Pulldown grip) – 3 sets
- Exercise 2: Horizontal Pull (e.g., Seated Cable Row or T-Bar Row) – 3 sets
- Exercise 3 (Optional): Upper Back focus (e.g., Face Pulls) – 2-3 sets
Sample 3: Training Back Three Times a Week (e.g., Full Body Split)
Total Weekly Volume: 12-15 sets, split over 3 days (4-5 sets per day)
Sets Per Exercise: 3
Number of Exercises Per Session: 1-2
- Full Body Day 1:
- Exercise 1: Vertical Pull (e.g., Lat Pulldown or Pull-ups) – 4-5 sets OR 2 exercises with 2-3 sets each.
- Full Body Day 2:
- Exercise 1: Horizontal Pull (e.g., Barbell Row or Seated Cable Row) – 4-5 sets OR 2 exercises with 2-3 sets each.
- Full Body Day 3:
- Exercise 1: Vertical or Horizontal Pull (choose a different one than other days, e.g., Dumbbell Row or Chin-ups) – 4-5 sets OR 2 exercises with 2-3 sets each.
These samples show how the number of exercises changes a lot based on your frequency. The key is that the total work (total sets) across the week adds up to the right amount for you.
Considering Beginners
For a beginner back workout volume, it is best to start small. You need to focus on learning how to move correctly. Bad form can lead to injury.
- Start with 1-3 exercises per workout.
- Do 2-3 sets per exercise.
- Focus on simple, safe exercises. Maybe machine pulldowns, machine rows, and learning to do bodyweight rows or assisted pull-ups.
- Aim for a total of 8-12 sets for the week, spread over 1-3 workouts.
- As you get stronger and your form gets better, you can slowly add more sets or exercises over time.
Think of it like learning to walk before you run. Get good at a few exercises first.
Focusing on Back Hypertrophy
If your main goal is making your back muscles bigger (back hypertrophy workout), volume is very important. You need enough sets and reps to signal to your muscles that they need to grow.
- Typically, you will be in that 10-20 sets per week range.
- How many exercises you do per session depends on your frequency, as discussed before.
- Whether you do 3 exercises for 5 sets each (15 sets total) or 5 exercises for 3 sets each (15 sets total) can both lead to muscle growth, as long as the effort is high enough on each set.
- Picking exercises that you feel working your back muscles well is key. You need to make sure your back is doing the work, not mostly your biceps or shoulders.
- Progressive overload is crucial. This means trying to do a little more over time – more weight, more reps, or maybe an extra set. This tells your muscles to keep growing.
For hypertrophy, the number of exercises is a tool to get the right volume with good exercise selection. It is not the goal itself.
Factors That Change the Number of Exercises
Many things can influence the number of back exercises per workout that is right for you:
- Your Goals: Strength, size (hypertrophy), endurance? Goals change the needed volume and rep ranges.
- Your Experience Level: Beginners need less volume and fewer exercises. Advanced people might handle more.
- Your Training Frequency: How many times per week do you train your back? (See section above).
- Your Workout Split: Does your split give back a dedicated day or split it across multiple days? (See section above).
- How Many Sets Per Exercise You Do: Doing 4-5 sets per exercise means you need fewer exercises to hit your volume. Doing 2-3 sets means you need more exercises.
- Exercise Selection: Are you picking compound moves (work many muscles, like rows) or isolation moves (work one muscle, like some specific cable pullovers)? Compound moves are more efficient and often form the core of the workout.
- Your Recovery: Are you getting enough sleep and food? If not, your body cannot handle as much volume or as many exercises. Doing too much can lead to burnout or injury.
- Time Available: How much time do you have for your workout? More exercises take more time.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. You need to think about all these things together.
Is There Such a Thing as Too Many Back Exercises?
Yes, there can be. Doing too many back exercises in one workout can be a problem.
- Quality Goes Down: As you do more exercises, you get tired. Your form might get sloppy. This makes the exercises less effective and increases the risk of injury. It is better to do fewer exercises with good form and effort.
- Volume Per Exercise is Too Low: If you do many exercises but only 1-2 sets of each, you might not be doing enough work on any single movement to get good at it or get a strong growth signal from it. It is often better to do 3-4 sets of a few exercises.
- Takes Too Long: Long workouts can be hard to stick to.
- Might Hurt Recovery: Doing too much volume in one go might make it harder for your muscles to recover before the next workout.
Focus on doing enough sets of the right back exercise selection with good effort, rather than just doing many different moves.
Max Results Come from Smart Work
Getting “max results” for your back is less about a magic number of exercises and more about smart planning.
- Figure out your needed weekly training volume for back muscles. This is often based on your experience and goals (e.g., 10-15 sets for most people).
- Decide on your back training frequency. How many days a week will you train your back (1, 2, or 3+)?
- Choose a workout split back that fits your frequency and overall goals.
- Divide your total weekly volume by the number of days you train back. This tells you how many sets to do per workout.
- Decide how many sets for back exercises you will do per exercise (usually 3-4).
- Divide the sets per workout by the sets per exercise. This gives you a good idea of the number of exercises you should do in that session.
- Select exercises that hit different parts of your back (vertical pull, horizontal pull). Make sure you can do them with good form.
So, how many back exercises per workout for max results? It’s the number that allows you to complete your target volume for that session effectively, using proper form, with exercises that work your whole back, and within your recovery ability. For many people training 2-3 times a week, this means 2-4 exercises. For people training back once a week, it might be 4-6 exercises.
Think of the number of exercises as a result of your plan, not the starting point. Focus on getting the right amount of total work done well.
Table: Example Exercise Numbers Based on Plan
Here is a simple table to show how the number of exercises changes based on frequency and total volume goal (assuming 3 sets per exercise).
| Training Frequency | Weekly Volume Goal (Sets) | Sets Per Workout (Approx.) | Exercises Per Workout (Approx. @ 3 sets/exercise) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 time/week | 12 sets | 12 | 4 |
| 1 time/week | 18 sets | 18 | 6 |
| 2 times/week | 12 sets | 6 | 2 |
| 2 times/week | 18 sets | 9 | 3 |
| 3 times/week | 12 sets | 4 | 1-2 |
| 3 times/week | 18 sets | 6 | 2 |
This table is a simple guide. You might do 4 sets of some exercises and 3 of others, which would slightly change the exact number of exercises. The idea is to show how frequency affects the number of exercises per day for the same total weekly work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many sets is enough for back?
Most people aiming to build muscle size or strength do between 10 and 20 hard sets for their back muscles over a full week. Beginners can start with less, like 8-12 sets per week.
How often should I work my back?
You can work your back effectively anywhere from 1 to 3 (or even more) times per week. Training 2-3 times a week is popular as it allows for more practice on exercises and can help manage fatigue in each session.
Can I do 5 back exercises in one workout?
Yes, you can do 5 back exercises in one workout. This is common if you only train your back once a week and need to fit a lot of total work (training volume) into that single session to reach your weekly goals. Just make sure you can maintain good form on all exercises as you get tired.
Is 3 exercises enough for a back workout?
Yes, 3 exercises can be enough for a back workout, especially if you train your back multiple times per week (like 2 or 3 times). Doing 3 sets of 3 exercises gives you 9 sets. If you train back twice a week, that’s 18 sets total for the week, which is a good amount for growth for many people. It depends on your total weekly volume target.
Should I do vertical or horizontal pulls first?
There is no strict rule. Many people like to start with the exercise they want to lift the most weight on or the one they want to improve most. For example, if you want to get stronger at pull-ups or heavy rows, you might do those first when you are fresh. Both vertical and horizontal pulls are important for working different parts of the back.