4 Best Back Machine Workout Exercises for Muscle Growth and Hypertrophy for Beginners? 

Why Back Machines?

Building a strong and aesthetically pleasing back is a goal for many fitness enthusiasts. In this article, we’ll explore machine-based back exercises that are not only effective but also beginner-friendly. These back machine exercises target key muscle groups like the latissimus dorsi (lats), traps, rhomboids, and more, helping you achieve a fuller and more defined back.

Although the most common and famous back exercise are deadlifts, there are many ways to target them through the use of machines which limits the need for stabilizing and focuses specifically on the hypertrophy aspect of growing the back muscles. 

Lat Pull Downs

Lat Pull downs are one of the most classic machine exercises at the gym. The lat pull down as indicated in the name, specifically targets the latissimus dorsi or lats muscle group, but can also help train the traps, rhomboids and rear delts. These are the muscles which make your back wider and look like wings in professional bodybuilders. 

This back workout machine can be found at almost any gym, whether it’s local or whether it’s in a hotel. It’s one of the most common and essential machines in a gym. 

How to perform Lat Pull down with the machine?

1. Make sure your seated and have the feet planted firmly and locked out with the pad 
2. Grab the bar with a wide overhand grip
3. Pull the bar down approximately to your upper chest level 
4. Slowly let the weight up and repeat the rep
5. Typically done as 3-5 sets x 12 reps 

This exercise is a typical hypertrophy exercise used to build the back muscles and can also be used to increase the strength of the lats for other exercises such as the deadlift. It’s a method to isolate back muscles with machines.

Recommendations

• Start with a low weight and overtime progress with this exercise. 
• DON’T load up as much weight and ego lift
• Make sure to do slow controlled reps which will hello maximize the tension that the muscle undergoes and hence allow for better back muscle development in the long run 
• Don’t go with a extremely wide or narrow grip 
• Make sure to progressively overload this exercise 

T-Bar Row

What’s better than a normal row? A T-Bar row of course. This is another essential back workout machine which helps with thickening of the mid back portion. It helps target the rhomboids, lower traps and spinal erectors. This is vital in having a full frame body. There are many variations of a T-bar machine, some chest supported, others not and many more, but all have the same primary action. 

How to Perform a T-Bar row?

1. Grab the T-Bar with a wide grip 
2. Make sure to be stabilized proper;ly before starting a rep 
3. Pull it towards the lower part of the chest 
4. Slowly let the weight down and repeat 
5. Typically done as 3-5 sets x 12 reps 

This is a great beginner friendly exercise for a thicker back. You can overtime load it and even move onto barbell rows which require stability and strength. 

Recommendations

• Start with a low weight and overtime progress with this exercise. 
• DON’T load up as much weight and ego lift
• Make sure to do slow controlled reps which will hello maximize the tension that the muscle undergoes and hence allow for better back muscle development in the long run 
• Don’t go with a extremely wide or narrow grip 
• Make sure to progressively overload this exercise 
• Make sure to fully bring th weight up instead of doing partials 

Assisted Pull-Ups

One of the greats of all back exercises are clearly pull ups. But if we remove the stability aspect and focus solely on the strengthening and hypertrophy aspect, we get assisted pull up machine exercises. Sometimes these are not the most respected or highly viewed, but they provide a lot of value without people truly understanding. Assisted pull ups are a safe back machine exercise, which also targets the shoulders and even the chest. It’s an all in one exercise which especially targets the upper and lower traps. 

How to Perform an Assisted Pull up?

1. Make sure to set the weight accordingly to your body weight, it should be lighter than you, so that it can give way and come down quicker
2. Once the weight is set, grab onto the wide pull up handles in an overhand grip 
3. Slowly pull yourself up as high as you can 
4. Slowly descend down and control the eccentric portion of the movement and repeat 
5. Typical 3 sets to failure 

Recommendations

• Don’t put too much or too little weight as this either makes it too hard or too easy to do a pull up 
• Make sure to slowly ascend and descend with the movement to allow for greater mind muscle connection 
• Do as many reps as you can and do this fro 2 – 3 sets as a good starter point 
• Slowly build your strength and eventually move onto normal pull ups 

Seated Row Machine

The seated row machine is another staple in top machine exercises for the back. This targets the upper back muscles as well as the latissimus dorsi. This also aids in creating a thick and well shaped back physique. There are several variations for these as well but the one being explained is the typical one that can be found at any gym or can even be set up with cable flys. 

How to Perform a Seated Row?

1. Set the weight accordingly, making sure it’s 50 – 60 % of your 1 Rep Max
2. Make sure to have a tight overhand grip on the bar that’s attached to the machine 
3. Make sure to have a back position slightly greater than 90 degrees 
4. Lean forward and bring the bar or attachment close to your midline 
5. Make sure to keep your back straight and greater than 90 degrees but not too excessive bending your back 
6. Slowly let the weight go back, till you feel a nice stretch and repeat 
7. Typically performed as 3-5 sets x 12 reps 

Recommendation

• Don’t go overboard with the eight and keep it lighter to allow for greater hypertrophy gains 
• Don’t go fats with the reps as this is useless and not forming a good mind muscle connection 
• Don’t swing excessively, try to keep still as much as you can 
• Don’t bring the bar or attachment too high towards your chest 
• Don’t go too far in or overstretch either 

Conclusion

These are 4 of the best exercises to build a strong back with machines only. You can over time progress onto free weight for some people even stick to machines as it helps in isolating specific back muscles and allows for a tremendous physique and back aesthetic. Hope this helps you decide what back machine exercise to do, next time you’re at the gym.