Continuing our superset series, we will discuss 5 pump-inducing back supersets for your next pull workout.
The back is such a fun muscle group to work at the gym.
Leaving the gym with a back pump makes you feel like you have wings nested underneath your shirt.
The goal of each of these supersets is to help you activate your back muscles, build them, and send you on your way with a nice back pump.
Give them a try and add whichever ones you like to your regular workout routine.
Back Superset 1: Straight Bar Lat Cable Pulldown and Cable Shotgun Row
The first superset we will discuss is an awesome one to include to warm up your back before the rest of your pull workout.
In this superset, we’ll take full advantage of the cable pulley machine.
Begin by moving the pulley to the highest position on the cable machine and attach a straight bar to it. Grab the bar with a shoulder width pronated grip and step back until you feel resistance on the cable.
Using your lats, keep a straight arm position with a slight bend in your elbows and pull the weight down towards the floor. Once you have touched the bar to your quads, reverse the movement. Repeat for 10-12 repetitions.
Once you complete the straight arm lat pull down, move the cable pulley to the lowest setting on the machine. Remove the straight bar attachment and grab the ball/hook. Step back until you feel resistance in the cable.
Take a shoulder width stance and maintain an upright torso. Use you back muscles to pull your arm towards your ribcage. Repeat for 10-15 repetitions and then switch side. During each rep, ensure you focus on squeezing and activating your back.
Perform this superset for 3 sets and rest in between sets for 60-90 seconds.
Back Superset 2: Bent Over Dumbbell Row and Underhand Bent Over Dumbbell Row
This next superset is a fun one to perform to change the emphasis on the back muscles while using the same movement pattern. It’s also perfect for dumbbell only workouts and can also be performed with the same weight which increases the time under tension for the back.
Start off by picking a set of dumbbells. Hinge at your hips until your torso is near parallel with the floor. Using a neutral grip, perform a dumbbell row by bringing the weights to your rib cage. Perform 6-8 reps of this exercise.
Once completed, rotate your hands so that you have an supinated grip (underhand grip). Perform the same movement pattern and row the weights. Perform 6-8 repetitions of the underhand dumbbell row.
Perform this superset for 3-4 sets and rest for about 2 minutes in between sets.
Back Superset 3: Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs and Close Grip Cable Rows
Up next, we have an old bro-split workout favorite. If you subscribed to old muscle mags back in the day, you were guaranteed to see this superset in their monthly workouts often. And for good reason, it is a fun one to perform and it is effective.
The only issue with this superset is it can be difficult to secure both machines. If you have a workout partner, you can trade off between the two machines and have this superset be really effective.
Begin by attaching the wide bar to the lat pull down machine. Take a wider than shoulder width grip on the bar. Pull the bar down focusing on driving the movement with your back. A helpful way to do this is to view your hands as hooks guiding the bar. Perform 8-12 repetitions.
After finishing the lat pull down, immediately transition to the seated cable row machine. Attach a double D bar to the cable attachment and row the bar so that your hands touch your rib cage. Repeat for 8-12 repetitions.
Perform 3-4 sets and rest for 1-2 minutes in between sets.
Back Superset 4: Machine Row and Machine Pullover
We’ve got to include a machine superset for our friends who workout in machine dominated chain gyms. In this superset you’ll utilize a machine to accomplish the row movement and another to perform the pullover movement.
Begin on the machine row and aim to go a little bit heavier on this first exercise. Perform 6-8 repetitions using the machine row.
Then, immediately transition to the machine pullover exercise. Go lighter on this exercise and perform 12-15 repetitions.
Perform 3 supersets and rest for 60 seconds in between sets.
Back Superset 5: Pull Ups and Inverted Rows
Last, but not least, we have a bodyweight superset for those who work out from anywhere.
During this superset, we will begin with challenging pull ups. When it comes to hand position, perform whichever variation you prefer. You can go with wide grip pull ups, neutral grip pull ups or chin ups. If you have a hard time performing pull ups, focus on performing just the lowering portion of the exercise. Perform 8-10 repetitions.
Afterwards, move to the inverted row. This can be performed on a swing at the park, rings/TRX at home, or a barbell in a power rack anywhere. If you struggle with this movement, you can make it easier by changing the angle of the pull or by moving your feet closer to your torso. Perform 8-10 repetitions of this exercise.
Repeat for 3-4 repetitions and rest for 1-2 minutes in between sets.
Conclusion
In this article, we covered 5 supersets that you can perform to ignite your back and elicit back muscle growth.
We’ve provided a superset for every phase of a workout, as well as supersets that can be performed in any workout setting.
Give each a try. Keep the ones you enjoy in your back pocket for whenever you need to dial up a challenge for your back workouts.
If you have any questions about the supersets, exercises described, or a back superset you personally recommend, drop us a comment in the comments section below!