30 Minutes Intermediate Back Workout with Barbell
A 30 minutes muscle building workout targeting your back using barbell equipment. 3 exercises, 12 total sets, designed for intermediate lifters.
30 Minutes
Duration
12
Total Sets
8-12 reps
Rep Range
~420
Est. Calories
The Workout
Start with this as your primary movement. Warm up with 2 lighter sets first.
Form cues
- Stand inside the trap bar with feet hip-width apart.
- Grip the handles and push your hips back slightly.
- Drive through the floor to stand up, extending hips and knees together.
Straddle the bar with feet wider than shoulder-width.
Form cues
- Straddle the bar with feet wider than shoulder-width.
- Hinge forward and grip the handle or V-grip attachment.
- Pull the weight to your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
Finish strong — take the last set close to failure.
Form cues
- Set up a flat bench on blocks or bumper plates so a barbell can hang at full arm extension below.
- Lie face down on the bench with your chest at the edge and grab the barbell.
- Row the barbell to the underside of the bench, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Why This Workout Works
This workout is built around the principles of muscle building training. Use moderate loads (65-80% of your 1RM) with controlled eccentrics and full range of motion. Prioritize progressive overload by adding reps before adding weight. Train each muscle group 2x per week with 10-20 hard sets per muscle per week.
Training Parameters
- Rep Range: 8-12 reps — the hypertrophy sweet spot for maximum muscle growth
- Rest Periods: 60-90 seconds — long enough for quality reps, short enough for metabolic stress
- Sets Per Exercise: 3-4 sets — optimized for muscle building
Back Training Tips
- *Initiate every pull by squeezing your shoulder blades together — think about pulling with your elbows, not your hands.
- *Use straps on heavy rows so grip fatigue does not limit back development.
- *Include both vertical pulls (pulldowns, pull-ups) and horizontal pulls (rows) in your program.
Get this back workout personalized for you
Revy's AI will analyze your training history, recovery status, and strength levels to customize every set, rep, and weight for maximum muscle building results.