TIERS
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TIERS

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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Explore/Back

Best exercises for

Back

Rows, pull-ups and pulldowns, ranked for width and thickness.

40 exercises · Waiting for the first lifter ratings · Updates live

Back workout My tier list
S
Machine Row
Assisted Pull-Up
Lat Pulldown
Neutral-Grip Pulldown
Plate-Loaded Pulldown
Chest-Supported Row
Pullover Machine
Single-Arm Cable Pulldown
Machine High Row
Single-Arm Cable Row
A
Seal Row
Weighted Pull-Up
45° Back Extension
Seated Cable Row
Straight-Arm Pulldown
Wide-Grip Cable Row
Chin-Up
Neutral-Grip Pull-Up
Pull-Up
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Negative Pull-Up
Meadows Row
T-Bar Row
B
Landmine Row
Yates Row
Dumbbell Shrug
Pendlay Row
Inverted Row
Kroc Row
Dumbbell Pullover
Reverse Hyperextension
Barbell Row
Barbell Shrug
Face Pull
Good Morning
Snatch-Grip Deadlift
Deadlift
Ring Row
C
Rack Pull
D
Superman
F
—

Full ranking

  1. 1S
    Machine Row
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    94
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  2. 2S
    Assisted Pull-Up
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    91
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  3. 3S
    Lat Pulldown
    Cable
    No ratings yet
    91
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  4. 4S
    Neutral-Grip Pulldown
    Cable
    No ratings yet
    91
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  5. 5S
    Plate-Loaded Pulldown
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    91
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  6. 6S
    Chest-Supported Row
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    89
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  7. 7S
    Pullover Machine
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    86
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  8. 8S
    Single-Arm Cable Pulldown
    Cable
    No ratings yet
    86
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  9. 9S
    Machine High Row
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    85
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  10. 10S
    Single-Arm Cable Row
    Cable
    No ratings yet
    85
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  11. 11A
    Seal Row
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    84
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  12. 12A
    Weighted Pull-Up
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    81
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  13. 13A
    45° Back Extension
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    80
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  14. 14A
    Seated Cable Row
    Cable
    No ratings yet
    80
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  15. 15A
    Straight-Arm Pulldown
    Cable
    No ratings yet
    80
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  16. 16A
    Wide-Grip Cable Row
    Cable
    No ratings yet
    79
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  17. 17A
    Chin-Up
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    76
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  18. 18A
    Neutral-Grip Pull-Up
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    76
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  19. 19A
    Pull-Up
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    76
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  20. 20A
    One-Arm Dumbbell Row
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    75
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  21. 21A
    Negative Pull-Up
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    71
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  22. 22A
    Meadows Row
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    70
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  23. 23A
    T-Bar Row
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    70
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  24. 24B
    Landmine Row
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    69
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  25. 25B
    Yates Row
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    69
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  26. 26B
    Dumbbell Shrug
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    65
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  27. 27B
    Pendlay Row
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    65
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  28. 28B
    Inverted Row
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    64
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  29. 29B
    Kroc Row
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    64
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  30. 30B
    Dumbbell Pullover
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    63
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  31. 31B
    Reverse Hyperextension
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    60
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  32. 32B
    Barbell Row
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    59
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  33. 33B
    Barbell Shrug
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    59
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  34. 34B
    Face Pull
    Cable
    No ratings yet
    59
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  35. 35B
    Good Morning
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    56
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  36. 36B
    Snatch-Grip Deadlift
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    56
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  37. 37B
    Deadlift
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    55
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  38. 38B
    Ring Row
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    55
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  39. 39C
    Rack Pull
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    54
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  40. 40D
    Superman
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    35
    Research
    —
    Lifters

What is the best back exercise?

Right now Machine Row ranks first, with an overall score of 94 from the research rubric. It’s followed by Assisted Pull-Up and Lat Pulldown. The best choice for you depends on your equipment and how it feels on your joints, which is why every exercise links to alternatives.

Why it ranks: Chest support removes the lower back from the equation, so the upper back takes all the work.

How these scores are calculated →