1. Inhale and pull the handle down until it touches the upper part of your chest. Arch your back and slightly tilt your upper body backward.

2. Exhale as you complete the movement, returning to the starting position and repeat the next repetition.

Notes:
This exercise primarily develops the lats and teres major. If you pinch your scapulae together, you will work the rhomboids, trapezius and posterior deltoids.

Also, each pulldown exercise works the biceps and brachialis and also places emphasis on the brachiordalis.

Extend your arms and take a shoulder width, underhand grip on a chinning or chin up bar, i.e., palms facing toward you.

1. Inhale as you begin to pull upward, sticking your chest out.

2. Pull until your chin is level with the bar.

3. Exhale as you complete the movement, lowering yourself to the starting position then, repeat the next repetition.

Notes:
This exercise develops the lats and teres major. It also places intense focus on the biceps and brachialis. It is usually incorporated in exercise programs that focus on training the arm regions.

Other secondary muscles involved include the trapezius (both middle and lower portions), rhomboids, and pectorals.

Because this exercise requires great strength and muscle conditioning, it is advisable to use a resistance pull-up machine before attempting the full exercise. The resistance machine will help you develop a strength foundation for this exercise and adequately condition your muscles.

Take a wide overhand grip on the bar, i.e., your hands should be gripping the bar near each end.

1) Inhale and pull the bar down behind your neck, bringing your elbows back as you pull.

2) Exhale as you complete the movement then, begin the next repetition.

Notes:
This exercise is excellent for enhancing back width. It primarily works the lats, specifically the lower part. The exercise also works the forearm flexor muscles, biceps, brachialis and brachiordalis in conjunction with the rhomboid and lower trapezius muscles, which work to press the scapulae together.

This is a great exercise to begin with prior to moving on to chin ups, which require a great deal of foundational strength.

1. Inhale then, pull the T-bar up until the plates contact your chest or until your arms make a straight line from elbow to elbow, i.e., about 180 degrees. This will depend on your equipment.

2. Exhale while you complete the movement. Lower the weight and begin the next repetition.

Notes: This exercise is very similar to bent over rows. However it places more emphasis on the back and requires less effort to set your body in the correct movement position.

This exercise works the lats, teres major, posterior deltoids, arm flexors trapezius and rhomboid muscles.

1. Inhale and pull the handle toward you until it touches your lower rib cage. Be sure to arch your back.

2. When the handle reaches your torso, be sure your elbows travel as far back as possible.

3. Exhale while you complete the movement then, repeat the next repetition.

Notes: This is an excellent exercise for building the back. And, it will actually build the back better if you use a long bar like that in lat pulldowns and a wide grip. To perform the exercise in this manner, attach a long bar instead of the close grip and lean forward so that your face is almost touching your knees just like in crew rowing, which this machine emulates. Pull so that you lean back slightly (about 35 degree) until the bar touches the bottom of your pectorals. Then, return to starting position.

This exercise isolates the lats, teres major, posterior deltoids, biceps, brachialis, brachiordalis, trapezius and rhomboid muscles. When you straighten, it also involves the spinal erectors. The negative phase of this movement, especially with the long bar, when you lean forward to starting position, completely stretches your lats.

1. Stabilize your upper body in position. Inhale and pull the dumbbell as high as possible toward your hip while keeping your elbow back. Pretend your are pulling a lawnmower rope to start it.

2. The upper arm should be slightly away from your torso.

3. Exhale while you complete the movement, i.e., as your pull the dumbbell to your hip.

Notes: This exercise primarily works the lats, teres major, posterior deltoids. At the end of the movement the trapezius and rhomboid muscles are also worked. A secondary emphasis is placed on the arm flexors, biceps, brachialis and brachiordalis.

1. Inhale and pull the bar down to your upper chest. Arch your back and bring your elbows back. Make sure to begin the pull with a reverse shrug of the shoulders. Do not pull with just the arms!

2. Exhale while you complete the movement. Return to extended or starting position and begin the next repetition.

Notes: This exercise is excellent for adding thickness to the back because it stresses the center part of the lats. Emphasis is also placed on the trapezius(middle and lower portions), as well as the rhomboids, biceps, brachialis, and, to a lesser extent, the upper and mid pectorals.

1. Inhale, Contract your abdominals isometrically. Pull the bar straight up until it touches your chest.

2. Return to the starting position, exhaling while you do so. Repeat next repetition.

Notes: This exercise works the lats, teres major, posterior deltoids, arm flexors, biceps, brachialis, brachiordalis. The rhomboid and trapezius muscles are also worked when you press your scapulae together at the end of the movement. The spinal erectors are also worked in an isometric way with this exercise while you are bent over.

As with most other exercises, you can use a variety of foot positions and grip widths to work the back differently, including the angle of torso tilt.