{"id":19040,"date":"2026-11-03T10:16:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T09:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bilboteam.com\/back-training-complete-routine-to-build-strength-and-thickness\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T22:22:09","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T21:22:09","slug":"back-training-complete-routine-to-build-strength-and-thickness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bilboteam.com\/en\/back-training-complete-routine-to-build-strength-and-thickness\/","title":{"rendered":"Back training: complete routine to build strength and thickness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Walk into any gym and you’ll see almost everyone training chest. But people who’ve been training seriously for years and moving real weight \u2014 their strength shows in one place: a thick back.<\/p>\n\n

And that back doesn’t come from spending the afternoon on cable machines or stacking ten exercises per session. It mainly comes from three things: pulling in two planes (vertical and horizontal), moving heavy loads with good technique, and progressing in a measurable way week after week<\/strong>. If one of the three is missing, your back stalls.<\/p>\n\n

Since my goal is your progress, in this article I’ll walk you through how I train back and how you can do the same with the M\u00e9todo Bilbo Plan<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

You’ll see which muscles you need to take into account, the exercises I use, the weekly routine I set for my athletes, and how to keep adding weight without wrecking your lower back.<\/p>\n\n

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Which back muscles you should train, and why<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

When we talk about back muscles, we tend to think of just one area. <\/p>\n\n

But the back isn’t a single uniform mass \u2014 it has muscles that pull from above, muscles that pull backward, and muscles that keep you upright while you lift.<\/p>\n\n

Each muscle group has a different function, and it’s worth keeping that in mind when structuring your training.<\/p>\n\n

\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
Muscle<\/th>\n What it does<\/th>\n How to train it<\/th>\n <\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n
Lats (latissimus dorsi)<\/td>\n Pulls the arm down and in toward the body. Creates the “V” shape and width<\/td>\n Pull-ups, lat pulldowns, pullovers<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Mid and lower traps<\/td>\n Pull the shoulder blades together and down. Adds thickness to the upper back<\/td>\n Wide-elbow rows, face pulls<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Upper traps<\/td>\n Raises the shoulders<\/td>\n Shrugs, deadlifts<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Rhomboids<\/td>\n Pulls the shoulder blades together<\/td>\n Rows with a pause at the top<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Teres major<\/td>\n Assists the lats during pulling movements<\/td>\n Rows and pulldowns with a neutral grip<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Spinal erectors (lower back)<\/td>\n Keep the spine stable<\/td>\n Romanian deadlifts, hyperextensions<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n

So what does this mean for your training? That you shouldn’t base your entire routine on a single movement. <\/p>\n\n

Pull-ups and pulldowns give you width, but thickness comes from rows<\/strong>, which are what load the traps, rhomboids, and mid-lats. If you don’t row heavy, your back will look flat from the side. You need both.<\/p>\n\n

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Key exercises for lats, traps, and lower back<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Since there’s no single exercise that develops the whole back, here are some movements I use with most of the people I train:<\/p>\n\n

Vertical pulls: width<\/h3>\n\n