Build A Bigger Back With This Hybrid Calisthenics Routine

Are you looking to build a bigger back using a combination of weights and calisthenics?

 
I'm Andrew Aurora, and I help men develop athletic physiques through hybrid calisthenics and online fitness coaching.

Today, I’ll be sharing one of my favorite hybrid calisthenics back routines.

Your back is made up of many muscles, and while exercises like pull-ups and chin-ups are great for back development, they still leave some important muscles undertrained.

 
That’s why I like to incorporate weights into my calisthenics routine, allowing you to get the best of both worlds.

Let's jump right in

The first exercise we’ll start with is the traditional pull-up. 

This is a great exercise for developing your back, especially the upper portion of your lats, and it’s my personal favorite back exercise. 

I like to begin with pull-ups because they require the most strength out of all the exercises in this routine.

The pull-up is also one of the most important exercises in calisthenics, and building a strong foundation with it is essential if you want to improve your pulling strength. 

If you’re more advanced, you can opt for weighted pull-ups or muscle-ups instead. 

If you’re a beginner and struggling to do any pull-ups, you can use assisted pull-ups with a band or do jumping pull-ups as a substitute. 

And if you need help getting your first pull-up, be sure to check out my video on how to go from 0 to 30+ pull-ups.

The next exercise I’ll be incorporating is front lever negatives. 

This exercise places more emphasis on your lower lats and helps build serious back strength that will carry over to other movements like pull-ups and muscle-ups. 

It’s also one of the best exercises for building strength for front lever holds. 

This exercise is challenging for all skill levels, which is why I’ve placed it earlier in the routine. 

If you’re unable to do it yet, you can replace it with tuck front lever raises or assisted front lever raises. 

If you’re more advanced, you can opt for regular front lever raises, depending on your current skill level. 

The goal here is to perform 5 slow, controlled front lever negatives, or if you’re doing an easier variation, aim for 10-12 reps. 

Once you’ve completed the set, rest for 30 seconds before moving on to the next exercise.

Now, we’re going to start incorporating weights to complement our calisthenics training. 

What I love about the barbell row is that it’s great for building size, width, and thickness in the back, and it can easily be scaled by adjusting the weight to make it harder or easier. 

While the front lever negatives focused more on building strength, this exercise is aimed at building muscle by allowing you to work your lower lats through their full range of motion with an emphasis on hypertrophy. 

Use a weight that challenges you in the 10-12 rep range, and then move on to the next exercise without resting, making this a superset.

We’re going to move straight from the barbell row to the banded low trap row without any rest. 

This not only saves time, but you also shouldn’t need much rest before performing this exercise. 

The lower traps are often neglected in most back training programs, but this is by far my favorite exercise for targeting them. 

It’s simple to perform, but it may be the toughest to endure in this routine, second only to the front lever negatives. 

If you’ve never directly targeted your lower traps before, you’re definitely going to feel the burn with this one. 

Focus on slow, controlled movements, and aim for a tight contraction in the lower portion of your traps. 

Perform this exercise for max reps, then take a 30-second rest before moving on to the next exercise.

Moving on to the next exercise, we’ll be focusing on the upper traps with trap bar shrugs. 

I used to neglect my upper traps for a long time, but I’ve now made it a priority to hit them every back day. 

The goal here is to achieve full trap development when combined with the low trap row. 

By doing both exercises, you’ll also significantly improve your posture by strengthening your posterior chain. 

If you don’t have access to a trap bar, you can use dumbbells. 

However, I prefer the trap bar because of the angle it provides relative to the muscle fibers. 

Your upper traps run from the top of your neck down to your scapula at an angle. 

These fibers aren’t just responsible for moving your scapula up and down but also outward and inward. 

The trap bar allows for a more favorable angle to target the upper traps in alignment with their muscle fibers, promoting better upper trap development than regular shrugs. 

Since your traps are highly endurant muscles, aim for 12-15 reps for this exercise, and superset it with the next exercise without resting.

Remember what I said about the angle of the upper trap muscle fibers? 

Well, this exercise is even better at targeting your upper traps along the angle of those fibers, allowing for greater development. 

I like to include this exercise right after the trap bar shrugs because, while you typically can’t go as heavy, it’s perfect for burning out the upper traps and hitting them through a full range of motion. 

You can perform this exercise with either a band or a cable. 

If using a band, aim for max reps on each side. If using a cable, choose a weight that challenges you in the 10-12 rep range on each side. 

Afterward, rest for 30 seconds before moving on to the final exercise.

Now, we want to target the often overlooked but crucial lower back. 

If you have P-bars, this is my favorite lower back exercise, but it can also be done using a table or any elevated surface if needed. 

The goal is to raise your legs by engaging your glutes and lower back, while doing your best not to arch your lower back. 

Strengthening this area will significantly reduce your risk of lower back injuries and build strength for exercises like the planche. 

Perform this exercise for max reps, then give yourself a 90-second rest before completing two more sets of the routine.

If you enjoyed this post and want to watch the video version, head on over to my Youtube channel