@@will-ht3mcBarbell is good for overloading exercises. Not necessarily they need to be on S tier. I prefer barbell over cable but I have to admit that I can only pull half the weight on cable compared to what I can pull through barbell.
This format is the best I've seen across CZcams fitness channels. It quickly sorts the workouts into ranks, showing us not just the top exercises but also the ones to avoid. It's a handy overview.
@@sabertoothwallaby2937Just what I wanted to comment- this has to be like at least 4th time Jeff posts same video with different title. I just can’t wrap my head around how people are not bored to death with content like this.
@@steffenpetersen2103That's because pull-ups are more physically and mentally exhausting than the pull downs. For hypertrophy this is very important, However I will always continue to prefer pull-ups and even more so if they are weighted.
Hopefully this will become a series because I think this is honestly as simple as it gets. All of us could use your knowledge and you presented it in the best way possible. I'm lacking some mass in my back and I'm really looking forward to putting this A tier and S tier exercises into my workouts. Thank you so much. Keep up the great work. Love from Serbia ❤
Jovan if you follow these s tier movements I promise you you will make no gains. Jeff did not gain his mass with these movements he uses them now to perfect his physique. S tier are pull-ups bent over rows and deadlifts don't let him fool you into using these cable exercises I promise you you will not make any gains you need to lift big heavy compound movements to add size mass to your back especially if you're natural.
Please make videos like this for every muscle group, love how these are formatted. I feel like I'm cheering for my team scoring a point when I see an exercise I do be ranked high lol.
They are also very weight dependent and not as easy to overload. If you're quite heavy or not fit you will need some sort of support. If you very light and/or strong you will require additional weights. And adding a belt with weights is not as easy as just adding weights to the stack. Also gripp strength can be a common issue in these excercises and depending on the setup I would assume thats easier to use straps with the lat pulldown.
Free standing T-bar row is my favourite exercise overall, not just for the back. While I feel that lying chest-supported rows cause too much of chest pressure due to the weight.
Hey Jeff. Love your content and how you’re able to condense the science studies and make it understandable to us viewers. Been a long time viewer for a while now and wanted to say that you’re an awesome influencer mate. I wanted to ask if your able a video about how to pose and sort of a posing routine. That would be greatly appreciated by me and I’m sure lots of other viewers. Love your content man. Keep up the hard work both on your videos and gym.
New follower for sure. Definitely would love to see this for every muscle group. This would create some great B to S tier routines for us gymrats throughout the year. Keep up the great content.
I love this video! Very informative and entertaining at the same time. Love the way you explain each one into more detail. Please make this for EACH body part. THANK YOU
Glad I’m subscribed, to get to see all the major muscles groups tier lists (hopefully). It’ll take a while, but it’ll be worth it. Thanks for the informative content as always, Jeff!
I wonder why chin-ups are consistently getting underrated. You said that the worst thing about pull-ups is their tricky resistance curve, and chin-ups attempt to solve this issue by being significantly easier at the top than pull-ups, yet you put them in a lower tier. You could say that is because of a higher bicep activation, but in an older video you have stated that there is no statistically significant difference between pull-up and chin-up lat hypertrophy, meaning that bicep activation is actually just a bonus. Thoughts?
Bro this is a stupid video for people who will never get big . Like Jesus Christ single arm kneel cable pull are better for mass than weighted chin ups ? Lmfao
Chin-ups are mad underrated. They stretch the lats like crazy and offer bicep activation. The best thing is doing variations, narrow pull-ups, wide pull-ups and then chin-ups. Neutral is also good if you have access
But couldn't bicep activation also be a drawback because you'll be wearing out your biceps on a non bicep exercise? Many do back and biceps in the same day.
Meadows row is my favorite back exercise by far but I wasn’t expecting it to be here. Love and respect to Jhon Meadows “Mountain dog” and may he rest in peace ❤
I've been doing rack pulls the last 4 months and love them. I try to do them as controlled as possible and not smash the weights on the rack. My back feels like it's going to explode after doing them. Maybe I'm crazy, but I like 'em. I worked up to a set of 10 reps with 180 kilos last week. For a 63 year old, that's not bad... No lower back pains whatsoever.
Rack pulls are amazing for traps, but very bad for lats. Jeff doesn't specify in this video that he's only focusing on lats in this video, but that isn't the only back muscle.
@Shazok55 your right, but it's really strange for Jeff to praise face pulls for mid back and traps, even though there are much better options for traps. Then, completely disregard rack pulls despite their effectiveness for traps. He also doesn't include any other great traps movements like shrugs or farmers' walks.
@Bramble20322 Having a shoulder day at the gym is lazy programming, but whatever. Regardless of that, the traps are a back muscle. I think it's person to person on whether people are going to train their traps, they are a hugely important muscle to train as a strongman athlete or to just generally have real life applicable strength and many bodybuilding channels talk about the importance of training traps directly (mainly naturals, because steroids affect traps disproportionately). So your blanket objective statement that deadlifts etc. are enough for traps is unfair. Also, deadlifts are good for traps as a byproduct, but I would never trust lateral raises or RDLs for traps growth. The traps are one of the strongest muscles in the body, lateral raises aren't going to do anything.
@@gilbertboot572shrugs are a waste of time. Your traps get pounded by deadlifts, bent over rows, side and rear delt raises. Shrugs have too much fatigue for low reward.
Massively appreciate the work that has gone into this. Perfectly written, perfectly subtle implementation of modern imagery tech. Have a spud 👊 from London my man. We all appreciate your work from all over the globe. On behalf of everyone watching, thank you Jeff 💪😄👍 💪😎👍
For me #1 is neutral grip pull-ups with added weight. I do that as the first exercise every back workout, and it’s my most performed exercise for any body part on my fitness app. #2 is barbell rows/pendlay rows. After that is dumbbell rows, chest-supported rows, neutral grip pulldowns, and cable row variations. That’s essentially all I do for back (besides deadlift/squat), and I’ve always had a fairly strong and developed back. I have respect for people who will hit a body part with 20 different rotating exercises, but I like to keep it simple and do 2-4 exercises out of 6 or 7 with mostly heavy weights.
Neutral grip pull ups are possibly my favourite exercise. I do them with fat grips and thumbless grip which makes them a great forearm builder at the same time Currently I'm switching over to wide grip pull ups again and it seems that there's more bicep activation. Either way seeing pull ups beneath pulldowns is painful to me and I can't help but disagree. I also love incline bench chest supported rows but unfortunately you're very strong in this position and it won't take long to max out the weights in local small town gyms so I'm trying "leaning on bench" one armed rows which give the better stretch and feel pretty good, too. This variation wasn't mentioned in the video. Dumbbell pullovers are also a must
@@AS-pug I believe normal and therefore also wide grip pull ups have an increased emphasis on the biceps, for me this limits my strength and makes it harder to engage my lats optimally. I'm almost certain that neutral grip is the best for lat focus.
It feels like just yesterday you uploaded your first collaboration with John Meadows. I remember watching it the day you uploaded it. I thought of John as your polar; he was definitely the old-school bodybuilder from the golden days. But you held him and his opinions in such high regard, and I loved it. I loved your work with him, and I visited his channel several times. So sorry for your loss.
Thank you for this video. Great information. You presentation squares with other research indicating that maximum tension during maximum stretch is the key.
As someone who trains at home, pullups and inverted rows are my go- to exercises for back. You can add weight to progress, yes, but trying them archer-style to progress to one-arm inverted rows or working towards front levers to progress to front lever rows is a way-a hard way- to progressively overload the inverted row.
Thats exactly what im sayinnn ita not that inverted rows are hard to overload you just have to think of progressions in a different way as it is a bodyweight exercise! Working towards a front lever inverted row undoubtedly will make your back bigger
Jeff, Your videos and social media posts are quickly climbing the list of my favorites. Thanks for always sharing great & informative content that helps us all become our best!
Really pleased to see Meadows on S. I moved to these from Single Arm DB rows due to issues with form after progressing on load. I've always had issues with BB rows and struggled to maintain a neutral spine position as load progressed and I also have relatively weak grip, even when compensating with straps. Meadows kinda helped remove these weak points for me and have become a permanent fixture on pull day!
I’ve tried Meadows Rows and they just never feel right to me. I’m a John Meadows fan for sure, so I trust that they work! Maybe I just need to watch some more form videos or something…
@@soonerborn7603 I think foot position counts for a lot, and straps for me! But hey, some movements are just natural for some and not others! I can certainly vouch for a good pump from them when done in a way that feels comfortable. I was pleased to see I do em just like Jeff too which I'm assuming is optimal af 😂 I defo can't say the same about all my lifts
@@mackieincsouthsea I’m definitely going to try them again. So many people swear by them! I’m thinking straps will definitely help to focus on pulling with the back and not the arm.
@@soonerborn7603 not every exercise works for everybody tho. one that your friend or coach swears by might not be optimal for you and vice versa. thats why its good that there are so many variations, one will definitely suit you well
@@bal7ha2ar I’ve been doing them some more and I’m coming around. The straps helped a lot! Still not my favorite rowing variation, but I like them more than I did a month ago!
Seems like a good list. However, I must point 2 things about the deadlift + rack pulls: 1. Rack Pulls going lower than the deadlift doesn't make much sense to me. The Rack Pulls work your back better even if you have less range of motion, because you start the deadlift movement just where the back starts to truly get engaged (the starting position you lose is more of a squat, really). Also, the fact that you start higher allows you to go much heavier, as you skip the point you're weaker at, and this overloads the back. This will inevitably build you more traps, which is something we all want, and also part of your shoulders and other stabilizers. The back pumps I get from doing rack pulls are from another world. 2. Deadlifts/rack pulls are very genetic based and I get that they don't work as great for everybody. For me, they are THE exercise for building the back, especially when you want to get it as thick as possible (mine EXPLODED in terms of progress when I started doing it just a few months back). Now, you can do a few things to engage the back more, like pre-activating some back muscles before it. If I lat spread during the whole movement, I get 3/4/5 days of soreness in them. That plus the pre-activation will improve anyone's ability to build their backs with the deadlift. Pretty much every top competitor does the deadlift for a reason. Strongmen have huge backs and they don't necessarily do any kind of rows, but they deadlift all the time. Cbum deadlifts, Dorian did, Arnold did, Ronnie did... You won't find that many Olympias that don't deadlift or rack pull.
If by traps you mean upper traps, no we don’t all want them. They’re unaesthetic and gross. They look awkward/hunky and junky and take away from your shoulders. So there’s no value there.
@@Shazok55 no zero upper traps (which lets be honest - you never have zero) would look better than overdeveloped upper traps. I would take zero upper traps any day over big upper traps. Btw I neither have overdeveloped nor zero. Mine are probably proportionate to my physique. Not developed much I don’t think. Hopefully not. I don’t do shrugs btw. Maybe I should stop shoulder pressing and only do incline bench and dumbbell presses.
@@Bramble20322 i get it, its subjective, but in my opinion its not that common to have overdeveloped upper traps naturally, i also don't isolate them, just my 2 cents
Love this format Jeff! Thank you! I'm a climber and I do inverted rows as a way to cross train for climbing. I know what you mean about adding weight to increase the difficulty. My work around has been to use either a dip belt or a weightlifting belt and hang the weight below me, instead of on top of me. The setup is a little clunky maybe but it allows for smooth and effective reps once you're set. Give it a go sometime. Keep up the good work. You rock!
I love the deficit Pendlay row. When my form breaks down on the last few reps, I usually make the eccentrics even longer to increase the stimulus. I'm just getting back into the swing of things, but I'm going to incorporate neutral-grip pullups as my strength goes up and my weight goes down. Awesome video! Thanks!
The one arm dumbbell row isn’t discredited by athlean x. He refers to the split stance. I agree with this. It is better and more natural to and with both feet on the ground
I feel like a lot of the hate Jeff C gets nowadays is from people playing telephone with his comments and not actually listening to him themselves, I.E. the rows listed here and his stance on upright rows, both of which I happen to take his side on.
He ranks it as his worst exercise 1 minute into this video, so I think my comments about him being critical of it are accurate and fair: czcams.com/video/w4vU3tzVM70/video.html And even if it’s just a form thing, I still think having one knee up isn’t a big deal and doesn’t warrant ranking it as worst. Edit: actually, within the first 10 seconds of that video he literally says “the 1 arm dumbbell row is an absolute no for me” haha 🤷🏼♂️
Great video. Thorough. Love all the example video clips. Clear. Concise. And so refreshingly clean. Thanks for keeping a higher standard for those of us who don't appreciate crude language or jokes. Very much appreciated.
I hate narrow neutral grip lat pull-downs, if I do a proper stretch, delts cut off my neck blood supply. It's awesome on the row though and I'd put cable row as the best single back exercise because you can incorporate little flexion for extra stretch and lower back stimulus.
@@brandonellulstephens8805 I usually have separate vertical and horizontal pull days and I focus on lats for quite some time now, but you can if you are serious about overall back development
The spinal erectors are missed by a lot of body builders, because they can only be worked by deadlifts and variations, good mornings, and other spinal flexion/extension and twisting movements. They help to give the back a thicker, denser, 3d look. strongmen, and powerlifters, and others who have notoriously strong spinal erectors have huge backs because of this. When I think "huge back" I don't just think wide, I think dense and thick. Any lists of back exercises that don't also include some flexion/extension and twisting of the spine is an incomplete list. You did however include some rows that do this, such as single arm dumbbell rows, bent over rows, etc. But people who only work the lats and rhomboids are missing out. Work the erectors, and traps.
This is not true. Powerlifters and strongman are not bigger and don’t look stronger than bodybuilders. Have you ever seen a strongman or powerlifter after a cut? They look SMALL for the amount of work, food and steroids they take, because of the style of training. Compared with bodybuilders off course. Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, El Sab, Big Ram, Yates, all of them have much bigger, more dense, thicker, more incredible backs than any strongman or powerlifter you want to pick. Eddie Hall after a cut looks smaller than at least 10 guys at my gym and he never even finished his cut because he knows and feels uncomfortable loosing his size because of his fat. Unless we’re taking about someone like Thor and maybe Shaw, but again you should come back after they get at 8% body fat to talk about “size”. Again, if you think this style of training is what decides, big and thick backs, compare this guys with similar body fat levels, not what you think it looks like on your computer. If you pick any top level strongman or powerlifter and put them on a bodybuilder program, can be only machines, they will become bigger, more dense, thicker than never before.
I can see why Jeff gave the recommendations he did based on his criteria, but in practice how many people do you know that built huge well rounded backs doing half kneeling 1 arm lat pulldowns and lying facepulls, and how many do you know who built great backs doing heavy rows, deadlifts and pull ups (Ronnie?, Dorian?, Stan Efferding?)? In fact none of the S tier exercises are particularly good at building spinal erectors which are one of the most common separators between a good back and a great back.
"Ranked with science" and one main criteria is "feel" sounds more bro to me. Pullovers, facepulls and cross-body kneeling 1 arm pish posh over deadlifts and barbells rows is nuts. Try building a legit back on that shit.@@ieuanjones7615
When you are as strong as Ronnie was . Your workout changes . These CZcams videos are more generic and not tailormade for professional bodybuildes.@@pictusfish
don't forget that famous bodybuilders are big consumers of steroids, and the health conditions at the spinal level are not the best now given the poor choice of exercises before the development of the sports session
I much prefer the free standing T-bar row to the chest supported row. The pad driving into my chest definitely does not win in the “feels good” department
completely agree. The back stretch is huge but so is the chest support thing driving into my sternum. It feels like someone is driving a pencil into my mid-chest. I think this rating reaalllly depends on the quality of the machine in question. Not enough cushion = pain
I have flared ribs, so I agree, it can be uncomfortable. I will usually train one side at a time and hold on to the metal support. You can cheat it a little more with momentum, but I still find it a solid choice.
That's not normal, with any genetics you should've done way better. Something is wrong in your routine. Try to practice it with a little extra weight, just do as you can and after a week, you'll be able to pull up without weight very easy
When I watch workout videos I usually skip to the tutorial part then just copy them. But with your videos, I always end up watching them in full length because I really love the information even with the smallest details
Well Jeff is right though. If it doesn't feel good then there's no point doing it. Science doesn't have to be purely about EMG data and all that bullshit when it's about your own body and what is right for you
Nothing beats the classic Dumbbell Pullovers. They are incredibly underrated, and you won't realize it until you see the insane results and the improvement in your v-taper.
I really like the cable version, you take a bench, angle it 60-75 degrees, put your head below the cable, so the arms can just reach the attachment and do the pullover. Its really feels like nautilus pullover without any instability.
@@calebford6318 No stubbornness here, man. Just do the workout with proper, diligent form and the results will speak for itself. No even need to argue here.
@@calebford6318it’s lengthened biased and is literally a lengthened partial which is shown to cause at least equal or more growth than full rom. I’m not much of a science guy when it comes to lifting but they are a good exercise when you look at it anecdotally and scientifically. They might not be the best but they are definitely a good one.
Hi Jeff, I’m a Doctor (MD, resident in orthopedic surgery), I’m very passionate about biomechanics and sports&exercise medicine, and I wanna give you my compliments for your work and your extreme competence and proficiency. Well done bro, keep going on!
1. Jeff is a fake natty 2. Jeff is a fake scientist 3. Heavy DB rows, Deadlifts, Barbell Rows/Pendlay, and Pull/Chin Ups are all you need 4. I saw this guy with
I'm always so suprised that other people don't like deadlifts very much. I LOVE how they feel. of course i have a lot of other actual back builders in my program but deadlifts make me feel like a beast
@@MrHadane lmao what? I’m not slamming my hammies just to barely feel anything in my back. Just a reminder I don’t think a single person on this planet reps rdl’s with more weight than they deadlift. Also not a single person alive reps rack pulls with less weight then they deadlift. You catching my point? Anyways in my push/pull/leg split I’m hitting rdl’s the next day
Hyperextentions with a weight plate or if your gym has a hyperextention machine even better. You can remove all the other muscles and focus only on the lower back.
@@AZ-gs6hj I literally only use the hyper extension machine when I’m too lazy for heavy rack pulls or if the platforms and barbells are occupied 😤 Literally nothing compares for the strength gains. In terms of hypertrophy ur right - I get insane pumps on the hyper extension with plates
For lower back? I feel like rack pulls are more effective for the traps. On the topic of lower back, zercher deadlifts with back rounding are insane bro.
You guys want another tier list video like this? If so, what muscle should I cover next?
Glutes. We really need more glute content from you Jeff
For sure. Love that you can be dynamic with your formats, but consistent with quality of information.
Neck would be great to cover
Best kegel
Legs, biceps, shoulders, basically all of them
s-tier
- 3:38 wide grip pull downs
- 3:59 neutral grip pull downs
- 4:10 half-kneeling one-arm lat pulldown (cable)
- 6:28 meadows row (basically a one-armed laterally-placed landmine)
- 8:53 chest-supported row (alt., dumbbell helms rows where chest is braced against incline bench neutral grip)
- 9:22 cable row
- 9:37 wide-grip cable row
fucking legend for this
Absolutely ridiculous that not a single barbell movement ended up in S tier. Shows you how “science” has failed us
GG champ
@@will-ht3mcBarbell is good for overloading exercises. Not necessarily they need to be on S tier. I prefer barbell over cable but I have to admit that I can only pull half the weight on cable compared to what I can pull through barbell.
LOVE this new format. Praying you do this for each muscle group
Yes, please l. I would love to see one for arms, particularly biceps.
if he does I'm subbing to the channel
Triceps so many so-so exercises out there
Why not pray for world peace muppet.
This format is the best I've seen across CZcams fitness channels. It quickly sorts the workouts into ranks, showing us not just the top exercises but also the ones to avoid. It's a handy overview.
Excellent video! We need videos for every muscle group!
There already are. Hundreds.
@@sabertoothwallaby2937 most r bs. plus this vid takes strech into consideration. so an updated tier list for muscle groups wd b great
Yessssss!!!🙏
@@sabertoothwallaby2937Just what I wanted to comment- this has to be like at least 4th time Jeff posts same video with different title. I just can’t wrap my head around how people are not bored to death with content like this.
He did a top 10 ranking for chest
And he did a video about all the muscle groups
How to train them properly
s-tier
- wide grip pull downs
- neutral grip pull downs
- half-kneeling one-arm lat pulldown (cable)
- meadows row (basically a one-armed laterally-placed landmine)
- chest-supported row (alt., dumbbell helms rows where chest is braced against incline bench neutral grip)
- cable row
- wide-grip cable row
a-tier
- wide grip pull ups
- neutral grip pull ups
- one-arm dumbbell row
- kroc row (loose technique version of one-arm dumbbell row)
- modified, seated rope face-pull with one foot against machine (to negate balancing requirement of conventional face-pull)
- cable lat pull-over (AKAcable lat prayers) (bend upper body on negative, drive elbows down)
- dumbbell lat pullover
You’re the man
Cant believe he ranked pulldowns higher than Pullups
@@steffenpetersen2103That's because pull-ups are more physically and mentally exhausting than the pull downs. For hypertrophy this is very important, However I will always continue to prefer pull-ups and even more so if they are weighted.
Seal rows should be in S-tier too, no cap
@@steffenpetersen2103pullups will always look cool
On to week 5 and loving the program. This information is so valuable. Thanks Jeff!
Hopefully this will become a series because I think this is honestly as simple as it gets. All of us could use your knowledge and you presented it in the best way possible. I'm lacking some mass in my back and I'm really looking forward to putting this A tier and S tier exercises into my workouts. Thank you so much. Keep up the great work. Love from Serbia ❤
Jovan if you follow these s tier movements I promise you you will make no gains. Jeff did not gain his mass with these movements he uses them now to perfect his physique.
S tier are pull-ups bent over rows and deadlifts don't let him fool you into using these cable exercises I promise you you will not make any gains you need to lift big heavy compound movements to add size mass to your back especially if you're natural.
@@DnyAlnFellow Eric bugenhagen enthusiast
dje si brateee...samo masa, definicija je za pičke😄
Serbia je kosovo 🤗🤗🤗🤗😠
There are his favourite, no the best. Pull ups are the best nr 1 and barbell growing nr 2 acording to scientist and tests.
Thanks Jeff you really blew out my back with this one
thats crazy
@@shayneshayne😂😂😂😂
Pause
That's what she said...
😂 all in good fun
Please make videos like this for every muscle group, love how these are formatted. I feel like I'm cheering for my team scoring a point when I see an exercise I do be ranked high lol.
Ok greedy grinner
only if you make a jerma noise tier list
Haha I get you there!
Natural Hypertrophy has some good tier lists for each muscle group
Right? Wide grip pull downs, cable rows and supported rows baby lesgo
Good video! More of these please.
Thanks for all the hard work you do man, I love your channel.
Pencil back tier list, sticky Ricky bugenhagen for horse back
Not putting Pendlay rows and Kroc rows in S tier has to be a crime.
@@ozziedood Bent over row>Pendlay row
Horse C*ckin around some serious ass weights.
Yes sir 😅
bro, pull ups not being in S tier is uncomfortable
I mean the akward strength curve does have an effect on some people so it makes since.
Putting lat pull downs higher than pull ups is blasphemy.
chin ups should be S
@@skullkrusher-dx4kglol
They are also very weight dependent and not as easy to overload.
If you're quite heavy or not fit you will need some sort of support. If you very light and/or strong you will require additional weights.
And adding a belt with weights is not as easy as just adding weights to the stack.
Also gripp strength can be a common issue in these excercises and depending on the setup I would assume thats easier to use straps with the lat pulldown.
Free standing T-bar row is my favourite exercise overall, not just for the back. While I feel that lying chest-supported rows cause too much of chest pressure due to the weight.
Agree with the chest pressure! Im not even strong, and it is still very uncomfortable for me.
parallel meadows row is my go to. Its like T-bar but with a huge single arm stretch
Same with the pressure. Going heavy makes it hard for me to breathe, I’d rather go crazy with a barbell or T-bar row as well
Agreed on the chest pressure - not comfortable at all.
Try adjusting the chest pad up or down along the sternum, I felt a lot of pressure if the pad was too low but adjusting it up made it more comfortable
Hey Jeff. Love your content and how you’re able to condense the science studies and make it understandable to us viewers. Been a long time viewer for a while now and wanted to say that you’re an awesome influencer mate. I wanted to ask if your able a video about how to pose and sort of a posing routine. That would be greatly appreciated by me and I’m sure lots of other viewers. Love your content man. Keep up the hard work both on your videos and gym.
New follower for sure. Definitely would love to see this for every muscle group. This would create some great B to S tier routines for us gymrats throughout the year. Keep up the great content.
I love this video! Very informative and entertaining at the same time. Love the way you explain each one into more detail. Please make this for EACH body part. THANK YOU
Glad I’m subscribed, to get to see all the major muscles groups tier lists (hopefully). It’ll take a while, but it’ll be worth it. Thanks for the informative content as always, Jeff!
I normally dislike “workout” movement videos, but Jeff you make it interesting and fun. You deserve all your success bro, thx 😊
Yes please, these list videos are awesome!! Can you make one for shoulder and biceps?
I wonder why chin-ups are consistently getting underrated. You said that the worst thing about pull-ups is their tricky resistance curve, and chin-ups attempt to solve this issue by being significantly easier at the top than pull-ups, yet you put them in a lower tier. You could say that is because of a higher bicep activation, but in an older video you have stated that there is no statistically significant difference between pull-up and chin-up lat hypertrophy, meaning that bicep activation is actually just a bonus. Thoughts?
Bro this is a stupid video for people who will never get big . Like Jesus Christ single arm kneel cable pull are better for mass than weighted chin ups ? Lmfao
Chin-ups are mad underrated. They stretch the lats like crazy and offer bicep activation. The best thing is doing variations, narrow pull-ups, wide pull-ups and then chin-ups. Neutral is also good if you have access
this is a shitty video which is only based on his gut feel. nothing scientific about this tier list
But couldn't bicep activation also be a drawback because you'll be wearing out your biceps on a non bicep exercise? Many do back and biceps in the same day.
Meadows row is my favorite back exercise by far but I wasn’t expecting it to be here.
Love and respect to Jhon Meadows “Mountain dog” and may he rest in peace ❤
Just tried it for the first time. Definitely gonna need wrist straps for it.
Jeff and John were great pals:(
Great educational video! Thanks Jeff!
This was so helpful! I would love to see a video like this with each muscle group!
I've been doing rack pulls the last 4 months and love them. I try to do them as controlled as possible and not smash the weights on the rack. My back feels like it's going to explode after doing them. Maybe I'm crazy, but I like 'em. I worked up to a set of 10 reps with 180 kilos last week. For a 63 year old, that's not bad... No lower back pains whatsoever.
Rack pulls are amazing for traps, but very bad for lats. Jeff doesn't specify in this video that he's only focusing on lats in this video, but that isn't the only back muscle.
@@gilbertboot572 he is not only talking about lats, face pulls are here and they are high
@Shazok55 your right, but it's really strange for Jeff to praise face pulls for mid back and traps, even though there are much better options for traps. Then, completely disregard rack pulls despite their effectiveness for traps. He also doesn't include any other great traps movements like shrugs or farmers' walks.
@Bramble20322 Having a shoulder day at the gym is lazy programming, but whatever. Regardless of that, the traps are a back muscle. I think it's person to person on whether people are going to train their traps, they are a hugely important muscle to train as a strongman athlete or to just generally have real life applicable strength and many bodybuilding channels talk about the importance of training traps directly (mainly naturals, because steroids affect traps disproportionately). So your blanket objective statement that deadlifts etc. are enough for traps is unfair. Also, deadlifts are good for traps as a byproduct, but I would never trust lateral raises or RDLs for traps growth. The traps are one of the strongest muscles in the body, lateral raises aren't going to do anything.
@@gilbertboot572shrugs are a waste of time. Your traps get pounded by deadlifts, bent over rows, side and rear delt raises. Shrugs have too much fatigue for low reward.
Massively appreciate the work that has gone into this. Perfectly written, perfectly subtle implementation of modern imagery tech. Have a spud 👊 from London my man. We all appreciate your work from all over the globe. On behalf of everyone watching, thank you Jeff 💪😄👍 💪😎👍
Should do a video like this for every muscle group. Very informative 👌
Love this format, as a beginner this is super helpful. Earned a sub for sure. Shoulder and chest next?? 🔥
It doesn’t happen regularly but when JN does release a video 📺 you know it’s going to be of the highest quality! ❤️
JN and Dr. Mike are all i need, best of the best.
Menno also sometimes 😅
For me #1 is neutral grip pull-ups with added weight. I do that as the first exercise every back workout, and it’s my most performed exercise for any body part on my fitness app. #2 is barbell rows/pendlay rows. After that is dumbbell rows, chest-supported rows, neutral grip pulldowns, and cable row variations. That’s essentially all I do for back (besides deadlift/squat), and I’ve always had a fairly strong and developed back. I have respect for people who will hit a body part with 20 different rotating exercises, but I like to keep it simple and do 2-4 exercises out of 6 or 7 with mostly heavy weights.
Weighted neutral grip pull ups are also my go to. I try to do all 3 grips but neutral is definitely my preferred grip
Neutral grip pull ups are possibly my favourite exercise. I do them with fat grips and thumbless grip which makes them a great forearm builder at the same time
Currently I'm switching over to wide grip pull ups again and it seems that there's more bicep activation. Either way seeing pull ups beneath pulldowns is painful to me and I can't help but disagree. I also love incline bench chest supported rows but unfortunately you're very strong in this position and it won't take long to max out the weights in local small town gyms so I'm trying "leaning on bench" one armed rows which give the better stretch and feel pretty good, too. This variation wasn't mentioned in the video.
Dumbbell pullovers are also a must
I have the same exact priority order 😂
Which is better though for a wider back, neutral grip or wide grip pull up?
@@AS-pug I believe normal and therefore also wide grip pull ups have an increased emphasis on the biceps, for me this limits my strength and makes it harder to engage my lats optimally. I'm almost certain that neutral grip is the best for lat focus.
It feels like just yesterday you uploaded your first collaboration with John Meadows. I remember watching it the day you uploaded it. I thought of John as your polar; he was definitely the old-school bodybuilder from the golden days. But you held him and his opinions in such high regard, and I loved it. I loved your work with him, and I visited his channel several times. So sorry for your loss.
Thank you for this video. Great information. You presentation squares with other research indicating that maximum tension during maximum stretch is the key.
Very informative, love the format and the straight to the point delivery
As someone who trains at home, pullups and inverted rows are my go- to exercises for back. You can add weight to progress, yes, but trying them archer-style to progress to one-arm inverted rows or working towards front levers to progress to front lever rows is a way-a hard way- to progressively overload the inverted row.
Thats exactly what im sayinnn ita not that inverted rows are hard to overload you just have to think of progressions in a different way as it is a bodyweight exercise!
Working towards a front lever inverted row undoubtedly will make your back bigger
I’m right there with you in terms of training at home.
yes, Im doing the same, and my back is undoubtedly growing a lot
Absolutely brilliant presentation and explanation. Really love the way you present everything. Thank you!
My man you were born to be a teacher. You explain everything so well
Jeff,
Your videos and social media posts are quickly climbing the list of my favorites. Thanks for always sharing great & informative content that helps us all become our best!
Really pleased to see Meadows on S. I moved to these from Single Arm DB rows due to issues with form after progressing on load. I've always had issues with BB rows and struggled to maintain a neutral spine position as load progressed and I also have relatively weak grip, even when compensating with straps. Meadows kinda helped remove these weak points for me and have become a permanent fixture on pull day!
I’ve tried Meadows Rows and they just never feel right to me. I’m a John Meadows fan for sure, so I trust that they work! Maybe I just need to watch some more form videos or something…
@@soonerborn7603 I think foot position counts for a lot, and straps for me! But hey, some movements are just natural for some and not others! I can certainly vouch for a good pump from them when done in a way that feels comfortable. I was pleased to see I do em just like Jeff too which I'm assuming is optimal af 😂 I defo can't say the same about all my lifts
@@mackieincsouthsea I’m definitely going to try them again. So many people swear by them! I’m thinking straps will definitely help to focus on pulling with the back and not the arm.
@@soonerborn7603 not every exercise works for everybody tho. one that your friend or coach swears by might not be optimal for you and vice versa. thats why its good that there are so many variations, one will definitely suit you well
@@bal7ha2ar I’ve been doing them some more and I’m coming around. The straps helped a lot! Still not my favorite rowing variation, but I like them more than I did a month ago!
love your videos, please do one for biceps!! ♥
Wait for Eric Bugenhagen to react to this 💀
Deadlift not being S tier is pencil neck behavior
@bzyspecial Boogz is literally PhD in broscience
it took you years to realize its keeping you small XD@bzyspecial
@bzyspeciallet me guess you never even drank a gallon of milk per day
I just want him to react to Lou ferigno but it’s gonna be more science based bs 😂😂
Seems like a good list. However, I must point 2 things about the deadlift + rack pulls:
1. Rack Pulls going lower than the deadlift doesn't make much sense to me. The Rack Pulls work your back better even if you have less range of motion, because you start the deadlift movement just where the back starts to truly get engaged (the starting position you lose is more of a squat, really). Also, the fact that you start higher allows you to go much heavier, as you skip the point you're weaker at, and this overloads the back. This will inevitably build you more traps, which is something we all want, and also part of your shoulders and other stabilizers. The back pumps I get from doing rack pulls are from another world.
2. Deadlifts/rack pulls are very genetic based and I get that they don't work as great for everybody. For me, they are THE exercise for building the back, especially when you want to get it as thick as possible (mine EXPLODED in terms of progress when I started doing it just a few months back). Now, you can do a few things to engage the back more, like pre-activating some back muscles before it. If I lat spread during the whole movement, I get 3/4/5 days of soreness in them. That plus the pre-activation will improve anyone's ability to build their backs with the deadlift.
Pretty much every top competitor does the deadlift for a reason. Strongmen have huge backs and they don't necessarily do any kind of rows, but they deadlift all the time. Cbum deadlifts, Dorian did, Arnold did, Ronnie did... You won't find that many Olympias that don't deadlift or rack pull.
If by traps you mean upper traps, no we don’t all want them. They’re unaesthetic and gross. They look awkward/hunky and junky and take away from your shoulders. So there’s no value there.
@@bobdarrick2628 he probably means all parts of traps, also zero upper trap looks even worse
@@Shazok55 no zero upper traps (which lets be honest - you never have zero) would look better than overdeveloped upper traps. I would take zero upper traps any day over big upper traps. Btw I neither have overdeveloped nor zero. Mine are probably proportionate to my physique. Not developed much I don’t think. Hopefully not. I don’t do shrugs btw. Maybe I should stop shoulder pressing and only do incline bench and dumbbell presses.
@@Bramble20322 i get it, its subjective, but in my opinion its not that common to have overdeveloped upper traps naturally, i also don't isolate them, just my 2 cents
THANK YOU!!!!!! PLEASE VIDEO LIKE THIS FOR ANOTHER MUSCLES GROUPS!!!! ITS BEST VIDEO ADVICE EVER! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Good stuff as usual Jeff. I love the neutral grip pulldown as an exercise. Especially for biasing the lats!
Love this format Jeff! Thank you!
I'm a climber and I do inverted rows as a way to cross train for climbing. I know what you mean about adding weight to increase the difficulty. My work around has been to use either a dip belt or a weightlifting belt and hang the weight below me, instead of on top of me.
The setup is a little clunky maybe but it allows for smooth and effective reps once you're set. Give it a go sometime.
Keep up the good work. You rock!
I feel the lat prayer better than anything for sure but I like to do it kneeling. I think it just forces me to get a better stretch
I love the deficit Pendlay row. When my form breaks down on the last few reps, I usually make the eccentrics even longer to increase the stimulus. I'm just getting back into the swing of things, but I'm going to incorporate neutral-grip pullups as my strength goes up and my weight goes down.
Awesome video! Thanks!
Short, concise, brilliant thanks!
its crazy when you think about it that this kind of quality videos are here on yt for free
ill stick to my eric bugenhagen review of this and continue to grow my voluptuous back
same tbh
It's nice to see my juicy, horsecock brethren here
this format is FANTASTIC! : D
This is one of my favorite vids, the format is perfect, the time, and for some reason it feels satisfying watching this dude workout😂
Jeff, cover shoulder next, please. Excellent video 🎉❤
An excellent review of back exercises and their worth. It all made a lot of sense and wasn't long-winded.
Thanks Mr Nippard! Job done!
Great video!
Hopefully this is a new series!
I absolutely love these. Please do more videos like these for abs and legs!
PULL UP GANG, UNITE!
Its like Jeff knew it was Back Day.... waiting on my Rise order code Jeff. thanks bro
My back today too 😂
Same
Thanks, I wish this info was available 55 years ago when I started lifting. 😊
I’m loving these exercises ranked videos!
I really hope this is a new series! Loved this video. Hopefully you decide to do chest next!
Lat Pulldowns, Cable Lat Pull-Over and Chest-supported Machine Rows give me the craziest lat pumps, + I LOVE the new program!
best yt channel out there!! Keep it up! Helps alot of people, including me🙋♂️
Love the new format !
The one arm dumbbell row isn’t discredited by athlean x. He refers to the split stance. I agree with this. It is better and more natural to and with both feet on the ground
I actually get pain with both feet on the ground, the split stance is so much better for me, but I do 45 degree angle instead of parallel to the bench
Yes. Even Jay Cutler does it both feet on ground, leaning to the weight rack.
I feel like a lot of the hate Jeff C gets nowadays is from people playing telephone with his comments and not actually listening to him themselves, I.E. the rows listed here and his stance on upright rows, both of which I happen to take his side on.
I personally stopped doing one arm dumbbell rows because I feel so much asymmetric tension in my abdomen. Plenty of other exercises
He ranks it as his worst exercise 1 minute into this video, so I think my comments about him being critical of it are accurate and fair: czcams.com/video/w4vU3tzVM70/video.html
And even if it’s just a form thing, I still think having one knee up isn’t a big deal and doesn’t warrant ranking it as worst.
Edit: actually, within the first 10 seconds of that video he literally says “the 1 arm dumbbell row is an absolute no for me” haha 🤷🏼♂️
this a great chart to refer to if you would like a small back forever
Great and fantastic job Jeff...Love your video ..could you make video on Glutes,Legs, biceps, shoulders, basically all of them
Great video. Thorough. Love all the example video clips. Clear. Concise. And so refreshingly clean. Thanks for keeping a higher standard for those of us who don't appreciate crude language or jokes. Very much appreciated.
I hate narrow neutral grip lat pull-downs, if I do a proper stretch, delts cut off my neck blood supply. It's awesome on the row though and I'd put cable row as the best single back exercise because you can incorporate little flexion for extra stretch and lower back stimulus.
Would you start with cable rows sets for your first exercise because of benefits you said
@@brandonellulstephens8805 I usually have separate vertical and horizontal pull days and I focus on lats for quite some time now, but you can if you are serious about overall back development
The spinal erectors are missed by a lot of body builders, because they can only be worked by deadlifts and variations, good mornings, and other spinal flexion/extension and twisting movements. They help to give the back a thicker, denser, 3d look. strongmen, and powerlifters, and others who have notoriously strong spinal erectors have huge backs because of this. When I think "huge back" I don't just think wide, I think dense and thick. Any lists of back exercises that don't also include some flexion/extension and twisting of the spine is an incomplete list. You did however include some rows that do this, such as single arm dumbbell rows, bent over rows, etc.
But people who only work the lats and rhomboids are missing out. Work the erectors, and traps.
Will it make your waist much wider so that you have a less aestaticly pleasing look? (Serious question)
no @@JoshuaSweerts
@@JoshuaSweerts probably not. Obliques are worked by bending to the side. And that makes the waist look wider
Upper traps are unaesthetic and gross
This is not true. Powerlifters and strongman are not bigger and don’t look stronger than bodybuilders. Have you ever seen a strongman or powerlifter after a cut? They look SMALL for the amount of work, food and steroids they take, because of the style of training. Compared with bodybuilders off course. Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, El Sab, Big Ram, Yates, all of them have much bigger, more dense, thicker, more incredible backs than any strongman or powerlifter you want to pick. Eddie Hall after a cut looks smaller than at least 10 guys at my gym and he never even finished his cut because he knows and feels uncomfortable loosing his size because of his fat. Unless we’re taking about someone like Thor and maybe Shaw, but again you should come back after they get at 8% body fat to talk about “size”. Again, if you think this style of training is what decides, big and thick backs, compare this guys with similar body fat levels, not what you think it looks like on your computer. If you pick any top level strongman or powerlifter and put them on a bodybuilder program, can be only machines, they will become bigger, more dense, thicker than never before.
Fantastic video and extremely helpful advice!....👍🙏
Awesome video,really helped me. We need more of those for the other muscle groups!!
Barbell row going in B tier is craziness
Too high or low?
@@quirkyelephant way too low
Yates rows on c tier is even worse
It require alot of stabilization.
I can see why Jeff gave the recommendations he did based on his criteria, but in practice how many people do you know that built huge well rounded backs doing half kneeling 1 arm lat pulldowns and lying facepulls, and how many do you know who built great backs doing heavy rows, deadlifts and pull ups (Ronnie?, Dorian?, Stan Efferding?)? In fact none of the S tier exercises are particularly good at building spinal erectors which are one of the most common separators between a good back and a great back.
always that one bro science guy
"Ranked with science" and one main criteria is "feel" sounds more bro to me. Pullovers, facepulls and cross-body kneeling 1 arm pish posh over deadlifts and barbells rows is nuts. Try building a legit back on that shit.@@ieuanjones7615
@@ieuanjones7615 He's right though. You couldn't even come at this this with a counter argument. Why is he wrong?
When you are as strong as Ronnie was .
Your workout changes .
These CZcams videos are more generic and not tailormade for professional bodybuildes.@@pictusfish
don't forget that famous bodybuilders are big consumers of steroids, and the health conditions at the spinal level are not the best now given the poor choice of exercises before the development of the sports session
Great video.... back is my favorite day. Thank you
Simply an amazing Tier list and I couldn't agree more!
I much prefer the free standing T-bar row to the chest supported row. The pad driving into my chest definitely does not win in the “feels good” department
completely agree. The back stretch is huge but so is the chest support thing driving into my sternum. It feels like someone is driving a pencil into my mid-chest.
I think this rating reaalllly depends on the quality of the machine in question. Not enough cushion = pain
I have flared ribs, so I agree, it can be uncomfortable. I will usually train one side at a time and hold on to the metal support. You can cheat it a little more with momentum, but I still find it a solid choice.
add 1 rep each workout to pull ups?! takes me 6 months to add another
That's not normal, with any genetics you should've done way better. Something is wrong in your routine. Try to practice it with a little extra weight, just do as you can and after a week, you'll be able to pull up without weight very easy
Excellent video !! Loved it
This video is an instant subscribe.
Amazing in depth info and very nice editing style
Man is getting his list format pacing on lock! This video was so well structured!
Hey Pat
What is missing here is a nautilus pull over machine. Not very common but you get resistance in the full range of motion in the lat.
Yeah that's probably missed out because it's not that common. Probably beats the pullover
Thank You Josh Nipplehard🙏
This is very useful. Thanks for this
When I watch workout videos I usually skip to the tutorial part then just copy them.
But with your videos, I always end up watching them in full length because I really love the information even with the smallest details
"Does it feel good? Check"
Ranked with science?? You can't be serious... 🤦♂️
Why don't you just call it "my personal favorites" or something.
Because using word "science" on the title gives you a lot more views. As a scientist I hate this trend.
why don't you stop crying
@@R3dCol0r tHE FEELING IS literally an used metric, are you dumb?
Well Jeff is right though. If it doesn't feel good then there's no point doing it. Science doesn't have to be purely about EMG data and all that bullshit when it's about your own body and what is right for you
Nothing beats the classic Dumbbell Pullovers. They are incredibly underrated, and you won't realize it until you see the insane results and the improvement in your v-taper.
I really like the cable version, you take a bench, angle it 60-75 degrees, put your head below the cable, so the arms can just reach the attachment and do the pullover. Its really feels like nautilus pullover without any instability.
Tension curve leaves a lot to be desired. There are smarter ways to workout, no need to be stubborn
@@calebford6318 No stubbornness here, man. Just do the workout with proper, diligent form and the results will speak for itself. No even need to argue here.
@@calebford6318it’s lengthened biased and is literally a lengthened partial which is shown to cause at least equal or more growth than full rom. I’m not much of a science guy when it comes to lifting but they are a good exercise when you look at it anecdotally and scientifically. They might not be the best but they are definitely a good one.
The lats have no leverage in that position 😂
thanks, useful information is much appreciated
Very insightful, thank you! 💪👍
great vid but personnally I think sthg is wrong when pullups are not in S tier
Hi Jeff, I’m a Doctor (MD, resident in orthopedic surgery), I’m very passionate about biomechanics and sports&exercise medicine, and I wanna give you my compliments for your work and your extreme competence and proficiency. Well done bro, keep going on!
1. Jeff is a fake natty
2. Jeff is a fake scientist
3. Heavy DB rows, Deadlifts, Barbell Rows/Pendlay, and Pull/Chin Ups are all you need
4. I saw this guy with
@@stackered This is the most accurate info on this channel.
@@stackered how does his voice change his credibility?
proof hes fake natty?
proof he's a fake scientist?
I'm always so suprised that other people don't like deadlifts very much. I LOVE how they feel. of course i have a lot of other actual back builders in my program but deadlifts make me feel like a beast
Thanks for the informative video
Below the knee rack pulls are my absolute favorite for lower back
Might as well just do RDLs mate.
@@MrHadane lmao what? I’m not slamming my hammies just to barely feel anything in my back. Just a reminder I don’t think a single person on this planet reps rdl’s with more weight than they deadlift. Also not a single person alive reps rack pulls with less weight then they deadlift. You catching my point?
Anyways in my push/pull/leg split I’m hitting rdl’s the next day
Hyperextentions with a weight plate or if your gym has a hyperextention machine even better. You can remove all the other muscles and focus only on the lower back.
@@AZ-gs6hj I literally only use the hyper extension machine when I’m too lazy for heavy rack pulls or if the platforms and barbells are occupied 😤
Literally nothing compares for the strength gains. In terms of hypertrophy ur right - I get insane pumps on the hyper extension with plates
For lower back? I feel like rack pulls are more effective for the traps.
On the topic of lower back, zercher deadlifts with back rounding are insane bro.
Well, standard barbell row a B tier when all emg studies show high activation in all back (upper, mid and lower), I disagree with you
In my 20 years of mix of casual to intermediate fitness I have never seen a better fitness channel.
Your back hypertrophy program is amazing. Very noticeable progression and impressive hypertrophy
Your latest upload was stellar! Your consistency is truly admirable Keep creating awesome content, you're phenomenal
s-tier
- 3:38 wide grip pull downs
- 3:59 neutral grip pull downs
- 4:10 half-kneeling one-arm lat pulldown (cable)
- 6:28 meadows row (basically a one-armed laterally-placed landmine)
- 8:53 chest-supported row (alt., dumbbell helms rows where chest is braced against incline bench neutral grip)
- 9:22 cable row
- 9:37 wide-grip cable row
a-tier
- wide grip pull ups
- neutral grip pull ups
- one-arm dumbbell row
- kroc row (loose technique version of one-arm dumbbell row)
- modified, seated rope face-pull with one foot against machine (to negate balancing requirement of conventional face-pull)
- cable lat pull-over (AKAcable lat prayers) (bend upper body on negative, drive elbows down)
- dumbbell lat pullover
Thanks to this video, I have 16 great back exercises to choose from. I am looking forward to incorporating them into my training.
Thanks for giving me a good advice for building a back muscle 💪💪