Upper Back Exercises Videos

By Gary F. Zeolla

This page links to all videos for upper back exercises available on Fitness for One and All. These videos show the proper form and set-up for these exercises. The videos were taken during various workouts by this writer.

The shorthand is date (month/day/year), followed by pounds/ reps.

2007 - 2008

Lat. Pulldowns (wide grip) - 5/18/07, 90/10. My new homemade lat. pulldown device. For a picture of how this pulldown is set up, click here.
DB Rows (underhand grip) - 6/1/07, 50s/4. A very difficult but effective upper back exercise.
DB Rows (elbows out) - 6/11/07, 62/4. Of course, the exercise is repeated with the other arm.
Lat. Pulldowns ("V" grip) - 6/15/07, 95/8.
Curl Bar Rows - 7/20/07, 95/6. I probably should keep my head up so that my back doesn't round so much.
Lat. Pulldown (underhand grip) - 12/6/07, 100/10. With my homemade lat. pulldown, the weights do tend to swing some, but I'm managing.
Barbell Rows - 12/10/07, 105/5.
Shrugs - 1/28/08, 165/8. Shrugs are one of two exercise I recommend using wrist straps on (the other is rack pulls). You can see me wrapping them around the bar at the start of the video. If you don't have a pair, an inexpensive pair with free shipping is available from APT Inc.
Shrugs Close Up - 1/28/089, 175/8. I took this second video close up of my shoulders. I wanted to show that when you do shrugs, you’re supposed to actually shrug your shoulders! I say this as all too often, I’ve seen guys at gyms pile on hundreds of pounds on the bar, and then barely shrug their shoulders. That would always upset me as that is how bars would get bent at the gym.
Chin-ups Video 1 - 5/25/08, 10/7. I wasn’t going to bother taking a video of chins-ups since I assume most people know how to do chin-ups. But I mainly wanted to show the use of a dip belt to add weight. If you need a dip belt, I got mine at Crain.ws. And note, I’m swinging my legs too much forward, but I just cannot seem to keep straight.
Chin-ups Video 2 - 5/25/08, 15/5. You’ll note that I am off center in my power rack. This is because if I used the middle I’d hit my head on a rafter! I didn’t think of this when I set things up. And now that I have the power rack bolted to the platform, I’m not about to move it. But it does mean I am gripping the chin bar on the smooth part rather than where there is knurling. But that just gives my forearms more work.

2015 - 2017

Pull-ups - 4/12/15, 7.5/5. Note: I use the term "pull-ups" when the hands are in an overhand position (palms facing outward) and "chin-ups" when the hands are in an underhand position (palms facing inward).
Curl Bar Rows - 4/15/15, 102/4.
V-Grip Chin-ups - 4/19/15, 6.25/4.
Dumbbell Rows (elbows out) - 4/22/15, 60/4.
Chin-ups - 6/3/15, 25/4.
Barbell Rows - 6/7/15, 85/4.
Dip Bar Pull-ups - 6-10-15, 5/4. You can see in this video how I am pulling to the left. That is due to my right shoulder still being weaker than the left due to my bicycle accident 16 year ago.
DB Rows (elbows in) - 6/14/15, 60/4.
Chin-ups - 6/17/15, 7.5/4.
V-Grip Chin-ups - 8/31/15, 2.5/4.
Dumbbell Rows (elbows out) - 9/3/15, 65/4.
Pull-ups - 9/7/15, 5/4.
Curl Bar Rows - 9/10/15, 100/4.
Presses and Pull-ups - 10/7/15, 87/4, 7.5/4.
Curl Bar Rows - 10/26/15, 110/3.
Dip Bar Pull-ups - 12/6/15, 5/4.
DB Rows (elbows in) - 12/9/15, 65/4.
Barbell Rows - 12/17/15, 95/4.
DB Rows (elbows in) - 12/24/15, 67/4 (new foot stance).
V-Grip Chin-ups - 3/13/16, 2.5/5, 5/3.
Dumbbell Rows (elbows out) - 3/16/16, 62/5, 65/3.
Dumbbell Shrugs - 3/17/16, 47s/7, 50s/5.
Curl Bar Rows - 3/23/16, 100/3.
One-Arm DB Underhand Rows – 5/25/16, 55/3.
Underhand Dumbbell Rows (set 2) - 6/12/16, 55/5.
Underhand Dumbbell Rows (set 3) - 6/12/16, 57/3.
Medium Grip Curl Bar Rows: 3/22/17, 100/5, 105/3.
Wide Grip Super Curl Bar Rows: 3/29/17, 90/3.
Triceps Bar Rows: 2/2/24, 97.5/5.

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