When bodybuilding, you should exercise all major muscle groups. The back, however, is particularly important, because it is one of the largest muscle groups of the body. Strengthening your back can improve your posture and prevent painful injuries. A variety of different exercises can be used to train your back.
Lat Pulldown
The lat pulldown targets your latissimus dorsi muscles. It is normally performed on a weight machine with cables and two handles. Stand directly under and between the handles. Grasp the handles with your palms facing forward, your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and your thumbs wrapped around the handles. Slowly pull the cables down to shoulder level by bending your elbows. Pause, slowly allow the handles to return to their initial positions, pause again, and repeat.
Barbell Deadlift
The deadlift exercises your erector spinae as well as many other muscles of your upper and lower body. Since it is one of the most taxing exercises you can perform, don't perform many repetitions until you get used to it. Be particularly careful to avoid holding your breath while lifting, because this can cause your blood pressure to spike. Stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart, the barbell on the floor in front of you, and the balls of your feet under the bar. Bend down and grasp the bar with one hand forward and the other facing backwards, slightly wider than knee-width apart. Look straight forward during the entire lift. Slowly stand up straight, keeping your arms straight, pause, slowly lower the weight to the floor, pause, and repeat.
Bent-Over Row
The bent-over row exercises your latissimus dorsi, rhomboid and erector spinae muscles. Stand with the barbell in front of you as if you were performing a deadlift. Grasp the bar slightly wider than knee-width apart, with both palms facing away from you. Instead of standing up, slowly lift the bar towards you until it touches your abdomen, while keeping your knees and hips slightly bent. Pause and slowly lower the barbell to its starting position, pause, and repeat.
Chin-ups
Although the chin-up is a body weight exercise, it is very effective at building the latissimus dorsi muscles. Stand directly under a chip-up bar that is high enough to force you to stand on your toes or jump to grasp the bar. Grasp the bar with your thumbs wrapped around it. Cross your legs to stabilize your lower body. Slowly lift your body to the bar by bending your elbows until your chin is slightly higher than your hands. Don't swing your legs as you rise. Pause for a moment, lower your body the same way you raised it, pause, and repeat.
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