--- title: 'The ONLY 2 Exercises that Built My Back' source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=yBWdSVtzHoU' video_id: 'yBWdSVtzHoU' date: 2026-08-01 duration_sec: 278 --- # The ONLY 2 Exercises that Built My Back > Source: [The ONLY 2 Exercises that Built My Back](https://youtube.com/watch?v=yBWdSVtzHoU) ## Summary This video presents a simplified approach to back training, arguing that only two movement patterns—vertical pulls and horizontal rows—are needed to build an impressive back. It covers exercise selection, rep ranges, and a twice-weekly programming strategy with alternating exercise order for balanced development. ### Key Points - **Simplify back training to two movement patterns** [00:01] — The video promises to show the exact exercises, rep ranges, and routine to build a V-taper with only two back exercises: vertical and horizontal pulls. - **Two types of exercises: vertical and horizontal** [00:29] — A complete back workout requires both vertical pulls (pull-up-like movements) and horizontal pulls (rowing movements), just as chest training needs both flat and incline presses. - **Vertical exercise options and rep ranges** [00:56] — Pull-ups and lat pulldowns are the main vertical exercises; if you lack equipment, a dumbbell pullover is the closest alternative. Recommended rep range is 8-12 or 12-15, occasionally 5-8 for advanced lifters. - **Horizontal exercise options and rep ranges** [01:48] — Any rowing exercise works—dumbbell rows, barbell rows, seal rows, or cable rows. Rep ranges are identical to vertical pulls: mostly 8-12 or 12-15. - **Train back twice per week** [02:29] — Like most body parts, back should be trained twice weekly. Exercise order within the two workouts matters to avoid plateauing and missing gains. - **Alternate exercise order between workouts** [03:21] — Workout A: vertical pull first, then horizontal pull. Workout B: horizontal pull first, then vertical pull. Exception: if pull-ups are still weak, always do pull-ups first to perform your best. - **Use a simple rep range progression** [03:47] — Start each workout with 8-12 reps on the first exercise, then follow with 12-15 reps on the second, more tired exercise. This creates a perfectly balanced routine. ### Conclusion By selecting one vertical and one horizontal exercise, alternating their order across two weekly workouts, and applying a simple 8-12 then 12-15 rep scheme, you can build a complete back without overcomplicating your training. ## Transcript need two back exercises to get the most insane looking back ever? That would be awesome, right? Because ain't nobody got time to bring out the whole circus each workout. So, let me show you how you can simplify your back workouts to achieve possible. Which means that I will show you the exact exercises, rep ranges, and routine so that you can just easily slide it right into your training plan and get that sweet vtaper. So, let's go. First, we need to go over what type of exercises you should do. If you have been watching this channel for a while, to have two types of exercises, a vertical and a horizontal. First, let's go over the vertical exercises. Then, we will go over the horizontal ones, and program them into your routine with all the small details necessary. The vertical exercises are basically any pull-up like exercises. So, really any exercise starting from the pull-up and ending with the lead pull down. And in case you don't have access to a pull-up bar or a let pull down machine, you can utilize the dumbbell pullover. That is pretty much the closest you can get to a And I know that a lot of you only use dumbbells. So I really wanted to mention it. The rep range I would recommend for all these vertical exercises is mostly 8 to 12 or 12 to 15. There can be situations where a little lower range like 5 to 8 can be useful but that requires more programming skill to utilize in its full capacity like I have done in my training plans for example. These training plans are built on the basics of bodybuilding and utilize all the programming tricks that I have learned in more than 10 years of going something that is super easy to follow without feeling overwhelmed but also definitely check it out. You can do so by clicking the first link in the vertical exercises. But on the other hand, we have the horizontal exercises which are all the rowing exercises. Really any rowing exercise goes. Doesn't matter if it's a basic dumbbell or a barbell row or if it's something more fancy like the seal row or even the cable row. They are all rowing exercises and that's what matters the most. For the horizontal exercises, the rep range is basically identical to the vertical exercises. Mainly 8 to 12 or 12 to 15 and in some situations also 5 to 8. I will tell you when to use water rep in a second. It's very important to do both vertical and horizontal exercises if you equally. It might seem that all back exercises are just that, back exercises. But it's like when you train chest, of course, you would not only do the flat because you want a complete chest development. Which brings us to how to actually program these exercises into your routine. As with almost any other body part, you want to train your back twice per week, which leaves us with two will work with. The first thing you need to do is to order the exercises properly be the end of the world if you kept the order the same for both of the workouts, gains that you could be. And that is for one simple reason. Let's say that you always do the barbell row as your first back exercise and the pull-ups are for a long time, you will start missing the extra gains that you could have gotten from the pull-ups. And the reason why you didn't get those gains is pull-ups, your back was already kind of fried. That is why it's so important to pay attention to the order of the exercises in your routine. So, because different back workouts, we will do it like this. In the first workout, we will start with the vertical pull and then do the horizontal pull after that. But in the second workout, we do the exact opposite. We put the horizontal pull first and the vertical pull second. This will give you the best of both worlds. if you are still struggling with pull-ups. If you can still only do a couple of pull-ups, then forget what I was saying before. In a case like that, you always need to do pull-ups first so that you can perform your best. Now, we ranges. The simplest thing that you can do is this. utilize both the 8 to 12 and 12 to 15 rep range by always starting out with the 8 to 12 first and then following it up with the 12 to 15 once you are a little more tired which on paper would look like this. And because we already have the exercises in a perfect order, adding in the rep ranges as I suggested will create a perfectly balanced routine. This is the final result. You can just slot it right into your routine and see your bay grow like never before. Thank you for watching. I out the training plans in the description. I'm sure you will find it super useful. Good luck in the gym and I will see you next time. Check out this video. I think it's pretty good.