The 5 Best Calisthenic Back Exercises

Updated March 2024

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Calisthenics is often accompanied by a feeling of empowerment, as the exercises involve using your body weight to push yourself to become stronger. But unlike strength training, calisthenics is often focused on isolating muscle groups and honing in on specific areas for development. 

One such area—perhaps the most important—is the back. After all, it's your back muscles that give you stability, support your posture, and allow you to take part in everyday activities with ease. 

With so much riding on your back strength and appearance, here are five effective calisthenic exercises that can help you work on this critical area.

Why Calisthenics is Great

Calisthenics is a great way to exercise your back because it requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. Additionally, calisthenics can be effective for targeting all the muscles in your back, including the hard-to-reach lower back muscles.

There are a variety of calisthenic back exercises that you can do to work all the different muscle groups in your back. 

The 5 Best Calisthenic Back Exercises

1. Pull-ups

This is a great exercise for your upper back muscles. You can do pull-ups with or without equipment. If you don't have access to a pull-up bar (affiliate link), you can use a doorway or tree branch.

To do a pull-up, start by gripping the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar with your arms extended and your feet off the ground. Bend your knees and cross your ankles behind you. From this position, pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. Lower yourself back to the starting position and repeat for as many reps as desired.

If you can’t do a standard pull-up, try doing an assisted pull-up or scale down the exercise by doing negatives (slowly lowering yourself from the top position).

2. Push-ups

This is another excellent exercise for your upper back muscles. You can do push-ups with or without equipment. If you don't have access to a push-up bar, you can use a wall or countertop if elevation is needed.

3. Rows

This is an effective exercise for your lower back muscles. You will need access to a bar at waist height to perform this exercise properly.

To set up for an inverted row, place a barbell in a power rack at about waist height. Grip the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and hang from it with your body straight and feet off the ground. Bend your knees and cross your ankles behind you. From this position, row yourself up until your chest touches the barbell. Lower yourself back to the starting position and repeat for as many reps as desired.

4. Superman

The superman targets both your upper and lower back muscles. To do this exercise, lie face down on the floor and raise your arms and legs off the ground simultaneously. Hold this position for ten seconds and then return to the starting position. Repeat this process ten times for the best results.

5. Cat/Cow Stretch

This is a great stretch for your entire back musculature. To perform this stretch, start on all fours with your knees and hands shoulder-width apart. As you inhale, arch your spine up towards the ceiling (like a scared cat) and hold for five seconds before returning to the starting position as you exhale slowly.

Next, dip your back down and bring your gaze up to the ceiling. Hold this position for another five seconds and continue to alternate between the two.

Why Are These the Best Back Exercises?

When it comes to working out your back, there are a lot of exercises to choose from. So, how do you know which ones are the best? Here are the top three exercises that will give you the best results.

1. Pull-ups - This is one of the most effective exercises for your back because it targets all of the major muscles. Plus, it’s a great way to build upper body strength.

2. Bent-over rows - This exercise works your lats, which are the muscles that run down the sides of your back. It’s also a great way to build overall back strength.

3. Superman exercise - This is a great exercise for targeting your lower back muscles. It’s also a good way to improve your posture and alleviate lower back pain.

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