6 Best Teres Major Exercises For A Bigger Upper Body

Before learning the best teres major exercises to build your upper back, let's discuss some basic anatomy, functions, and benefits of this small but highly important muscle.

The teres major is a thick muscle located above the latissimus dorsi, which runs from the lateral edge of your shoulder blade to your humerus. It is responsible for shoulder adduction, shoulder extension, and shoulder medial rotation and is sometimes called the "climbing muscle" as it works in unison with the pecs and lats in pulling movements.

Bodybuilders commonly refer to this muscle as the "mini lats" or "lats little helper." Visually, it can make your back look thicker and wider. Performing teres major exercises routinely will also help you improve shoulder stability and upper body strength.

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Top 6 Teres Major Exercises For A Bigger, Stronger Upper Body

1. Pull-Ups

If you want to train your teres major as well as your entire upper body whilst improving grip strength and flexibility, pull-ups should be mandatorily added to your arsenal of teres major exercises.

Instructions:

• Grab on to the pullup bar with an overhand grip.
• Begin with the arms held completely staright.
• Use your lats and upper back to lift yourself up towards the bar as high as you can.
• Hold the top position for a second, lower down slowly. Repeat.

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2. Lat Pulldown

Lat pulldowns are one of the best teres major exercises to enhance back width while improving posture and spinal stability.

Instructions:

• Start by sitting with your knees tucked under the padding of the lat pulldown machine.
• Grip the pulldown bar with an underhand grip for more teres major activation.
• Pull the bar down by bringing your scapulae down and back until the bar reached the upper chest. Lead with your elbows.
• Return back to the starting position slowly. Repeat.

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3. Seated Cable Row

Seated rows are among the best teres major exercises that you can do using cables. The constant tension in the back muscles simulates the natural strength curve, promoting better strength gains and hypertrophy.

Instructions:

• Set up a bench in front of the cable machine.
• Grab a triangle handle/rope/straight bar.
• While keeping your back staright and core brace, retract your shoulder blades and pull the bar towards your navel.
• Return slowly to the starting position. Repeat.

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4. Dumbbell One-Arm Row

Using a dumbbell to perform teres major exercises is ideal for those with prior shoulder injuries. The dumbell one-arm row is also useful for working the back muscles unilaterally, thereby avoiding any strength imbalances.

Instructions:

• Grab a dumbbell using a neutral grip.
• Firmly place the free arm on the weight bench for support.
• Bend slightly at the waist while keeping your back flat and abs braced.
• Lift the dumbbell up till it reaches your hips. Avoid excess body momentum and rotation of the body.
• Lower the dumbbell slowly to the starting position.
• Repeat on both sides.

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5. Band Pullaparts

Do you have only resistance bands at home? Don't worry, you can still perform teres major exercises with just this simple piece of equipment.

Instructions:

• Stand upright with your feet held shoulder-width apart.
• Using an overhand grip, grab the band by its ends.
• Raise arms to shoulder height.
• Pull the band by squeezing your shoulder blades and upper back muscles.
• Return to the starting position. Repeat.

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6. Underhand Barbell Row (Yates Row)

This move is ideal for training your back and biceps while placing significantly less stress on the lower back. Use light to moderate weights and use a higher rep range for optimal benefits.

Instructions:

• Set up similiar to a bent-over row. Instead of using the typical overhand grip, use a underhand grip.
• Pull the barbell towards your waist while keeping the back flat and core braced.
• Squeeze hard and return to the starting position. Repeat.

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Bonus Exercises:

• Dumbbell Pullover
• Facepulls
• Reverse Flies
• Chinups
• Straight Arm Pulldown
• Inverted Rows
• T-Bar Row

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Takeaway

Choosing the right teres major exercises can be crucial for maintaining healthy shoulders and developing overhead strength. Perform the aforementioned exercises 2-3 times per week to spark new upper back gains.