Upper Back Accessories for Powerlifting

Training the muscles of the upper back for hypertrophy will improve performance in powerlifting; however, programming back exercises in a way that doesn’t interfere with recovery for the squat, bench, and deadlift is essential. 

There are generally considered 2 categories for pulling movements (Vertical and Horizontal), but I think for powerlifting it is helpful to subdivide Horizontal Pulls into 2 additional categories:

1.     Chest-Supported (Seal Rows, Incline Rows, Machine Rows, etc.)

2.     Hinged pulls (Barbell Rows, DB Rows, Pendlay Rows, etc.)

Hinged pulls will fatigue the hips and low back in addition to the muscles that we are seeking to isolate for hypertrophy.  If the minimum effective dose for hypertrophy is 10 sets of direct back work per week, biasing chest supported options will allow you to hit that target while reducing interference with SBD recovery. 

Furthermore, a higher frequency of direct back work can help you avoid junk volume when back exercises are done after the main lifts.  For example, a 2x / week frequency for direct back work would require at least 5 sets per session in order to hit the minimum effective dose for hypertrophy (10 sets/week).  Whereas, a 4x / week frequency would only require 2-3 sets of direct back work each session, allowing for increased loading and higher quality reps in a less fatigued state.