12
Dumbbell Back Exercises to Help You Build Strength and Improve Posture
If you’re
looking to build balanced strength throughout your body, adding the best dumbbell back exercises in
your routine—back day workout, anyone?—is a great way to help you get there.
Many people tend
to neglect their back muscles—like the latissimus dorsi, or the “lats,”
rhomboids, and lower trapezius or “traps”— when strength training simply
because, well, they’re in the back of the body, ACE-certified personal
trainer Sivan Fagan, owner of Strong
With Sivan in Baltimore, tells SELF. So when
they’re looking to get in some upper-body work, they tend to gravitate toward
working muscles that are a little easier to see, such as their shoulders, arms,
or chest.
But building
back strength is super important (more on that in a minute!), and you can do so
in a bunch of ways, from bodyweight moves to those which use free weights.
While there are a bunch of bodyweight back exercises, resistance band
back exercises, and barbell or kettlebell back
exercises to choose from, in this article we’re going to focus on dumbbell back
exercises—including both upper-back dumbbell exercises and lower-back
exercises with dumbbells. Read on to
find out more about the importance of back strength, as well as some options
for exercises to slot into your upcoming back workouts!
Why is it
important to work your back muscles?
There are tons
of benefits to working your back: For one, strengthening your back muscles is
important because it helps improve muscle imbalances and posture. Especially when we spend lots of time sitting, our back
muscles tend to be weak, Fagan says. This lack of proper tension in your
muscles can make rounding of your shoulders or a hunched position more likely,
which is where back exercises come in handy.
Weak back
muscles coupled with lots of sitting can also impair the mobility in your upper
back, making it difficult to move your shoulder blades effectively. “A lot of
times people will start to get shoulder injuries from that,” Fagan says. “They
don’t have enough mobility and strength in the upper back, and when they do any
kind of exercises that target the ‘pushing’ muscles, like the shoulder or chest muscles, that’s when we get into trouble.” (While your rear deltoids
are technically part of your shoulders, they’re also small-but-important
back-of-the-body muscles to focus on strengthening for this reason, too).
It’s important
to note that your lower back muscles are also considered part of your core, and there are
tons of benefits of strengthening both. Strengthening your back and your core
works to keep your spine supported, and that affects everything from standing
posture to gait, balance, and even joint health. That's because good alignment
takes pressure off your joints, and that provides major injury
prevention, Kemma Cunningham, CPT, personal trainer at Life Time, a
fitness and wellness company, tells SELF.
"Working
the back muscles yields great benefits," she tells SELF. "A strong
back will aid in spine alignment and stabilization. This will give support and
power to the rest of the body to perform not only exercises, but also daily
activities.” For instance, when you pull a heavy door shut or pull a lawnmower
to start, those are your back muscles firing.
Added to the
list of benefits of back exercises is potentially better workout performance,
Cunningham adds. Even if you're doing arm
day, your spinal stabilizers are always working to keep you
aligned. So, the more they're on point, the better your form will be overall.
How can you work
your back muscles at home?
If you have some
equipment at your disposal, there are a bunch of back exercises at home with
dumbbells that can effectively work your back-of-the-body muscles, including
your lats, lower traps, rhomboids, rotator
cuff, and erector spinae.
Some of these
back strengthening exercises use the pulling movement to fire up your lats and
rhomboids—so if you’re looking to work your back at home, you’ll definitely
want to add rows and row variations to the mix! Other back-strengthening
exercises rely on stabilization or resisting motion, such as the ones that
activate your erector spinae, or your deep lower back muscles. So if you’re
looking for a lower back workout, or simply to give those muscles a little
extra work, you may want to include deadlifts or good mornings in your routine.
Important note:
While strengthening these muscles—especially the lower back muscles that make
up your core—can actually play a part in warding off back pain, as research suggests,
performing back exercises if you have preexisting back pain may make it worse.
In that case, you may want to talk with your doctor or physical therapist about
what type of moves are best for you and which aren't.
Otherwise, if
you’re ready for some back-strengthening exercise options you can do at home,
read on for some awesome dumbbell back exercises to try!
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart,
holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides.
- With your core engaged, hinge forward at
the hips, pushing your butt back. Bend your knees and make sure you don’t
round your shoulders. (Your hip mobility and hamstring flexibility will
dictate how far you can bend over.)
- Gaze at the ground a few inches in front
of your feet to keep your neck in a comfortable position.
- Do a row by pulling the weights up toward
your chest, keeping your elbows hugged close to your body and squeezing
your shoulder blades for two seconds at the top of the movement. Your
elbows should go past your back as you bring the weight toward your chest.
- Slowly lower the weights by extending your
arms toward the floor. That’s 1 rep.
This dumbbell
back staple works your lats, rhomboids, and biceps, as well
as the stabilizing muscles in your core. It’s a great option to get in your
pulling work in a push-pull routine—say, in a chest and back workout.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart,
holding a moderate-weight dumbbell in your right hand with your arm at
your side. Step forward about two feet with your left foot, and rest your
left hand on your left quad. This is the starting position.
- With your core engaged, hinge forward at
the hips, pushing your butt back, and bend your left knee, making sure you
don’t round your shoulders. (Your hip mobility and hamstring flexibility
will dictate how far you can bend over.) Gaze at the ground a few inches
in front of your feet to keep your neck in a comfortable position.
- Pull the weight up toward your chest,
keeping your elbows hugged close to your body, and squeezing your shoulder
blade for two seconds at the top of the movement. Your elbow should go
past your back as you bring the weight toward your chest.
- Slowly lower the weight by extending your
arms toward the floor. That’s 1 rep.
This is another
staple in any solid upper-body workout. Along with working your lats and rhomboids, your core has to
fire here to keep you stable.
- Stand in front of a bench (or chair,
trunk, or other sturdy elevated surface) with your feet hip-width apart in
a staggered stance. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand with your arm at
your side.
- With your core engaged, hinge forward at
the hips, push your butt back, and keep a soft bend in both knees, making
sure you don’t round your shoulders. (Your hip mobility and hamstring
flexibility will dictate how far you can bend over.) Place your left palm
on the bench, arm straight.
- Gaze at the ground a few inches in front
of your feet to keep your neck in a comfortable position. This is the
starting position.
- Pull the weight up toward your chest,
keeping your elbow hugged close to your body to activate your back
muscles, and squeeze your shoulder blade at the top of the movement.
- Slowly lower the weight by extending your
arm toward the floor to return to the starting position. As you lower the
weight, make sure your non-working shoulder stays level. That’s 1 rep.
This move really
works your lats, rhomboids, and biceps. Since your hand is supporting your
body, it makes stabilizing a little easier.
- Stand facing a bench, sturdy box/step, or
chair with your feet hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell in your left
hand.
- Lower your upper body toward the bench and
place your right palm on it flat. Your palm should be directly below your
shoulder.
- Extend your legs straight out behind you
with your toes planted and heels elevated off the floor. (To make this
move easier, you can do it on the floor instead of elevated on a bench.)
- Brace your core muscles and keep your back
flat and straight. Keep your eyes looking down at the bench. Your body
will be at a slight angle. This is the starting position.
- Do a row by pulling the weight up toward
the left side of your chest, keeping your elbow hugged close to your body
and squeezing your shoulder blades for two seconds at the top of the
movement.
- Slowly reverse the movement back to the
starting position. Complete all your reps on one side, then switch sides.
Because you’re
in plank position, your stabilizing core muscles have to fire on
overdrive to keep you from leaning.
- Start in a high plank, holding a dumbbell
in each hand on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked
directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you wider than hip-width
apart (it'll help with stability), and your core and glutes engaged. This
is the starting position.
- Pull your right elbow back to do a row,
raising the dumbbell toward your chest and keeping your elbow close to
your torso. Keep your abs and butt tight to prevent your hips from
rocking.
- Lower the weight to the starting position.
Do the same thing with your left arm. This is 1 rep.
When you pick up
your arm to row, you lose one point of contact with the ground—which means your
core needs to fire to keep you stable.
- Lie on your side on a mat with a dumbbell
in front of you. Grab the weight with both hands, hold it to your chest,
and turn flat on your back. Keep your feet hip-width apart.
- Grip the dumbbell securely at both ends
with each hand. (If your dumbbell is larger, it might feel safer to hold
it vertically, with both hands around one end as pictured.) Lift it into
the air directly above your chest, keeping your arms straight.
- Slowly bring the dumbbell over your head
and gently touch it to the floor.
- Bring the weight back to the starting
position, engaging your core as you move the weight. This is 1 rep.
This is a
vertical pulling exercise that really targets your large lat muscles. Vertical
pulls are often difficult to find in dumbbell form, so bookmark this move to
include in an effective dumbbell
workout!
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding
a weight in each hand with your arms at your sides, palms facing in, and
elbows slightly bent.
- With your core engaged, hinge forward at
the hips, push your butt back, and bend your knees slightly, so that your
back is no lower than parallel to the floor. (Depending on your hip
mobility and hamstring flexibility, you may not be able to bend so far
over.) Gaze at the ground a few inches in front of your feet to keep your
neck in a comfortable position.
- Keeping your back flat, core tight, and
elbows bent, raise your arms out to the sides until they are in line with
your shoulders. Pause for a second, and then lower your arms back down to
the starting position. This is 1 rep.
This move works
your rear deltoids, the small muscle in the back of your shoulder which plays a
big role in posture and injury prevention.
- On a mat, start in an all-fours position
with your knees underneath your hips and palms underneath your shoulders.
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand.
- Raise your right arm to the side, feeling
the work in the back of your shoulder. Brace your core, keep your back
straight, and try not to twist to the side.
- Lower your dumbbell back to the ground.
That’s 1 rep.
Along with
working the small muscles on the back of your shoulders, this move also
requires your core to fire to keep you stable.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart,
knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your thighs.
- Hinge at your hips, bending slightly at
your knees. Push your butt way back and keep your back flat. Your torso
should be almost parallel to the floor, and the weights should reach your
shins.
- Keeping your core tight, push through your
heels to stand up straight. Keep the weights close to your shins as you
pull.
- Pause at the top and squeeze your butt.
This is 1 rep.
While you may
see the deadlift programmed on leg days, since it targets your hamstrings and glutes, your bigger upper-back muscles as well as your
stabilizing lower back muscles also need to fire during this move. Proper deadlift form is crucial, though, to make
sure you’re not overstressing your back.
While your back leg is on the ground for balance, this is
considered a unilateral move, which requires greater core engagement than the
bilateral deadlift version above.
- Stand with your feet together, holding a
dumbbell in each hand in front of your legs. This is the starting
position.
- Shift your weight to your left leg, and
while keeping a slight bend in your left knee, raise your right leg
straight behind your body, hinging at the hips to bring your torso
parallel to the floor, and lower the weight toward the floor.
- Keep your back flat. At the bottom of the
movement, your torso and right leg should be almost parallel to the floor,
with the weight a few inches off the ground. (If your hamstrings are
tight, you may not be able to lift your leg as high.)
- Keeping your core tight, push through your
left heel to stand up straight and pull the weight back up to the starting
position. Bring your right leg back down to meet your left, but try to
keep the majority of weight in your left foot.
- Pause there and squeeze your butt. That's
1 rep. Complete all your reps on one side, then switch sides.
If balance makes
this move too challenging, you can perform it by holding a dumbbell in one
hand, and using your other hand to lightly brace a wall or sturdy object.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart,
holding one dumbbell horizontally at your chest; crisscross your arms to
hold it more securely. This is the starting position.
- Keeping a soft bend in your knees, hinge
forward at the hips and push your butt back as you fold your torso
forward. Stop when your torso is just above parallel to the floor.
- Drive your hips forward as you lift your
torso back up and return to the starting position. Squeeze your glutes at
the top of the movement. This is 1 rep.
The hip hinge movement
works your hamstrings and glutes, as well as your lower back muscles.
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