10 Best Muscle-Building Back Exercises
10 Best Muscle-Building Back Exercises.
Since we are all either sitting in a working chair all day or lying in bed on a day off, the part of the body that needs maximum attention is our back if we are still in our back If you start paying attention, we can still make good backs.
I created this home back workout to target all of your major back muscles, from your upper back to your lower back—and everything in between.
Better yet, these exercises require either just your bodyweight or a single dumbbell (you can swap in a can or a wine bottle, if you don't have one), so you can work your back hard no matter what gym equipment you do or do not have access to at home.
To get the most oomph out of these moves, remember to always keep your back flat and spine long, to release any tension out of your neck, and to squeeze your shoulder blades back and down. Move with focus and control to really fire up those back muscles.
Time: 30 minutes.
Equipment: one dumbbell.
Good for: back.
Instructions: Perform 10 to 12 reps of each exercise below, in order, resting only as needed. Once you've finished all exercises, rest for up to one minute.
1. Barbell Deadlift.
2. Bent-Over Barbell Row.
3. Wide-Grip Pull-Up.
4. Standing T-Bar Row.
5. Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row.
6. Reverse-Grip Smith Machine Row.
7. Close-Grip Pull-Down.
8. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row.
9. Decline Bench Dumbbell Pull-Over.
10. Single-Arm Smith Machine Row.
1. Barbell Deadlift.
How to: Start lying face-down on floor with legs extended straight, forehead resting on a folded mat or towel, and arms by sides lifted in line with hips, palms down.
Keeping arms straight and palms facing the floor, bring arms out to the side in a wide arc and overhead, bringing biceps by ears.
Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
2. Bent-Over Barbell Row.
How to: Start lying on stomach, arms extended forward, legs straight behind body, feet pointed, all four limbs, plus head and chest lifted to hover off floor.
Then, circle arms out wide and back by sides, squeezing shoulder blades together. Reverse movement to return to start. That’s one rep.
Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
3. Wide-Grip Pull-Up.
How to: Start lying face-down on floor with legs extended straight, forehead resting on a folded mat or towel, and arms bent with palms flat on floor close to ribs and elbows pointed toward ceiling.
Lift palms off the floor, squeezing shoulder blades together, then extend arms straight overhead until biceps are by ears. Bend arms to bring palms back in line with chest.
That’s one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
4. Standing T-Bar Row.
How to: Start lying on stomach with arms bent at 90-degrees, elbows in line with shoulders and forearms on the floor, legs extended to straight, tops of feet on mat. Contract core muscles to stabilize spine and lift head, chest, and arms.
A few inches up off the floor. Keeping neck long and neutral by gazing three inches in front of nose, extend arms straight forward, bringing biceps by ears.
Reverse the motion to return to start. That's one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
5. Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row.
How to: Start standing with feet under hips, arms extended directly in front of body and shoulder-level, hands in fists, palms facing inward. Move fists one inch forward while keeping back straight and not leaning torso forward or folding and waist.
Pull arms back to starting position. That’s one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
6. Reverse-Grip Smith Machine Row
How to: Start in a hinge (hips back, knees slightly bent, torso leaned forward at 45 degrees), holding the handle (or end of a weight if you're using a dumbbell) with left hand.
Arm extended straight toward floor in front of left foot, and right hand resting on bench or chair for balance. Keep shoulders level and squeeze left shoulder blade, pulling the left elbow up until weight comes to chest height.
Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps per side, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
7. Close-Grip Pull-Down.
How to: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell across shoulders, behind head (you only need one, even though the picture shows two).
Keeping knees slightly bent and torso straight, slowly hinge from hips until upper body is almost parallel to the floor. Hold for a moment,
then return to start. That's one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
8. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row.
How to: Begin on all fours with wrists beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips. (Up the challenge by resting on a raised surface, like a bench or non-glass coffee table, to increase shoulder range of motion.)
Hold a dumbbell in left hand. Brace core and lift and extend right leg until parallel with the floor. This is your start position. Pressing through right hand and left shin, draw left elbow back
towards left hip until elbow lifts next to rib cage. Keep spine long. Slowly reverse the movement to return to start. That's one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps per side.
9. Decline Bench Dumbbell Pull-Over.
How to: Start seated on a chair with legs bent, feet flat, arms straight and extended down toward floor, elbows by thighs, and torso tilted forward at 45-degree angle.
Without moving anything else, lift arms out to sides and up toward ceiling until they come behind body. Pause at the top, then return to start.
That’s one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
10. Single-Arm Smith Machine Row.
How to: Hold a dumbbell in left hand, palm facing body, and raise left foot behind you. Hinge forward, letting the weight hang directly under shoulder as you lower torso and raise right leg until both are parallel to the floor.
This is the starting point. Bring the dumbbell to rib cage; pause, then slowly lower back to start. That's one rep.
Complete 10 to 12 reps per side. Then, rest for up to one minute and repeat all moves for three to four total rounds.
Since we are all either sitting in a working chair all day or lying in bed on a day off, the part of the body that needs maximum attention is our back if we are still in our back If you start paying attention, we can still make good backs.
I created this home back workout to target all of your major back muscles, from your upper back to your lower back—and everything in between.
Better yet, these exercises require either just your bodyweight or a single dumbbell (you can swap in a can or a wine bottle, if you don't have one), so you can work your back hard no matter what gym equipment you do or do not have access to at home.
To get the most oomph out of these moves, remember to always keep your back flat and spine long, to release any tension out of your neck, and to squeeze your shoulder blades back and down. Move with focus and control to really fire up those back muscles.
Time: 30 minutes.
Equipment: one dumbbell.
Good for: back.
Instructions: Perform 10 to 12 reps of each exercise below, in order, resting only as needed. Once you've finished all exercises, rest for up to one minute.
1. Barbell Deadlift.
2. Bent-Over Barbell Row.
3. Wide-Grip Pull-Up.
4. Standing T-Bar Row.
5. Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row.
6. Reverse-Grip Smith Machine Row.
7. Close-Grip Pull-Down.
8. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row.
9. Decline Bench Dumbbell Pull-Over.
10. Single-Arm Smith Machine Row.
1. Barbell Deadlift.
Keeping arms straight and palms facing the floor, bring arms out to the side in a wide arc and overhead, bringing biceps by ears.
Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
2. Bent-Over Barbell Row.
How to: Start lying on stomach, arms extended forward, legs straight behind body, feet pointed, all four limbs, plus head and chest lifted to hover off floor.
Then, circle arms out wide and back by sides, squeezing shoulder blades together. Reverse movement to return to start. That’s one rep.
Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
3. Wide-Grip Pull-Up.
How to: Start lying face-down on floor with legs extended straight, forehead resting on a folded mat or towel, and arms bent with palms flat on floor close to ribs and elbows pointed toward ceiling.
Lift palms off the floor, squeezing shoulder blades together, then extend arms straight overhead until biceps are by ears. Bend arms to bring palms back in line with chest.
That’s one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
4. Standing T-Bar Row.
How to: Start lying on stomach with arms bent at 90-degrees, elbows in line with shoulders and forearms on the floor, legs extended to straight, tops of feet on mat. Contract core muscles to stabilize spine and lift head, chest, and arms.
A few inches up off the floor. Keeping neck long and neutral by gazing three inches in front of nose, extend arms straight forward, bringing biceps by ears.
Reverse the motion to return to start. That's one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
5. Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row.
How to: Start standing with feet under hips, arms extended directly in front of body and shoulder-level, hands in fists, palms facing inward. Move fists one inch forward while keeping back straight and not leaning torso forward or folding and waist.
Pull arms back to starting position. That’s one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
6. Reverse-Grip Smith Machine Row
How to: Start in a hinge (hips back, knees slightly bent, torso leaned forward at 45 degrees), holding the handle (or end of a weight if you're using a dumbbell) with left hand.
Arm extended straight toward floor in front of left foot, and right hand resting on bench or chair for balance. Keep shoulders level and squeeze left shoulder blade, pulling the left elbow up until weight comes to chest height.
Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps per side, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
7. Close-Grip Pull-Down.
How to: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell across shoulders, behind head (you only need one, even though the picture shows two).
Keeping knees slightly bent and torso straight, slowly hinge from hips until upper body is almost parallel to the floor. Hold for a moment,
then return to start. That's one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
8. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row.
How to: Begin on all fours with wrists beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips. (Up the challenge by resting on a raised surface, like a bench or non-glass coffee table, to increase shoulder range of motion.)
Hold a dumbbell in left hand. Brace core and lift and extend right leg until parallel with the floor. This is your start position. Pressing through right hand and left shin, draw left elbow back
towards left hip until elbow lifts next to rib cage. Keep spine long. Slowly reverse the movement to return to start. That's one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps per side.
9. Decline Bench Dumbbell Pull-Over.
How to: Start seated on a chair with legs bent, feet flat, arms straight and extended down toward floor, elbows by thighs, and torso tilted forward at 45-degree angle.
Without moving anything else, lift arms out to sides and up toward ceiling until they come behind body. Pause at the top, then return to start.
That’s one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps, then immediately continue to the next move, resting only as needed.
10. Single-Arm Smith Machine Row.
This is the starting point. Bring the dumbbell to rib cage; pause, then slowly lower back to start. That's one rep.
Complete 10 to 12 reps per side. Then, rest for up to one minute and repeat all moves for three to four total rounds.
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