I do not know why, but most of the men and women ignore the back workouts. They kind of think these exercises are not as effective as the other ones. But the truth is, strengthening your back can help you build your arm, shoulder blades, and core muscles. Also, the workouts improve your posture and lessen the risk of injury.
There are different types of back workouts. You can perform these with a dumbbell, rows,
or bench. The best back workouts are lat pulldown, dumbbell single arm row, hyperextension, etc.
If you are looking for back exercises to bring variety to your workout chart, give it a read.
Benefits of back workouts
Many of you can ask why back workouts are so important. Well, these workouts include not only the back muscles but also other parts of the body. For example, the area under the armpits from the sides of the back (lats), mid-upper back (rhomboids). However, the back muscles also include traps and erector spine.
Here are some of the benefits back workouts:
🔸 A strong back improves overall strength and performance.
🔸 The workouts will make the shoulder blades more strong and stable.
🔸 To gain a great posture, there is no alternative to doing back workouts.
🔸 The workouts prevent most of the major injuries.
The best back workouts
There are many simple back workouts you can perform at home with simple equipment. For your convenience, I will share the best ones dividing them into subcategories.
Before beginning any workout, you must do warm-ups. Why?
◾ Warmups increase our core and muscle temperature. Hence, we face less injury while working out.
◾ It makes our muscles flexible and increases reflexing ability. As a result, it takes less time for muscle contraction.
◾ Warming up increases energy production and prepares you both mentally and physically for the exercise.
You can follow different ways of doing warm-ups. Here is the routine most experts prefer:
◾ To get your blood pumping and awake your muscles, start with 5 to 10 minutes of cardio run.
◾ Do 5 to minutes stretch to prepare the muscles for the upcoming back workouts.
Best back workouts with dumbbells
Wide Row
If you are a gym freak, you must know about the barbell row exercise. The dumbbell row is similar to that one and helps you to increase your reflex and motion. For this exercise, you can use any type of weight you are comfortable with.
Instructions:
◾ Stand on the even ground keeping your feet shoulder-width apart.
◾ Hinge at your hips and form a 20-degree angle on the ground with your upper body.
◾ Keep your neck neutral and palm facing the thighs.
◾ Hold 2 dumbbells each in one hand and let them hang straight down in front of you. Your elbows should be slightly bent.
◾ Start rowing your dumbbells, maintaining a 90-degree angle. While pulling the dumbbells upwards to the sky, squeeze your shoulder blades at the top.
◾ Keep repeating the whole process again and again. 3 sets of 12 reps will be perfect if you want a good physique.
Bent over row
This one is considered one of the most effective workouts for back muscle building. It strengthens the whole back muscles.
Instructions:
◾ Stand on the floor, keeping your knees slightly bent.
◾ Now reach down to hold the dumbbells maintaining a 45-degree angle. Do not forget to keep your back straight while doing the exercise.
◾ Lift the dumbbells straight up. Do not go higher than the parallel to your shoulders.
◾ Once you reach the top position, hold for a few seconds. Then lower the weights.
◾ Throughout the exercise, your back and legs should not move. Complete all the reps maintaining the same process.
Other back workouts with dumbbells are:
🔸 Deadlift
🔸 One-arm row
🔸 Narrow row
Lower back workouts
Knee to chest stretch
Knee-to-chest stretch is important to strengthen and elongate your lower back. This exercise can relieve your body pain and stress.
Instructions:
◾ Lie on the floor on your back.
◾ Keep your both feet flat on the ground and slightly bend your knees.
◾ Now pull one knee towards your chest using both your hands.
◾ Once you reach your chest with the knee, hold that position for 5 seconds. Make sure your abdominal is tight and lying against the floor.
◾ Relax and return to the starting position.
◾ Repeat the whole process with another knee.
◾ You can do this stretching 3 times with each leg twice a day.
Pelvic tilts
The pelvic tilt is one of the best back workouts for the lower back. The exercise mainly focuses on the lower back and abdominal muscles. It releases tension in the back and makes the muscle flexible.
Instructions:
◾ Lie on your back, keeping the keens bent and feet flat on the floor.
◾ Pull your belly button, inwards the spine, and keep pushing your pelvis towards the ceiling.
◾ While tilting your pelvis forward, keep your glutes and hip muscles tight. Hold that position for 5 seconds.
◾ Practice 5 sets of pelvic tilts with 20 reps.
Other lower back workouts are:
🔸 Cat stretch
🔸 Partial curls
🔸 Supermans
Middle back workouts
T-bar row
If you want to build a strong middle back, then this exercise is highly recommended. The workout will increase the mass, overall thickness, and strength.
To perform this exercise, you will need 4 equipment. Such as:
🔸 A landmine
🔸 Bar
🔸 Weight
🔸 D-row handle
Instructions:
◾ First of all, set up the barbell.
◾ Place the barbell in between your legs. Make sure the weights are in front of you.
◾ Stand straight on the even ground keeping your feet at least one foot wide. Hold the barbell by the neck position. Keep your chest up, hip back, and arms extended forward.
◾ Start pulling the weight up to your core. While lifting the bar, flex your elbows and retract the shoulder blades. Do not jerk the bar.
◾ Every time you have to pause for a few seconds when you reach the top position.
This is one of the best back workouts you can do. The exercise can be a little intense. So, I suggest you try this under the observation of your coach unless you are a pro.
Reverse grip bent over row
This workout focuses on middles back, lats, biceps, and shoulders. You can perform reverse grip bent over row with either a barbell or dumbbell sets.
Instructions:
◾ Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart behind a barbell.
◾ Slightly bend at your waist and hold the barbell with your palms facing up.
◾ Lift the barbell and let the weight hang in front of you. Your back should be at forty-five-degree angles with your hips.
◾ Pull up the weight in the direction of the shoulders by bending your elbows. While lifting the barbell, keep your shoulders close to your body.
◾ Hold the barbell close to your waist for a few seconds, then lower it slowly.
◾ Return to the neutral position and repeat the process.
Other middle back workouts:
🔸 Sit through with crunch
🔸 Rower
🔸 Upside down pull up
Upper back workouts
Resistance row
Resistance rows are a very simple workout. Yet they are much more effective than other intense exercises you can do. Performing this exercise makes your upper back strong and the shoulder blades more stable.
Instructions:
◾ Stand in the middle of the resistance band and keep your feet hip-width apart.
◾ For safety and efficient workout, wrap each end of the band with each foot. Now cross the handles.
◾ Slightly bend your knees. Lean your chest in the forward direction. Make sure your back is straight.
◾ Now pull the handles of the resistance band engaging your core, up to your rib cage. Your shoulder blades will be squeezed and together at the top.
◾ Relax for a minute or a few seconds and repeat the steps.
Reverse fly
The reverse fly is one of the best back workouts you can perform at home with only a pair of dumbbells or weights. This exercise focuses on the upper muscles and the overall body posture.
Instructions:
◾ Sit on a medicine ball or a bench. Hold the set of dumbbells. Do not select the heavyweight dumbbells.
◾ Keep your feet flat on the ground. Slightly lean forward, hinging at your waist.
◾ Now bring the weights behind your calves.
◾ Raise your arms out to the sides, keeping the elbows slightly bent. While doing this, your shoulder blades will squeeze at the top, and the palms will be facing the floors.
◾ Relax and return to the neutral position.
Some other upper back workouts are:
🔸 Vaulter pull-ups
🔸 One-arm row
🔸 Rocket row
Back workout routine
While making the routine for your back workout, consider your physical ability and fitness. Doing anything beyond your physique will cause a negative impact on your body and health. Here is a list you can follow:
🔸 Lat pulldown: 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
🔸 Pull-ups: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
🔸 Deadlift: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
🔸 Bent-over dumbbell rows: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps
The back workouts can strengthen your whole body. In this article, you have the best back workouts that can help you build a muscularly back. So, start working on your back muscles today.
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