Hands up if you’re seeking a sculpted top half? Hands up if you want to get stronger across key lifts and pulling exercises? Hands up if you spend too long scrolling on social media and have developed a slightly rounded posture? – Yes, we see you, and we’re right there with you. These are the reasons we love back day, oh so much.
We often count down the minutes until we can get into the Gymshark Lifting Club and do some heavy barbell rows and max lift deadlifts. But some days we leave the office late and there’s no barbells free; then we find we’re doing a home workout with minimal equipment available; the next day, we’re just not feeling being on show on the lifting platform and would rather opt for a “shy girl workout” in the corner of the gym.
But we hate skipping back day. Which is why we always have a solution in our back pocket: This solution is dumbbell back exercises.
With minimal equipment (and set up) required, dumbbells open up a whole host of back exercises – that when done right, are just as powerful as their barbell equivalent. Sometimes, they’re actually more powerful, opening up the possibility of unilateral training, better muscle group isolation and increased range of motion. These dumbbell back exercises are so good we now include them alongside our barbell back exercises, too.
So if you’re in search of some new back exercises that don’t involve a barbell, then you’ve come to the right place. These are the best dumbbell exercises to build your back – and we’re going to go through each and every one of them.
Contents:
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Why Train Your Back?
If you’re reading this, you probably know a little about why you should include back exercises in your training. Although the back muscles may not be as obvious as the muscles on the front of your body, back exercises are essential for bettering posture, improving pulling strength, and shaping your top half (we go into more detail on these benefits later on).
What Are The Main Muscles Of The Back?
So, the first thing we need to know is what muscles we’re looking to target with our dumbbell back exercises.
The key muscles of the back are:
Traps: Move the shoulder and shoulder blade. Located in the upper and mid-back.
Rhomboids: Pull the shoulder blade back and down. Located in the upper back.
Lats: Pull the arms down. Located in the mid-back.
Erector Spinae: Extend and stabilize the spine. These are a group of three muscles that stretch from your neck to your pelvis.
There are actually 40 muscles in the back! But most back workouts focus on the key muscles above. The first three (traps, rhomboids, and lats) are superficial muscles, which means they are closest to the surface of the skin and, therefore, are the most visible, while the erector spinae is an intermediate muscle, sitting deeper, helping with extension, twisting, and bending of the back. The weakening of the erector spinae (often due to hours sitting down) can cause lower back pain (which we’ve probably all experienced at some point in our lives!), so strengthening these muscles, along with the more visible muscles of the back, is very important.
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The Only 5 Dumbbell Back Exercises You Need
So now you know what muscles you need to target, we’ve picked the best dumbbell back exercises to target the main regions of the back:
Kelso Shrugs (Upper Back)
Single Arm Dumbbell Row (Mid Back)
Chest Supported Dumbbell Row (Mid Back)
Renegade Row (Mid Back)
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (Lower Back)
We’ll give you the low down on each dumbbell back exercise, how to do it, and form tips to ensure you perform each one correctly.
1. Kelso Shrugs
Muscles Worked: Upper Back (Traps and Rhomboids)
We’re sure you’re familiar with the dumbbell shrug to hit the upper back, but have you tried Kelso shrugs? If you’re looking to build size on your upper back and accentuate that Gymshark logo on the back of your Power T-shirt, this exercise is unmatched in its ability to isolate the traps and rhomboids. It will also improve your posture and reduce back, neck, and shoulder pain—a great addition to your post-work gym sessions.
Unlike a traditional shrug, the stability of the bench during Kelso shrugs helps with this, allowing for full focus on retracting the traps and, like the chest-supported dumbbell row, removing any ‘swing’ or momentum from the lift.
How To Do Kelso Shrugs:
Set the bench to a 45-degree incline and select two dumbbells. Sit down on the bench facing forward, lying your chest against the bench so your chin sits on top of it. Arms should be extended in front of you, and you should hold one dumbbell in each hand in a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
Begin the movement by squeezing your shoulder blades together (imagine squeezing a pencil between your spine), keeping your arms fully extended and elbows internally rotated.
Pause at the top, squeezing your traps.
Then, slowly lower the dumbbells by releasing tension from your traps and moving your shoulder blades down.
Repeat for 8-12 reps for 3 to 4 sets.
Tip: If you don’t have a bench, you can also perform Kelso shrugs from a hinge position like you would for a bent-over row (this variation will work your lower back, too).
2. Single Arm Dumbbell Row
Muscles Worked: Mid Back (Lats, Traps, Rhomboids), as well as the Rear Delts, Core, and Biceps.
A classic back-building exercise, the single-arm dumbbell row assists in building the mid-back, which consists of the lats, traps, and rhomboids. If you want to create a v-shaped top half, the single-arm row is a great choice, as it builds the exact muscles responsible for that desired top-half build.
Training the back unilaterally provides increased concentration on the target muscle, which is proven to lead to greater muscle fiber recruitment (known as attentional focus) [1]. This helps to build evenly developed back strength, helping to balance out discrepancies between sides.
Using the bench for support means you don’t need to hold a hip hinge position as you would during a regular dumbbell row. This makes it a much more accessible exercise for anyone who struggles with form in bent-over rows. If you don’t have a bench, you can use any surface to steady yourself (a table or chair should work fine).
How To Do The Single-Arm Dumbbell Row:
Select a heavy dumbbell weight that you can row with good form for 8-10 reps. Stand behind a bench set at a 45-degree angle and hinge the hips to rest one hand on the top of the bench. Your torso should be between a 45 to 90-degree angle (whichever position feels more natural).
With the other hand, reach down and take hold of the dumbbell. (Note: You can either keep both feet directly under hips or take the corresponding leg to the working side back into a split stance for added stability).
Keeping a neutral spine, roll the shoulder down slightly to fully stretch out the lat, then initiate the movement, driving the elbow back. Aim to bring the dumbbell to the pocket of your trousers (or where your pockets would sit) with the elbow bent at 90 degrees.
Pause for half a second, squeezing your lat at the top, before extending the arm to return to starting position.
Repeat for 8-10 reps for 3 to 4 sets.
Tip: If you find the exercise uncomfortable on your wrist and forearms, slide the dumbbell forward so you’re holding the back of the dumbbell handle and the dumbbell tilts forward slightly. This will ease the tension in your forearms. You may also benefit from some grip strengthening exercises, which will help with other exercises, from rows and deadlifts to pull ups.
3. Chest Supported Dumbbell Row
Muscles worked: Mid back (Lats, Traps, Rhomboids), as well as the Rear Delts and Biceps.
Rows are a fundamental back-building exercise – but sometimes, the barbell racks and lifting platforms can get super busy in the gym. Not only that, a barbell row is hard to master if you’re a beginner, requiring a lot of core, glute, and hip flexor strength to hold you stable.
The chest-supported dumbbell row is a much more accessible alternative. It works almost every muscle in the upper back and the biceps, too. Using a bench for support protects the back and removes any temptation to ‘swing’ to row the dumbbells up. This allows you to fully focus on working the back muscles and means you can’t cheat at all.
How To Do The Chest Supported Dumbbell Row:
Set the bench to a 45-degree incline. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lie your chest down on the bench, arms extended with palms facing each other. Press your toes into the floor and squeeze your glutes.
Begin the movement by driving your elbow back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Stop when the dumbbells are level with the bench.
Pause, lower the dumbbell back down, extend your arms, and then repeat.
Tip: Even though you have the bench to stabilize your body, do not swing your body during the movement.
You can also perform dumbbell rows without a bench to support you. This variation has been found to work the whole back (from upper to lower), but can put more load on the spine due to the hinge position, so focus on engaging your core, keeping your body still, and using only the pulling strength of your back to drive the dumbbells up [2].
4. Renegade Row
Muscles worked: Mid Back (Lats, Traps, Rhomboids), as well as the Rear Delts, Biceps, Triceps, Delts, Abs and Obliques.
If you want an exercise that builds your back, snatches your waist, tones your arms, and builds super strength in your core, look no further than the renegade row. In fact, it’s a full-body exercise, forcing almost every single muscle to get involved to complete the exercise. Whether you want to strengthen your core to improve your stability across your big lifts or you simply want a physique that turns heads, then this is a great bang for your buck dumbbell back exercise.
How To Do The Renegade Row:
Select two dumbbells and place them down on the floor next to each other. Come into a plank position, placing your hands on the handles of each dumbbell in a neutral grip, dumbbells directly under your shoulders.
Tuck your pelvis under, brace your core, and squeeze your glutes, then begin the row by lifting one dumbbell up, driving your elbow back, until the dumbbell is level with your midline. Aim to pull it toward your belly button.
Lower the dumbbell back to the ground, then switch sides, rowing the other dumbbell up.
Repeat for 10-12 reps on each side, for 3 to 4 sets.
Tip: If you remember one thing, it’s that you must resist the urge to tilt from side-to-side as you switch between sides – we know it’s tempting, but really focus on squeezing your core to keep the hips square.
You can also experiment with foot placement: The wider you take your feet in the plank, the easier this exercise will be. Bring them closer together, and it will be more difficult!
5. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Muscles Worked: Lower Back (Erector Spinae and Lats), as well as the Traps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Forearms, Adductors, Posterior Delts, and Core.
Dumbbell RDLs might be well known for targeting the hamstrings, but this exercise is actually a powerhouse for targeting multiple muscles in the posterior chain, including the the lower back, helping to support the spine, reduce lower back pain and improve posture [3, 4].
Something to watch out for is rounding of the lower back or failing to engage the core, which places excessive strain on the lower back, possibly leading to back pain or muscle strain. Focus on bracing your core, maintaining tension in the upper body (by squeezing your lats and imagining you have lemons under your armpits that you are trying to squeeze), and keeping the dumbbells close to your body.
How To Do Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts:
Select a pair of dumbbells. Stand with feet directly under hips, toes pointing forward, arms straight with the dumbbells resting in front of your thighs.
Brace your core and create tension in your back, then begin the movement by pushing your hips back, keeping your spine neutral (no rounding!) and the dumbbells close (almost touching) you legs as you move them down.
Continue to allow the dumbbells to glide down your thighs, stopping when your feel a stretch in your hamstrings (this will be different for everyone depending on mobility, but is likely to be anywhere between your knees and your ankles)
Come back up to standing, extending your hips, moving the dumbbells back up your legs, and squeezing your glutes at the top.
Repeat for 8-12 reps.
Tip: If you find your back rounding, don’t come down as far. Only come down as far as you can with proper form—it’s not a competition of how far you can reach down, and everyone’s range of motion will vary, depending on individual mobility.
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What Are The Benefits Of Dumbbell Back Exercises?
Muscle imbalances can hide when using a barbell, as one side overcompensates to support the other. This isn’t possible using dumbbells, where each side must work independently, making it not only easier to identify imbalances between sides but to work to correct them, too.
You might have thought adding weight was the only way to overload muscles for growth and strength, but increasing the range of motion is also an effective way. Dumbbells allow for a greater range of motion than a row or a press with a barbell, providing an alternative way to challenge the muscles.
Using dumbbells gives your arms more freedom of movement in each lift, as they can’t work to stabilize each other as they would on a barbell. This requires the recruitment of more muscle fibers to stabilize the load.
If lockdown taught us one thing, it’s that dumbbells are an absolute savior when it comes to weight training at home. They’re not too expensive, they don’t take up much room and you can do so many exercises with them. Some dumbbells even allow you to adjust the weight, making them easier to progressively overload.
Barbells might be your go-to choice for squats and bench, but if you don’t have a spotter and find yourself trapped under a heavy bar, things could go wrong very quickly. Dumbbells, on the other hand, are much safer. If you find yourself in a sticky situation, just drop them, no harm done (just make sure you don’t throw them onto anyone else!).
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The No Excuse Dumbbell Back Workout
Thinking of hitting a back workout? Well, with these exercises, there’s no excuse. With minimal equipment (and space) required, these dumbbell back exercises can withstand the busiest gym to the smallest living room workout.
Working all main portions of your back, these exercises will build size, boost strength and better your posture. We won’t lie and say building your back is easy, but these dumbbell back exercises make it easier.
Ready to train? Head to the Gymshark Training App, add these exercises to your next back workout, and track your sets, reps and weights, to track your gains over time.
FAQs
Dumbbells provide a versatile way to train your back, giving you access to a whole range of back exercises, with only one piece of equipment required. Training with dumbbells can often be superior to using a barbell or machine as it allows for unilateral training, making dumbbell training beneficial for identifying and remedying muscle imbalances. Dumbbell back exercises also often move the muscles through a greater range of motion compared barbell exercises, eliciting greater gains.
You can get a very good back workout in using just dumbbells – but you also want to ensure you are using a weight that is progressively challenging. Keep track of your weights, sets and reps on the Gymshark Training App and try to increase the weight week on week.
A dumbbell back workout should consist of:
A warm up (including a heart rate raiser and dynamic stretches that prime you for your main workout)
The main workout (including a mixture of upper, mid and lower back exercises. Depending on your workout split this may consist of only back exercises, other pull exercises or be paired with other body parts such as shoulders or biceps.)
Cool down (including static stretches)
Head to the Gymshark Training App to access full follow-along back workouts.
Did you know a warm up can increase physical performance by up to 79%, improving mobility and reducing the chance of injury [5]. A warm up usually takes around 10 minutes (although it can take longer, particularly for competitive athletes!), and consists of:
Light cardio to raise heart rate and get blood flowing through the body. This could be an incline walk, light jog, bike or skipping, just to name a few.
Non-specific full body movements: Dynmaic strethces that mobilize the whole body, such as World’s Greatest Stretch and downdog to cobra.
Workout-specific movements: Movements that warm the particular body parts up that you’ll be working in the main workout. For the back, this might include cat-cow, rocking push ups and band pull aparts.
Check out these resistance band arm exercises to add to your warm up.
Although some of the dumbbell back exercises above require a bench, many of them can be done without a bench. Often a bench simply provides stability, making it easier to focus on working the muscle you are trying to load (the back muscles), but it isn’t essential.
If you don’t have a bench, you can amend the following exercises:
Single Arm Dumbbell Row: Use any stable surface to rest your non-working arm on for support. This could be the dumbbell rack, a table, or a box.
Chest Supported Dumbbell Row: Switch these to a regular dumbbell row; just be sure to brace your core throughout to keep your body stable and ensure you are hinged over at a 45-degree angle.
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WRITTEN BY: Alex Kirkup-Lee
Alex is an inhouse Content Writer for Gymshark’s Health & Conditioning categories. A qualified Personal Trainer, CrossFit Level 1 and Functional Fitness Coach, Alex is experienced in training clients from a range of sporting backgrounds. With a passion for functional training, her favorite workout is anything that includes deadlifts, rowing, or wallballs.
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References:
Wong, A.B., Chen, D., Chen, X. and Wu, K. (2022). Monitoring Neuromuscular Activity during Exercise: A New Approach to Assessing Attentional Focus Based on a Multitasking and Multiclassification Network and an EMG Fitness Shirt. Biosensors, [online] 13(1), pp.61–61. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13010061.
Fenwick, C.M.J., Brown, S.H.M. and McGill, S.M. (2009). Comparison of Different Rowing Exercises: Trunk Muscle Activation and Lumbar Spine Motion, Load, and Stiffness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(2), pp.350–358. doi:https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181942019.
McAllister, M.J., Hammond, K.G., Schilling, B.K., Ferreria, L.C., Reed, J.P. and Weiss, L.W. (2014). Muscle Activation During Various Hamstring Exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(6), pp.1573–1580.
Andersen, V., Fimland, M.S., Mo, D.-A., Iversen, V.M., Larsen, T.M., Solheim, F. and Saeterbakken, A.H. (2019). Electromyographic comparison of the barbell deadlift using constant versus variable resistance in healthy, trained men. PLOS ONE, 14(1), p.e0211021. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211021.
Fradkin, A.J., Zazryn, T.R. and Smoliga, J.M. (2010). Effects of Warming-up on Physical Performance: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, [online] 24(1), pp.140–148. doi:https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181c643a0.
