Back Workout

While six-pack abs, chests and biceps may hog the spotlight, your back muscles are one of the most important muscle groups in the support structure for your entire body. Incorporating thorough back exercises into your regimen will help stabilize your spine and neck, improve posture and muscular balance, reinforce your body against injury, and boost core strength and everyday functional fitness.

Best Back Exercises With Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Deadlift

2. Weighted Pullup

 

 

How to do it:

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and bend your hips back. 
  2. Your grip should be just outside of your knees. 
  3. Keeping a flat black, extend your hips to stand up, and pull the bar up along your body until lock-out, as your hips drive through and your shoulders move back. 
  4. While pulling, keep your eyes on the ground a few feet in front of you. 
  5. Carefully lower the bar back to the starting position.

Pro tip:

Contract your glutes as you return to starting position. This should keep the strain off of your lower back.

Variation:

This move can be done using a kettlebell. There’s also a dumbbell single-leg variation of this move, where you hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and lean forward while lifting one leg straight behind you. As your chest comes forward, the dumbbells should shift from your sides to directly over your planted foot.

Return to starting position by lowering your back leg as you come up and returning the dumbbells to your sides.

How to do it:

  1. Attach a weighted belt to your waist or hold a dumbbell between your feet.  
  2. Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar.
  3. Lower yourself back down to complete one rep.
 

Pro tip:

Keep your hands just outside shoulder-width.

Variation:

If you struggle to complete your reps with weight, start with using body weight alone.

3. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

4. Incline Dumbbell Row

How to do it:

  1. Grasp two dumbbells and hold them with feet set hip-width apart. 
  2. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, bend hips back, your torso forward, and lower yourself until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. 
  3. You may bend at the knees. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement after coming back up.

Pro tip:

Contract your glutes as you return to starting position. This should keep the strain off of your lower back.

Variation:

This move is a variation of the traditional deadlift, done with a barbell or kettlebell as well. There’s also a single-leg version, where you hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and lean forward while lifting one leg straight behind you. As your chest comes forward, the dumbbells should shift from your sides to directly over your planted foot.

Return to starting position by lowering your back leg as you come up and returning the dumbbells to your sides

How to do it:

  1. Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree incline and lie on it chest-down. 
  2. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and draw your shoulder blades back and together as you row the weights to your sides.
  3. Aim for 10-15 reps per set.

Pro tip:

Keep your neck neutral to avoid strain.

Variation:

This move can also be done isolating one arm at a time. Perform 2-3 sets on one side before alternating to the other.

5. Chinup

6. Trap-Bar Deadlift

How to do it:

  1. Hang from a chin-up bar with hands shoulder-width apart using a supinated grip (so, palms facing you). 
  2. From the bottom of the movement, pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar.
  3. Lower your chin below the bar to complete one rep.

Pro tip:

Avoid lowering yourself at the bottom of the rep so that your arms are fully extended. Keep your elbows slightly bent throughout.

Variation:

For prolonged muscle engagement, you can go to the top of the move and hold for at least 3-5 seconds before lowering your chin below the bar again.

How to do it:

  1. Use a trap bar and stand with feet at hip-width apart. 
  2. Bend your hips back and grasp the handles. 
  3. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, drive through your heels to stand up straight and extend your hips and knees.
  4. Bend your knees and waist as you lower the bar back to start.

Pro tip:

Squeeze your glutes at the top of the lift and keep your neck neutral throughout the move.

Variation:

There are numerous variations to the deadlift with different weight. This move can also be done using resistance bands.

7. Wide-Grip Pullup

8. Back Extension

How to do it:

  1. Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip. 
  2. Hang from the bar and then pull yourself up until your chin is over it.
  3. Lower your chin below the bar to complete one rep.

Pro tip:

Avoid lowering yourself at the bottom of the rep so that your arms are fully extended. Keep your elbows slightly bent throughout.

Variation:

For prolonged muscle engagement, you can go to the top of the move and hold for at least 3-5 seconds before lowering your chin below the bar again.

How to do it:

  1. Lock your legs into a back extension bench
  2. Bend your torso forward so that your hips are bent almost 90 degrees. 
  3. Extend your hips so that your body forms a straight line.

Pro tip:

Engage your core when extending your hips back to starting position.

Variation:

This move works as an inverted sit-up. It can be done with additional weight if you choose.

9. Seated Cable Row

10. Superman

How to do it:

  1. Attach a straight or lat-pulldown bar to the pulley of a seated row station. 
  2. Sit on the bench (or floor) with your feet against the foot plate and knees slightly bent. 
  3. Keeping your lower back flat, bend forward at the hips to grasp the bar and row it to your sternum. 
  4. Extend your arms and feel the stretch in your back before beginning the next rep.

Pro tip:

Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the row position.

Variation:

This move can be done with resistance bands by wrapping one end around your toes and rowing the other end with both hands.

How to do it:

  1. Raise your hands and legs off the floor (and hold them straight) so that only your hips remain in contact with it. 
  2. Contract your back as if you were trying to touch your heels and elbows to the ceiling and hold for 2-3 seconds. 
  3. Lower your arms and legs back down to complete one rep.

Pro tip:

Keep your neck neutral to avoid strain.

Variation:

This move is pretty straight-forward. But you can start with the aquaman and work your way here.