Best Exercise for the Back – A lot of people often focus more on the front than the back, not knowing that exercising the back also comes with great gain. Aside from building mass, it also helps strengthen your spine and neck to improve your posture and reinforce your body against getting hurt. More so, a strong back also helps you sit straighter and stand taller. Not every exercise targets the back and such some workouts.
Top 10 Best Workout Exercise For The Back
- Band Bent-Over Row
- Renegade Row
- Dumbbell Single Arm Row
- Chest Supported Dumbbell Row
- Inverted Row
- Bent-Over Dumbbell Alternating Row
- Bent-Over Barbell Rows
- Bent-Over Underhand Barbell Row
- Seated Cable Row w/ Pause
- Chin-up
Also Read: BEST WORKOUTS FOR THE CHEST
TOP 15 BEST EXERCISE FOR THE BACK
#1. Band Bent-Over Row
As you begin your back exercise, it is important that you begin with light exercises just like the band bent-over row to warm up yourself before going for the advanced workouts. The reason why this is recommended is to let you work through a different range of motion.
To start this exercise,
- Step on the resistance band with your feet spread at shoulder width, and your toes pointed out slightly.
- Bend forward slightly at the knee and the hips also
- Holding the handle of the resistance band, pull it back (upward) and let your shoulder blades closer together.
- Ensure you squeeze your back so as to pull the band concurrently to your chest (it can also depend on the length of the band).
#2. Renegade Row
The renegade row is another interesting exercise for the back. When performing this particular exercise, make sure you maintain the right spinal position. The essence of doing this exercise to help exercise your upper back. Though look simple, but endurance is key in performing this exercise because you have to be able to hold the plank or dumbbell long enough all through the session. To do this
- Grab a pair of a lightweight dumbbell.
- Get in a plank position and spread your feet wide apart. Be in a straight position whereby your hands and toes support your body.
- Shift your weight to the left side with your right hand folded up so that more of your weight moves to the left and your body supported by your left hand.
- Also, make sure you squeeze your right shoulder blade towards your spine so that you can draw the dumbbell in your right hand towards your chest.
- Wait for some seconds and then lower your right hand while pushing your weight to the right to repeat the same step.
#3. Dumbbell Single Arm Row
The dumbbell single arm row is another Best Exercise for the Back that let you engage the entire back, shoulders, and arms. Though, being a single arm exercise, you can always do it for both arms simultaneously so as to exercise the entire back. You only need a single dumbbell for this exercise.
To perform a dumbbell single arm row,
- Place the dumbbell on the ground close to the side of the arm you want to start with.
- Climb the bench with your weight on the opposite knee (bent) and hand while the leg of the hand you want to start with is on the ground.
- Now pick up the dumbbell with the arm you want to start with and pull the dumbbell up to your torso side without rotating your shoulders.
#4. Chest Supported Dumbbell Row
The chest-supported row lets you mainly target your back while moving the weight more efficiently. If bent back exercises have been a challenge for you, then we recommend you to do this.
To perform this exercise,
- First Lie down with your Chest in flat position chest on the incline bench to rest and support you.
- Grab both dumbbells and make sure your chest is kept firm and strong so as to allow your arms to hang. Press your back to pull the weights to your hips, bend your elbows at 90-degree angle.
- Press your shoulder bones for a few seconds and keep up your position; at that point, come back to the starting point.
#5. Inverted Row
Still, in line with the Best Exercise for the Back, don’t miss out from the Inverted row workout. This exercise basically targets the muscles of the upper back. The exercise is not an easy one, especially for a newbie. However, to perform this exercise
- Place a bar in a power rack to about hip height.
- Take a lower position under the bar and grab it with a wider than shoulder width grip and position yourself hanging underneath the bar.
- Start by flexing your elbow allows you to pull your chest towards the bar.
#6. Bent-Over Dumbbell Alternating Row
This back exercise allows you to simultaneously target your back, allowing you to build back muscle and strength. To perform this exercise, you don’t need a bench, and you don’t need a heavy dumbbell but a lighter weight.
- While standing, hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip.
- Bend forward until your upper body is partially parallel with the floor, then you can start with moving your movement by first driving the elbows behind the body while retracting the shoulder blades.
- Pull the dumbbells towards your body until the elbows are at (or just past) the midline (each hand at a time) and then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position under control.
- Repeat the steps for as long as you can.
#7. Bent-Over Barbell Rows
By now you’d say there are too much bent over exercises, well you shouldn’t complain since your aim is to exercise your back and it is among Best Exercises for the Back. Compare to other bent row exercises, the bent-over barbell row lets you carry heavy barbell giving room for more weight. The position sustained in this workout lets you work your middle back and upper back muscles. Bear in mind not to overload the bar and also sustain the proper form.
To perform this exercise, follow the step below
- Grab a barbell with a pronated grip (your palms facing down),
- Slightly bend your knees and bring your trunk forward by bending at the waist. Meanwhile, your back should be kept straight until it is almost equivalent to the floor. Ensure that you keep your head up.
- Now pull the bar to your upper chest and squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other.
Repeat the steps above for a couple of times that you can.
#8. Bent-Over Underhand Barbell Row
This exercise is familiar with the immediate above exercise. However, there is a slight difference between them, which is the Grip. To perform this exercise, you have to grab it with a supinated (upper hand) grip.
- Position your upper body parallel to the floor in a 45-degree angle.
- Grab the barbell with an underhand grip, then pull the bar to your upper waist while you squeeze your shoulder blade.
- Return your arms until they are extended and shoulders are stretched down to the starting position.
#9. Seated Cable Row w/ Pause
This exercise is meant to exercise your back muscles, especially the upper back basically. The key aspect of this aspect is to take a “pause” for three seconds as you pull the bar to get to your torso. This will help increase your gain.
- Pull the handle and weight back toward the lower abdomen by moving the torso backward with the arms.
- Ensure your back is not squeezed by Keep your back straight, also ensure you squeeze your shoulder blades together as you row, with your chest out. This will help you target the middle to upper back.
- Return the handle forward under tension to full stretch, while keeping the back straight even though flexed at the hips.
#10. Chin-up
This exercise is important and targets your upper back. There are different variations Chin-up that you can do. To do a chin-up,
- Grab the bar a shoulder’s width apart with your palms facing inward towards your face.
- From a hanging position, pull yourself upward until your chin clears the bar. Make sure you do not swing, kick, or sway your body to get yourself over the bar. Pause at the top, then lower yourself down slowly to the starting position.
- Always remember that your palms are near your chin.
#11. Pull-up
Similar to the Chin-up exercise, instead of your palms facing inward, your palms face outward. Pull up involves a chain movement where your body is suspended by hand on the bar that lets you exercise your back. It also has different variations like the Chin-up.
- Grab the pull-up bar a shoulder’s width apart with your palms facing inward towards your face.
- Hang to the Pull-up bar with your feet off the ground.
- From a hanging position, pull yourself upward until your chin goes pass the bar.
- Lower yourself until you maintain a straight hand
#12. Lat Pulldown
The Lat Pulldown is also an interesting and one of the Best Exercise for the Back. It also builds back muscles and strength. To get the best of this exercise, it is best done in a slow, controlled tempo. To do this exercise, follow the step below.
- Take a sitting position at a Lat pulldown machine.
- Hold the bar with an overhand grip that’s a little beyond shoulder width.
- With your hands on the bar, pull your shoulders back and down, and bring the bar down to your torso.
- Pause for a few seconds, and then slowly return to the starting position to start all over again.
#13. Kneeling Lat Pulldown
The kneeling Lat Pulldown is another variation of the standard pulldown, which helps to build the total body, including the back. To do this,
- Be in a kneeling position in front of an adjustable cable machine with a Lat pulldown bar set at the high setting.
- Grip the bar with a pronated grip and spread at shoulder width
- Pull down the bar to the chest and bend your elbow so as to make use of your back muscle.
- Pause for some few seconds then control the bar to return to the starting position.
#14. Deadlift
The deadlift is also classed among the squat and bench lift weight exercise whereby a loaded barbell is lifted off the ground to the hips level and then lowered back to the ground. To perform this back exercise, you have to
- Load a barbell to the level you can lift
- Bend your hips and knees with your hands just beyond the shoulder width.
- Stand with the barbell as you pull up your torso and thrust your hips forward.
- Lower the barbell back to the floor and repeat as many times as you can.
#15. Kettle Swing
Last on our list of Best Exercise for the Back is the Kettle Swing. This exercise lets you exercise your back’s posterior chain as well as the front of your core. It is best to start with a lightweight and then gradually graduate to a heavier weight. To perform this exercise, follow the step below.
- Stand with your feet spread wide apart in shoulder width.
- Bend your knees slightly forward to grab the kettlebell with both hands. Make sure you don’t bend your knees.
- Pull the kettle swing backward between your knees, then swing the kettlebell up while standing up and straightening your knees. Make sure the kettlebell did not swing above shoulder level.
- Swing forcefully to the back down between your legs (with your knees bent again) to repeat the step.
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Conclusion on Best Exercise for the Back
As you can see, not only your front or chest can be exercised but your back too just like every other part of the body. So, when next you go for your routine workout, don’t forget to do the back a favor by exercising it also.
Tag: Best Exercise for the Back- Top 15 Workout (Evergreen practices)