If you have good posture and strong core strength, your back will stand out as a strong and healthy muscle group as well. And if you don't have enough muscle mass in your back, this can lead to pain over time due to weakness or injury.
Luckily for all of us who need some help with our backs: there are plenty of exercises out there that can help us achieve better posture and stronger backs!
But are you really familiar with your back/spine needs? If not then first check out these dumbbell back workouts that are only targeted to give a healthy posture to your spine!
However, if you're looking for some new ways to spice up your workout routine, here's 8 best back exercises that'll help make sure that yours is healthy and strong!
Lat Pullovers
Lat pullovers are one of the best back exercises you can do. They're a variation on the pullover, but with more focus on building size in your lats and shoulders.
To perform lat pullovers, you'll need a cable machine. Stand facing away from the cable machine and grab onto an overhead bar attached to a cable machine. If your gym doesn't have this type of equipment, use elastic exercise bands instead—they'll help replicate that resistance feeling without having to buy something new yourself!
For added resistance: Use weight plates while performing this exercise as well as using resistance bands
Barbell Deadlifts
The barbell deadlift is one of the best exercises for strengthening and building muscle in your lower back, glutes and hamstrings. It also works your quads and core muscles as well. [Source: Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review]
The exercise starts with standing with the barbell on the ground in front of you with a shoulder-width grip. Next, bend at the knees and hips while keeping your back straight until you are standing upright again, then lower back down to starting position by bending at knees and hips.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
The single-arm dumbbell row is a great exercise to build up your back muscles. It also works the core, so you can do this exercise as part of an ab workout as well.
To do the single-arm dumbbell row:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand at shoulder height with an overhand grip (palm facing toward the body).
- Bend right knee and hinge forward at hips until torso is horizontal and parallel to floor, keeping arms straight throughout the movement; keep the left leg straight on the floor behind you and left arm extended out from the side of the body.
Straight-Arm Cable Pulldown
The straight-arm cable pulldown involves using a long bar attached to the top of an overhead pulley machine and pulling it down toward your body as far as possible.
By allowing your arms to hang straight down at your sides, you isolate both upper and lower fibers of the latissimus dorsi muscle (the largest muscle in the upper body).
This means that this exercise can help you maximize both muscular size and overall strength gains, especially when performed with heavier loads between 8-15 reps per set.
Seated Cable Rows
Start by setting up the back of a cable row machine to fit your height. Sit down and grasp the handles with your palms facing inwards.
Your feet should be firmly planted on the floor, knees bent at 90 degrees, and back straight. With each repetition, pull the weight towards your chest until it hits just above your waistline, then lower it back down slowly while keeping tension on your lats.
Inverted Rows (Bodyweight Rows)
To perform inverted rows, lie on your stomach with your arms straight and directly beneath the shoulders. Your feet should be in line with each other, pointing towards the bar or rings.
With palms facing away from you, pull yourself up to the bar by contracting your back muscles and lifting your chest off the floor.
Pause for one second at full extension before lowering yourself until your arms are straight again.
Bent-Over Dumbbell Raise (Dumbbell Rear Delt Row)
Bent-Over Dumbbell Raise is one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your back. It targets your upper back, as well as your biceps.
To perform this exercise,
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells at arm's length in front of you.
- Bend forward from your hips until you are about 60 degrees from the ground.
- Your hands should be directly below your shoulders, but not touching the floor.
- Keeping your back straight and core tight, lift the weight up so that it hangs over your chest (about nipple height).
- Lower slowly under control until it touches down at the bottom position before returning to starting position.
Dumbbell Shrugs
Shrugs can be done with dumbbells, barbells, or using cables. When using dumbbells make sure you alternate arms because it's easy to get out of balance when doing shrugs with just one arm (and if you do start leaning over to one side too much that's how shoulder injuries happen). It is also important to keep your elbows pointed down towards the floor during all variations of this exercise so make sure they're not flaring outwards during any part of your set!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of back exercises you can do. The key to keeping your spine healthy and strong is to do these exercises regularly. Don’t be afraid to mix things up! If you find that one exercise hurts or isn’t working for your body, try another exercise instead. You should also consult with a doctor before starting any new workout routine or adding weights into the mix—especially if you have an existing condition like arthritis or osteoporosis.
