Dumbbell exercises for your back muscles

Do you want a nicely muscled back but don't have space for a complete home gym and dislike going to the gym? Then you've come to the right place reading this blog! Below, read about exercises for your back muscles that you can perform with just a set of dumbbells and an (adjustable) fitness bench!

Five dumbbell exercises for your back muscles

#1. One-arm dumbbell row

Primary muscle group: Lower back, upper back, and lower trapezius
Secondary muscle groups: Biceps, shoulders, and abs
Equipment needed: Dumbbells and a (flat) fitness bench

• Place one knee on the bench and your other leg beside it;
• If your left leg is on the ground, grab a dumbbell in your left hand (palm facing the bench);
• Your right hand rests on the bench;
• Straighten your back and lift the dumbbell up along your body, stopping when your arm is in line with your body;
• Lower the dumbbell until your arm is straight again;
• After you've completed the desired number of reps on the left side, do the same for the right side of your body.

#2. Dumbbell incline bench rows

Primary muscle group: Lower back, middle back, lats.
Secondary muscle groups: Biceps, shoulders, and abs.
Equipment needed: Dumbbells and a (flat) fitness bench.

• Adjust your fitness bench slightly upwards and lie on it on your stomach;
• Hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip, one in each hand, with your palms facing inwards;
• Your arms should be fully extended downwards. This is your starting position;
• Pull your shoulder blades back and bend your elbows to pull the dumbbells towards you;
• Contract your shoulders and back muscles and hold for one count;
• Return to the starting position in a slow and controlled movement.

#3. Dumbbell Pullovers

Primary muscle group: Upper back, lower traps, and chest.
Secondary muscle groups: Abs, shoulders, and triceps.
Equipment needed: Dumbbells and adjustable fitness bench.

• Lie flat on a fitness bench with your upper back;
• Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, raising your hips so your upper body is in line;
• Grab a dumbbell with both hands, holding your hands at the bottom of the top plate with your palms facing upwards. This is your starting position;
• Bring the dumbbell over your chest with your elbows slightly bent;
• Keep your elbows bent as you lower the dumbbell overhead until your upper arms are in line with your torso;
• Pull the dumbbell up over your chest to return it to the starting position.

#4. Dumbbell snatch

Primary muscle group: Upper back, lower traps.
Secondary muscle groups: Glutes, hip flexors, and quadriceps.
Equipment needed: Dumbbells.

• Place a dumbbell sideways on the floor, and stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart on either side of the dumbbell;
• Squat down and grab the dumbbell. Make sure to keep your shoulders and back straight and look forward;
• Explosively lift the dumbbell by extending your hips from a squat position and letting the dumbbell move up close to your body;
• As the dumbbell reaches hip height, shrug your shoulder and pull the dumbbell up by lifting it in a straight line upwards. Make sure to keep your elbow above the dumbbell during this movement;
• Once the dumbbell has reached its highest point, quickly get your elbow under the weight and extend your arm;
• Slightly squat your body down so you are in a semi-squat position with your arm fully extended overhead;
• Hold the dumbbell overhead and stand up again to complete the entire lift.

This exercise is also often performed with kettlebells, kettlebells have a wider grip and thus make this exercise harder.

#5. Dumbbell deadlifts

Primary muscle group: Lower back, hip flexors, and glutes.
Secondary muscle groups: Abs, calves, hamstrings, quadriceps.
Equipment needed: Dumbbells.

• Place two dumbbells sideways on the floor;
• Stand facing the dumbbells with your feet shoulder-width apart;
• Bend your knees and hips to lower your torso into a squat position, keeping your back straight;
• At the bottom of the squat, grasp the dumbbells with an overhand grip, keeping your arms fully extended;
• Return to an upright position with the dumbbells, palms facing your body, and extend your hips forward. Do not round your back, but still keep it straight;
• Make the same movement as step 3, but now with the dumbbells in your hand.

Number of repetitions with the dumbbell

With these five exercises, you train your back effectively. First, make sure you master the technique before doing more repetitions or increasing the weight. It is important to keep a straight back during the exercises, otherwise you can suffer annoying back injuries.

We recommend starting with 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise. The dumbbell snatch is a difficult exercise where it is better to start with 5 repetitions.

All these exercises are also often performed with kettlebells, which will shift the load to a different part of the muscle. For optimal results, a mix of dumbbells and kettlebells is often used.