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Dumbbell back exercises don’t get the same acclaim as their barbell counterparts, but they’re a boon for building a strong, muscular back.
In this article, you’ll learn the anatomy and mechanics of your back muscles, why back exercises with dumbbells are so effective, the 15 best dumbbell exercises for back size and strength, and more.
Back Anatomy
Here are the main muscles in the back and their functions:
- Trapezius: Often called the “traps,” this large muscle spans from the neck to mid-back and is crucial for moving and stabilizing the shoulder blades.
- Rhomboids: These muscles lie beneath the trapezius and connect the spine to the shoulder blades, aiding their movement. They also support your posture.
- Latissimus Dorsi: Commonly known as the “lats,” these broad, flat muscles on the back’s lower half help you pull your arms down and back and also assist in activities where you move your body towards your arms, like swimming or pull-ups.
- Erector Spinae: This set of muscles run vertically alongside the spine and are vital for posture and rotation.
- Posterior Deltoids: Located on the shoulder’s backside, the “rear delts” help move the arm backward.
- Teres Muscles: Comprising the teres major and minor, these muscles pull the arm back and rotate it outward.
- Infraspinatus: This thick, triangular rotator cuff muscle found in the upper back helps with outward arm rotation, like when reaching back to throw a ball.
The Benefits of Doing Back Exercises with Dumbbells
Barbells allow you to lift more weight and progress more regularly than dumbbells, which is why barbell training will always be the foundation of any good workout routine.
That said, dumbbells shine in other areas. Here are the main benefits of doing back dumbbell exercises.
1. Dumbbells allow you to train unilaterally.
Using a pair of dumbbells allows you to train your back unilaterally (one side at a time), which has several benefits:
- It may allow you to lift more total weight than when you train bilaterally (both sides of the body simultaneously), potentially helping you gain more muscle over time.
- It helps you develop a greater mind-muscle connection because you only need to focus on one side of your body at a time.
- It helps you find and fix muscle and strength imbalances by forcing both sides of your body to lift the same amount of weight.
- It may improve your athletic performance more than bilateral training.
2. Dumbbells allow you to train through a longer range of motion.
A barbell can limit your range of motion on some back exercises. For example, in the barbell bent-over row, you must stop each rep when the bar touches your torso, even though you could comfortably pull the weight a few more inches.
Dumbbell back exercises sidestep this issue because there’s no bar to hit your body, allowing you to train your muscles through a full range of motion and maximize muscle and strength gain.
3. Dumbbells are versatile.
Because dumbbells are more maneuverable than barbells, dumbbell exercises for your back allow you to train through different ranges of motion, at varying angles, and using a range of grip orientations, which likely produces more balanced and complete muscle growth than taking a less varied approach to training.
4. Dumbbells allow for more freedom of movement.
The greater freedom of movement with dumbbells can be easier on your joints and soft tissues, as you can adjust the weights’ path or your grip orientation to suit your natural movement patterns and avoid discomfort.
5. Dumbbells may cause greater muscle activation.
When performing dumbbell exercises, your body has to work harder to stabilize and control the weight than it would if you were using a barbell. As a result, your body activates your muscles to a greater degree and recruits more small nearby muscle groups to support your larger muscles.
In the context of back dumbbell exercises, this means that you can simultaneously train your main back muscles and the smaller stabilizer muscles around the spine and shoulder blades, which can help to improve posture, prevent injuries, and enhance overall back development.
The 15 Best Dumbbell Exercises for Back
1. Dumbbell Deadlift
The dumbbell deadlift trains all your posterior chain muscles (the muscles on the back of your body), though it’s an especially effective lower-back dumbbell exercise.
How to:
- Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Move your hands in front of your thighs with your palms facing you, allowing the dumbbells to rest gently against your thighs.
- While keeping your arms straight and the dumbbells directly beneath your shoulders, hinge at the hips, bend your knees, and arch your lower back slightly.
- Allow your knees to bend slightly more as the dumbbells pass them, and keep descending until the dumbbells are 6-to-8 inches from the floor.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
2. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
The bent-over dumbbell row trains your entire upper and mid back, including your lats, traps, and rhomboids. What’s more, because you have to support the weights while hinging at the hips, it’s also an effective lower-back dumbbell exercise.
How to:
- While holding a pair of dumbbells, position your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward.
- Bend over at the waist until your back is roughly parallel to the floor, and allow your arms to hang straight down.
- With your palms facing each other, pull the weights to your upper body, squeezing your shoulder blades as the dumbbells rise.
- Once the dumbbells touch your torso, reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
3. One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Single-arm rows allow you to train your entire back with heavy weights safely and progress regularly, making them one of the best dumbbell back exercises you can do.
How to:
- Hold a dumbbell in your right hand.
- Plant your left knee and hand firmly on a bench, your right foot on the floor a foot or two from the bench, and let your right arm hang straight toward the floor.
- Keeping your back straight, pull the weight upward until it touches your torso, and then return the dumbbell to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
4. Chest-Supported Row
The chest-supported row prevents you from using momentum to “cheat” the weight up, which means your back and arm muscles do all the work.
How to:
- Set an incline bench to roughly a 30-degree angle.
- Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie prone on the bench with your feet on the floor and your arms extended toward the ground.
- Pull the dumbbells upward until they’re by your sides, then reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
5. Kroc Row
The Kroc row is a dumbbell exercise for building strength and size in the upper back, particularly the lats and traps. Because it allows you to lift heavier weights compared to other dumbbell back exercises, it’s also excellent for developing grip strength.
How to:
- While holding a dumbbell in your right hand, stand behind an incline bench and place your left hand on the top of the bench.
- Position your right foot slightly back for stability and lean forward until your back is at a 45-degree angle relative to the floor, allowing your right arm to hang straight down.
- Flatten your back, then pull the dumbbell to the bottom of your rib cage.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
6. Dumbbell Seal Row
Because you lie prone on a bench during the seal row, you can’t generate momentum with your lower body. This forces your back muscles to do most of the work and ensures you stimulate them sufficiently.
How to:
- Elevate a flat bench off the floor using blocks, plates, or steps, and place a pair of dumbbells under the bench.
- Lie prone on the bench and grab a dumbbell in each hand.
- Pull the dumbbells toward your upper body until they touch the bench.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
7. Helms Row
The Helms row trains your back similarly to other chest-supported rows. Its main advantage is that it can be easier to set and perform.
How to:
- While holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand behind an incline bench set at a 45-degree angle.
- Lean forward until your chest rests on the top of the bench, and allow your arms to hang straight down.
- Pull the dumbbells to your torso, then reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
8. Dumbbell Pullover
The dumbbell pullover trains your lats in a fully stretched position and through a long range of motion, which aids muscle growth.
How to:
- While lying on a flat bench with your feet on the floor, hold a dumbbell at one end with both hands and rest it on your chest.
- Position your head as close to the end of the bench as possible. Press the dumbbell over your chest until your elbows are almost completely locked.
- While keeping your elbows slightly bent, lower the dumbbell in an arc over your head until your biceps are next to your ears.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
9. Farmer’s Walk
The dumbbell farmer’s walk trains almost every muscle in your body, but it’s particularly taxing for the upper and lower back, core, and forearms.
How to:
- Stand upright and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Keeping your shoulder blades pulled together and down, take small, quick, even steps forward.
- If you run out of space to continue walking forward, turn around and walk back to the starting point without dropping the dumbbells.
Sets and Reps: Sets: 3 of as many steps as possible with 2-to-3 min rest
10. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
The dumbbell Romanian deadlift is an excellent lower-back dumbbell exercise that also trains your upper back, hamstrings, and glutes.
How to:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- With a flat back, lower the weights toward the floor in a straight line, allowing your butt to move backward as you descend.
- Once you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, bend your knees slightly more and continue lowering the weights until your lower back begins to round.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
11. Dumbbell Good Morning
Many people think of the dumbbell good morning as a leg exercise, but research shows it’s a highly effective lower-back dumbbell exercise, too.
How to:
- Place a dumbbell at the top of your back, across the base of your neck, and hold it in position with both hands.
- With slightly bent knees, move your butt backward so your torso can “hinge” forward and lower the weight in a straight line toward the ground.
- Once you can’t lower the weight any further without bending your back, reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
12. Dumbbell Upright Row
How to:
- Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you.
- Lift the weights straight upward until they’re at chest height, keeping your elbows higher than your forearms throughout the movement.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
13. Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise
The dumbbell rear lateral raise is a great exercise for training all the muscles in your upper back, especially your rear delts and traps.
How to:
- Whether standing or seated, bend at the hips so that your upper body is as close to parallel to the floor as possible.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and while keeping your back flat, lift the dumbbells out to the side until your upper arm is parallel to the floor.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
14. Dumbbell Shrug
The dumbbell shrug is a trap isolation exercise that primarily trains the upper traps, which, when developed, help “frame” your upper body and aesthetically connect your neck to your shoulders.
How to:
- Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Keeping your arms by your sides and your palms facing your body, shrug your shoulders toward the ceiling as high as possible.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
15. Dumbbell Rear Delt Row
The dumbbell rear delt row is similar to the dumbbell bent-over row except that you pull the weights to your mid-chest instead of your stomach. This reduces the amount your lats contribute to the exercise and makes it more taxing on your upper back and rear delts.
How to:
- While holding a dumbbell in each hand, position your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward.
- Bend over and flatten your back so it’s roughly parallel to the floor, and let your arms hang straight down.
- Pull the dumbbells to your mid-chest, flaring your elbows at about a 60-degree angle relative to your body.
- Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest
+ Scientific References
- Jakobi, Jennifer M., and Philip D. Chilibeck. “Bilateral and Unilateral Contractions: Possible Differences in Maximal Voluntary Force.” Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 26, no. 1, Feb. 2001, pp. 12–33, https://doi.org/10.1139/h01-002.
- Janzen, Cora L., et al. “The Effect of Unilateral and Bilateral Strength Training on the Bilateral Deficit and Lean Tissue Mass in Post-Menopausal Women.” European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 97, no. 3, 28 Mar. 2006, pp. 253–260, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-006-0165-1.
- Liao, Kai-Fang , et al. Effects of Unilateral vs. Bilateral Resistance Training Interventions on Measures of Strength, Jump, Linear and Change of Direction Speed: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 3 7AD, pp. 39(3):485-497, https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2022.107024.
- Bloomquist, K., et al. “Effect of Range of Motion in Heavy Load Squatting on Muscle and Tendon Adaptations.” European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 113, no. 8, 20 Apr. 2013, pp. 2133–2142, link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00421-013-2642-7, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2642-7.
- Costa, Bruna Daniella de Vasconcelos, et al. “Does Performing Different Resistance Exercises for the Same Muscle Group Induce Non-Homogeneous Hypertrophy?” International Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 42, no. 09, 13 Jan. 2021, pp. 803–811, https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1308-3674.
- Farias, Déborah de Araújo, et al. “Maximal Strength Performance and Muscle Activation for the Bench Press and Triceps Extension Exercises Adopting Dumbbell, Barbell, and Machine Modalities over Multiple Sets.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 31, no. 7, July 2017, pp. 1879–1887, journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2017/07000/Maximal_Strength_Performance_and_Muscle_Activation.15.aspx, https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000001651.
- Saeterbakken, Atle H., and Marius S. Fimland. “Effects of Body Position and Loading Modality on Muscle Activity and Strength in Shoulder Presses.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 27, no. 7, July 2013, pp. 1824–1831, https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e318276b873.
- Park, Se-yeon, and Won-gyu Yoo. “Differential Activation of Parts of the Latissimus Dorsi with Various Isometric Shoulder Exercises.” Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, vol. 24, no. 2, Apr. 2014, pp. 253–257, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2013.12.004.
- Gerling, Michael E., and Stephen H. M. Brown. “Architectural Analysis and Predicted Functional Capability of the Human Latissimus Dorsi Muscle.” Journal of Anatomy, vol. 223, no. 2, 13 June 2013, pp. 112–122, https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12074.
- Schoenfeld, Brad J, and Jozo Grgic. “Effects of Range of Motion on Muscle Development during Resistance Training Interventions: A Systematic Review.” SAGE Open Medicine, vol. 8, no. 8, Jan. 2020, p. 205031212090155, https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312120901559.
- Burnett, Angus, et al. “BACK STRESS and ASSISTANCE EXERCISES in WEIGHTLIFTING.” ISBS – Conference Proceedings Archive, 2002, ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/cpa/article/view/723.
- Schory, Abbey, et al. “A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW of the EXERCISES THAT PRODUCE OPTIMAL MUSCLE RATIOS of the SCAPULAR STABILIZERS in NORMAL SHOULDERS.” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, vol. 11, no. 3, 1 June 2016, pp. 321–336, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4886800/.
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