11 Best At Home Back Exercises That Help Build Strength and Mass

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At home back exercises refer to a set of physical activities performed in the comfort of one’s residence to strengthen the muscles in the back. The exercises target various muscles in the back and the supporting muscles around the spine.

You will perform such back exercises at home without specialized gym equipment, making them accessible for exercisers looking to improve their back strength and posture from the convenience of their homes.

Regular at home back exercises can help alleviate back pain, enhance spinal health, and contribute to a balanced and toned physique.

At Home Back Exercises Target Muscles

At home back exercises primarily target the muscles in your back and related muscle groups.

These back exercises at home can help strengthen and develop various parts of your back, including,

• Latissimus Dorsi or Lats
• Trapezius or Traps
• Rhomboids
• Erector Spinae
• Thoracic and Lumbar Spine
• Rear Deltoids
• Lower Back
• Rotator Cuff

Best At Home Back Exercises For Strenght And Better Posture

Below are some of the best at home back exercises that can help strengthen your back muscles

TRX Suspended Row

The TRX Suspended Row is an effective at home back exercise. It is a bodyweight exercise that utilizes suspension straps like the TRX system to target various muscles in your back, including the lats, rhomboids, and trapezius.

You can modify the exercise’s difficulty by changing your body angle relative to the TRX straps. The more horizontal your body is to the floor, the more challenging the movement becomes, allowing for progressive overload as you get stronger.

Required equipment: Suspension Trainers, e.g. TRX trainers

Steps to follow

• Anchor and adjust the TRX straps to an appropriate length. They should hang approximately at chest height when fully extended.
• Stand facing the anchor point with your feet at hip-width.
• Grab the TRX handles with an overhand grip, i.e., palms facing down, and extend your arms fully in front of you.
• Lean back, maintaining a straight line from your head to your heels, to create an angle with your body.
• Extend your arms fully and ensure your body is at an angle and your weight is on your heels.
• Bend your elbows and squeeze your shoulder blades together to pull your chest toward the handles.
• Keep your body in a straight line throughout the movement. Avoid arching or sagging your back.
• Pull until your hands are near your ribcage or until you feel a contraction in your back muscles.
• Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your body back to your starting position under control.
• Repeat 8-12 reps for a set and aim for 2-4 sets in a session, resting for 30 seconds to 1 minute between sets.

Form Tips

• Focus on pulling with your back muscles rather than using your arms excessively.
• Engage your core to stabilize your body during the exercise.
• Keep your neck neutral by looking straight ahead.
• Maintain tension in the TRX straps throughout the movement.

Good Morning

The Good Morning is an effective at home exercise that targets the muscles in your lower back, hamstrings, glutes, and even your upper back to some extent.

It also engages your erector spinae muscles along your spine and helps improve your posture by emphasizing proper spinal alignment.

Require equipment: Barbell or dumbbells.

Steps to follow

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a barbell on your upper back (behind your shoulders) or hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms extended straight down in front of your thighs.
• Keep your back straight and chest up.
• Engage your core muscles for stability.
• Begin the movement by hinging at your hips, pushing your buttocks back as if trying to touch your chest to the floor while keeping your back straight.
• Lower your torso forward until it is parallel to the floor or as far as your flexibility allows.
• Ensure your knees remain slightly bent but not locked.
• Contract your glutes and hamstrings and push your hips forward to stand up.
• Exhale as you rise back up.
• Repeat 8-12 reps for a set and aim for 2-4 sets per session.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows

Single-arm dumbbell Rows are effective at home back exercises that primarily target the muscles in your upper back, including the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and trapezius while engaging your biceps and forearm muscles.

The single-arm dumbbell row is one of the best back exercises at home that can help build a more symmetrical upper back.

Require equipment: Dumbbell, Weight bench.

Steps to follow

• Place a dumbbell on the floor next to a weight bench or sturdy surface.
• Stand next to the bench with your feet at hip-width.
• Bend at the hips and knees to lower your torso until it is almost parallel to the floor. Make your back straight and engage your core.
• Reach down and pick up the dumbbell with one hand.
• Place your opposite knee and hand on the bench for support. Your back should remain parallel to the floor.
• Let the dumbbell hang straight downward toward the floor, fully extending your arm.
• Bend your elbow, squeeze your shoulder blade back, and pull the dumbbell toward your hip.
• The dumbbell should be near your hip and your elbow close to your body as you lift the weight at the top of the movement.
• Lower the dumbbell back down until you fully extend your arm.
• Perform 8-12 reps on one side in a set. Switch sides and repeat. Aim to complete 2-4 sets in a session.
• Alternate between sides by performing rows with the left and right arms to maintain balance and symmetry in your training.

Seated T Raises

Seated T Raises are excellent at home back exercises that primarily target the upper back muscles.

Seated T Raises are some of the best at home exercises for strengthening the traps and the rear deltoids, helping to improve posture and shoulder stability.

Required equipment: Dumbbells, weight bench or chair

Steps to follow

• Sit on a bench or a sturdy chair with a backrest. Keep your feet flat on the floor and maintain good posture with your back straight.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms at your sides and your palms facing your body.
• Keeping your arms straight, lift both dumbbells out to the sides, forming a “T” shape with your body.
• Keep lifting until your arms are parallel to the floor when extended outward to the sides.
• Hold the position briefly, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells back to your starting position with control.

Superman

The Superman exercise is an effective at home back exercise that specifically targets the muscles in your lower back and can help improve your spinal erector strength and stability.

The Superman is a bodyweight exercise that requires no equipment. Thus, it is convenient to perform at home as part of your back-strengthening regimen.

Steps to follow

• Lie face down on a comfortable surface, such as an exercise mat or the floor.
• Extend your arms straight overhead and your legs straight behind you.
• Keep your neck neutral by looking at the floor.
• Inhale, engage your core muscles and lift your arms and legs off the floor simultaneously. Focus on using your lower back muscles to raise your chest slightly off the floor.
• Hold the fully extended position for a few seconds, maintaining tension in your lower back and squeezing your glutes.
• Exhale as you slowly lower your arms, legs, and chest back down to the starting position.
• Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.
• Repeat 8-12 reps to complete a set and 2-4 sets in a session.

Seated Rows with Resistance Bands

Seated Rows with Resistance Bands are at home back exercises that engage the biceps and the upper back muscles.

They are excellent for targeting the upper and middle back muscles, promoting good posture, and strengthening the muscles responsible for scapular retraction.

The resistance band allows you to adjust the intensity of the exercise by using bands with different resistance levels or changing your body position.

Equipment Needed: Resistance band with handles and a stable surface to anchor the band.

Steps to follow

• Securely anchor the resistance band around a sturdy object at approximately chest height.
• Sit down facing the anchor point with your legs extended straight in front of you.
• Grab the resistance band’s handles with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
• Sit up tall with your back straight and relax your shoulders.
• Pull the handles toward your torso while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Keep your elbows close to your body as you pull the resistance band.
• Aim to bring the handles to the sides of your ribcage or slightly lower.
• Hold the contracted position briefly, feeling the contraction in your back muscles.
• Slowly release the tension on the resistance band and extend your arms back to the starting position.
• Repeat 8-12 reps for a set and 2-4 sets per session.

Renegade Dumbbell Rows

Renegade Dumbbell Rows are one of the best at home back exercises that primarily target the muscles in your upper back, core, biceps, and forearms.

Renegade Dumbbell Rows are some of the best back exercises at home that combine upper body strength, stability, and coordination.

Required equipment: Dumbbells, exercise mat (optional)

Steps to follow

• Start in a push-up position with a dumbbell in each hand. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders, and your body should form a straight line from head to heels.
• Spread your feet at shoulder-width for stability.
• Holding onto the dumbbells, perform a push-up by lowering your chest to the floor.
• Push yourself back up to your starting push-up position.
• Now, with one dumbbell in each hand, row one dumbbell by bending your elbow and lifting it toward your hip while balancing on the opposite dumbbell.
• Lower the dumbbell back to the floor with control.
• Perform a push-up again.
• Row the opposite dumbbell.
• Repeat this pattern, aiming for 8-12 reps on each side for a set and 2-4 sets per session.

Prone Y Raise

Prone Y Raises are potent at home back exercises that target your upper back muscles.

They are some of the best back exercises at home for improving posture and strengthening the muscles responsible for retracting the shoulder blades. They can help counteract the effects of poor posture and sitting for extended periods, which can cause rounded shoulders and weak upper back muscles.

Required Equipment: Dumbbells, exercise mat

Steps to follow

• Lie with face down on an exercise mat with your arms extended straight overhead, forming a Y shape with your body.
• Keep your forehead resting on the floor and your neck neutral.
• Engage your core muscles to support your lower back.
• Lift your arms off the floor as high as possible while keeping your elbows straight.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you lift your arms.
• Hold the fully extended position briefly, focusing on the contraction in your upper back.
• Lower your arms back down to your starting position with control.
• Repeat 8-12 reps for a set and 2-4 sets per session.

Back Extensions

Back Extensions are potent at home lower back exercises that also work the muscles along your spine or the erector spinae. They can also help improve spinal stability.

They are one of the best at home back exercises for those looking to alleviate lower back pain and improve spinal health.

Required equipment: Exercise mat

Steps to follow

• Lie face down on the mat with your legs extended and your arms at your sides.
• Place your hands under your chin or across your chest, or you can keep them extended straight in front of you.
• Engage your core muscles to support your lower back.
• Lift your upper body off the floor while keeping your hips and legs in contact with the mat.
• Lift your chest as high as possible, focusing on using your lower back muscles.
• Hold the fully extended position briefly, feeling the contraction in your lower back.
• Slowly lower your upper body back to the mat with control.
• Repeat the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.

Quadruped Leg and Arm Raises

Quadruped Leg and Arm Raise, or the Bird Dog, can help strengthen your back, core, and other supporting muscles. This exercise targets several muscle groups, including the erector spinae, glutes, shoulders, and upper back.

They are some of the best at home back exercises for improving core stability, enhancing balance, and strengthening the back muscles, including those responsible for spinal extension. They can also help improve coordination and posture.

Steps to follow

• Get in a hands-and-knees or quadruped position on an exercise mat or the floor.
• Ensure your hands are directly under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips.
• Maintain a neutral spine with your head in line with your back.
• Engage your core muscles to stabilize your torso.
• Extend your right leg straight behind you, and simultaneously, stretch your left arm straight in front of you.
• Keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor.
• Hold the fully extended position briefly, feeling the engagement in your lower back, glutes, and upper back.
• Lower your arm and leg back to your starting position with control.
• Repeat the exercise by extending your left leg and right arm.

Resistance Band Pull-Apart

The Resistance Band Pull-Apart is an effective at home back exercise that targets the upper back muscles, rhomboids, and traps. It is a simple yet highly effective exercise for improving posture and strengthening the muscles.

It is valuable for strengthening the muscles responsible for scapular retraction. It is also one of the best exercises at home for counteracting the forward shoulder posture often associated with prolonged sitting and desk work.

Required equipment: Resistance band

Steps to follow

• Stand with your feet at shoulder-width.
• Hold the resistance band in front of you with both hands roughly at shoulder-width. Keep your palms facing downward.
• Extend your arms straight out in front of you at chest height.
• Engage your core to maintain a stable posture throughout the exercise.
• Pull the band apart horizontally, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you do so.
• Your arms should move away from each other while your elbows remain slightly bent.
• Keep your arms at shoulder height throughout the exercise.
• Hold the fully extended position briefly, focusing on the contraction in your upper back.
• Slowly return to your starting position, bringing your hands back together in front of you.
• Repeat.

Benefits of At Home Back Exercises

At home back exercises offer a range of benefits for your health and well-being.

• Improved Posture
  At home back exercises can help strengthen the muscles responsible for maintaining an upright posture.
  That can help reduce the risk of rounded shoulders and forward head posture.
• Reduced Risk of Back Pain
  A strong back provides better support to your spine, reducing the likelihood of back pain or discomfort, especially in the lower back.
• Enhanced Spinal Health
  At home back exercises can help maintain spinal flexibility and alignment.
  That can support spinal health and reduce the risk of injuries or degenerative conditions.
• Increased Strength
  Building back muscle strength can enhance your upper body strength, making daily tasks easier and improving athletic performance.
• Better Balance
  Many at home back exercises engage the core and other stabilizing muscles, which can improve balance and stability, reducing the risk of falls.
• Enhanced Athletic Performance
  A strong back is crucial for various sports and activities, such as weightlifting, swimming, and golf, as it contributes to power, control, and endurance.
• Reduced Risk of Injury
  At home back exercises can lead to a well-conditioned back less prone to injuries during everyday activities or sports, as they provide better support and stability.
• Improved Aesthetics
  At home back exercises can help sculpt and define the muscles of the upper and lower back, contributing to a more balanced and aesthetically pleasing physique.

Final words from LiveLIfe

Many of us aspire for a strong and muscular back. Fortunately, you don’t need a fully equipped gym to develop that; you can achieve remarkable results with some well-chosen at home back exercises.

These at home back exercises require minimal equipment or just your body weight. They are potent and have the potential to transform your physique.

Including the at home back exercises discussed in this post in your training regimen can help you build a more defined upper back, improved posture, or enhanced back strength.

Remember a balanced approach to fitness involves exercises, proper nutrition, adequate rest, and recovery. Combining these can put you on the road to achieving your fitness goals.