11 Resistance Band Back Exercises That Can Help Build Strength And Muscles

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Back exercises can help stretch, repair, and strengthen the back muscles. A strong back can help improve posture. There are many ways to train your back muscles, one of which is by using resistance bands.

Resistance band back exercises can help target and grow your back muscles using bands.

Many factors come into play when trying to build your muscles, one of which is resistance training. The amount of resistance and how long you apply that resistance to your muscle cells can help determine how fast your muscles grow.

Resistance bands are one of the most cost-effective ways of applying resistance to your muscles. Pulling the band further apart increases the resistance, forcing you to use your muscle fibers.

Resistance bands are affordable, portable, and versatile, making it possible to target and train your back muscles at your convenience.

Resistance band back exercises can help prevent back pain, strengthen your back, improve mobility, and improve posture.

Resistance band back exercises for building strength and muscles

Here are some top resistance band back exercises to target, build and strengthen your back muscles.

You will need resistance bands for all the exercises. Start with a thicker band if you are a novice. The thinner the band the more challenging the exercise.

Check here for our recommended resistance bands if you are yet to acquire some for your home gym.

Band-Assisted Pull-Up

The band-assisted pull-up is a variation of the pull-up exercise where you perform the movement with a resistance band looped around your feet or knees. Using a resistance increases the resistance and weight at the top of the motions while reducing it toward the bottom.

The band-assisted pull-ups are some of the best resistance band back exercises for building upper back, core, and biceps strength and muscles.

It is one of the best ways to train for pull-ups.

In addition to a resistance band, you will need a pull-up bar for the exercise.

Steps to follow

• Strap the resistance around the middle of a pull-up bar.
• Pull the resistance band down and place your knee or feet into the loop.
• Grasp the bar, ensuring your arms are more than a shoulder-width apart. Ensure your grip is not too wide, otherewise you will compromise the range of motion
• Contract your lats and flex your elbows to pull yourself up.
• Keep pulling yourself up until your chin is in line or above the bar. Ensure you do not swing or jerk your motions.
• Pause for a few seconds and lower yourself slowly to your starting position.
• Repeat

Band-Assisted Chin-Up

The band-assisted chin-up is a variation of the pull-up. All preparations and motions are the same.

The only difference is the hand position.

You grab the bar with a pronated grip, with palms facing away from you when doing pull-ups.

But you use a supinated grip, with your palms facing you when doing chin-ups. The hand position is also much narrower with the chin-ups.

The change in hand positions allows you to focus on different muscles, though they all target the back muscles.

Chin-ups rely more on the biceps, making them much easier to do. They are the best resistance band back exercises to start with if you are a novice.

Wide Grip Lat Pull Down

The wide grip lat pulldown is one of the best resistance band back exercises for training the rear delts, lats, biceps, and all of the muscles in the middle of the upper back.

You do the resistance band exercises for back on one knee. That increases the range of motion, helping you get better results.

The wide grip allows you to target your lats for strength and hypertrophy. It can also prepare for pull-ups.

The kneeling position helps activate and strengthen the core and the glutes.

Steps to follow

• Anchor the resistance band at a high point
• Grab the handles and position yourself about 3-4 feet from the anchor point.
• Go on one knee, ensuring your arms point down. Keep your back and head straight and your shoulders down.
• Pulling through your elbow, pull the handles down and to your sides.
• Keep pulling until your hands are in line with your chin.
• Pause and slowly return to your starting position in a controlled manner
• Repeat

Close Grip Lat Pull Down

The close grip lat pulldown with resistance bands is an option for those who want to boost their overall back strength. Aside from the lats, it can also target the rhomboids and trapezius.

These resistance band back exercises should be on your list if you want back size and strength. It can also help strengthen your arm muscles and improve your posture.

Steps to follow

• Anchor the resistance band at a high point.
• Grab the handles in both hands and position yourself about 3-4 feet from the anchor point.
• Go on one knee. You can also sit on a bench or raised platform. Keep your back and head straight and your shoulders down.
• Pulling through your elbow, pull the handles down and to your chest.
• Pause and slowly return to your starting position in a controlled manner.
• Repeat

Bent Over Row

The bent over back row is one of the resistance band exercises for back muscles to include in your training regimen.

Rows are some of the best foundational movement patterns for balanced muscle strength and growth training.

Steps to follow

• Place the resistance band on the floor and stand on them, ensuring the outside of your feet are about six inches from the handles.
• Grab the band just below the handles in each hand
• Get into a squat stance by bending your knees, pushing your buttocks and shoulders back, your chest out, and your head straight. Maintain this position throughout the movement.
• Keep your arms straight with the band about to stretch.
• Pull the resistance band up until your arms are by your hips. Ensure you pull through the elbows
• Lower slowly to your starting position in a controlled manner.
• Repeat.

One Arm Bent Over Row

Why use dumbbells for the one arm bent over row when you can use resistance bands?

Using resistance bands for the exercises forces you to control the resistance, helping you to target your back muscles much better.

Using one hand at a time allows you to target one side of your back at a time, helping you to focus more on your weaker side.

To start the resistance band back exercises,

Steps to follow

• Take a staggered stance, with one foot in front, and place the resistance band under the front foot leaving about 12 inches of the resistance band on the inside of the foot.
• Bend your knees and push your hips back.
• Grab the resistance band under the handle with the opposite hand and place the other hand on the front knee to keep your balance. Keep your back and head straight.
• Pull the resistance band up and back until your arms are at your hips.
• Slowly return to your starting position in a controlled manner.
• Repeat for your desired number of reps.
• Change sides and repeat the motions with the other side of your body.

Seated Rows

You can swap the cable machine for resistance bands for the seated row.

Doing the resistance band back exercises from a straight position allows you to target your lower back muscles, lats, biceps, and shoulders.

Steps to follow

• Strap the resistance band below your chest height when sitting on the floor
• Sit on the floor about 3-4 feet from the anchor point, holding the handles in each hand.
• Engage your core and retract your shoulders.
• Activate your lats to pull the resistance band to the sides of your body, ensuring you keep the resistance band parallel to the floor
• Pause and slowly return to your starting position in a controlled manner
• Repeat

Seated High Rows

The Seated High Rows are back exercises you can do with resistance bands instead of a cable machine.

Anchoring the resistance band at a high position allows for better upper back engagement, including your lats, rhomboids, and teres major.

Doing the resistance band back exercises from that position allows you to offset the resistance with the weight of your body.

Steps to follow

• Anchor the resistance band at a high point on the wall.
• Grab the handles of the resistance band in each hand.
• Sit on the floor, about a foot and a half away from the anchor point.
• Bend your knees, lift your toes off the floor and place them against the wall.
• Keep your head and back straight, your shoulders forward, and your head and back straight.
• Keep your back straight and extend your arms, pointing them towards the anchor point.
• Lean back to form a 45-degree angle with your upper back and the floor.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades and pull the handles until your hands are below your chest. Ensure you keep your arms close to your body
• Pause and slowly return to your starting position in a controlled manner.
• Repeat

Standing One Arm Back Row With Bands

The standing one arm row is another back exercise that allows you to work and build your back with resistance bands instead of a cable machine.

Using one hand for the exercise means you target one side of your body at a time, allowing you to correct any imperfections.

to do the resistance band back exercises,

Steps to follow

• Anchor the resistance band at just below chest height.
• Stand about 3-4 feet from the anchor point, holding the handle in one hand.
• Stand with feet at shoulder width and bend your knees slightly. Keep your head and back straight.
• Let your palms face in and stretch your hands to lock your elbows.
• Pull the handle towards you until your elbow is right under your shoulder.
• Pause and return to your starting position
• Repeat for your desired number of reps.
• Switch sides and go through the motions with the other side of your body.

Lying Lat Pull

The lying lat pull is one of the best resistance band back exercises that allows a full overhead extension.

Steps to follow

• Anchor the resistance band at a low point – about 6-12 inches from the floor.
• Lie face down on the floor, holding the handles of the resistance band in each hand
• Keep your arms straight and pointing towards the wall (holding the anchor point). Ensure you keep your head straight and your shoulders up towards your ears.
• Pull the handles down and towards you until your arms are by your chin.
• Pause and return slowly to your starting position in a controlled manner
• Repeat

Deadlift

The banded deadlift is one of the best resistance band back exercises that target upper and lower body muscles.

Aside from helping to improve your posture, the banded deadlift can target and strengthen your back, hamstrings, glutes, legs, and core muscles.

The banded deadlift is one of the best alternatives to the barbell deadlift, worth considering, especially if you don’t have access to a barbell or are not comfortable using barbells.

Steps to follow

• Place the resistance band on the floor and position both feet on it, keeping your feet at shoulder width.
• Bend your knee, hinge at your hips back, and grab the handles of the resistance band. Keep your back straight and your head up.
• Pull the resistance band with you as you stand upright. Roll your shoulders and back at the top of the movement.
• Lowder down slowly to your starting position in a controlled manner by hinging at your hips and bending your knee. Ensure you keep your spine neutral.
• Repeat for your desired number of reps.

Final words from LiveLIfe

Resistance band back exercises are excellent alternatives to many back exercises that rely on barbells and dumbbells.
They offer different but effective ways to target your back muscles and can be viable additions to your training regimen.

Include these resistance band back exercises to your training regimen at a fraction of the cost of a gym membership or barbells and dumbbells to help achieve your fitness goals.