17 Dumbbell Back Exercises that Build Muscle and Strength
Want to build a strong, muscular back? Dumbbell back exercises may be your key to making some serious strength gains and getting a killer V-shaped back.
In this article, we discuss both targeted and functional dumbbell back exercises so you can choose the ones that work best for your fitness goals.
Targeted Dumbbell Back Exercises
These targeted dumbbell back exercises work your lats, middle and lower traps, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, and spinal erectors — and they engage your core, arms, and pecs for support. Keep reading to get the tapered back of your dreams!
1) Bent Over Row
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms at your sides in a neutral grip (palms facing in toward your core).
- Engage your core, bend your knees slightly, and hinge forward at the hips.
- Maintaining a neutral grip throughout, pull the dumbbells toward your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells by extending your arms toward the floor.
2) Bent Over Wide Row
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms at your sides.
- Engage your core, bend your knees slightly, and hinge forward at the hips.
- Turn the weights so that your palms are in an overhand grip, and then pull the dumbbells toward your chest, letting your elbows flare out to the side (maintain the overhand grip).
- Slowly lower the dumbbells by extending your arms toward the floor with the dumbbells in an overhand grip.
This dumbbell back exercise is perfect for targeting the upper areas of the large muscles in your back.
3) Bent Over Underhand Row
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms at your sides.
- Engage your core, bend your knees slightly, and hinge forward at the hips.
- Turn the weights so that your palms are in an underhand grip (like you’re going to lob a ball) and then pull the dumbbells toward the lower part of your rib cage, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells by extending your arms toward the floor with the dumbbells still in an underhand grip.
This one targets the lower areas of the large muscles in your back.
4) Bent Over One-Arm Row
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a dumbbell in one hand and your arms at your sides in a neutral grip (palms facing in toward your core).
- Engage your core, bend your knees slightly, and hinge forward at the hips.
- Maintaining a neutral grip throughout, pull the dumbbell toward your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell by extending your arms toward the floor (maintain the neutral grip).
Perform a set with one arm and then a set with the other arm to work both sides of your back.
5) Kneeling One-Arm Row
- Place your right knee and right hand on a flat bench, plyo box, or other sturdy raised platform.
- Hold a dumbbell in your left hand with your arm extending toward the floor in a neutral grip (palm facing toward the bench).
- Maintaining a neutral grip throughout, pull the dumbbell toward your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell by extending your arms toward the floor (still maintaining the neutral grip).
- Perform however many reps you need and then switch positions on the bench to work the right side of your back.
You can also perform the kneeling one-arm row with a wide (overhand) or underhand grip to put the stress on the upper or lower part of the large back muscles.
6) Single-Arm Row In Plank
- With a dumbbell in your left hand, place your right palm on a bench, plyo box, or other sturdy platform and extend your legs straight out behind you (you’ll end up in an elevated plank position).
- Brace your core muscles, keep your back and body straight, and pull the dumbbell toward the left side of your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and maintaining a neutral grip throughout.
- Slowly reverse the movement back to the starting position and repeat as needed.
- Switch sides and perform the exercise with the right arm.
7) Renegade Row
- Place two dumbbells on the floor about shoulder-width apart in a neutral grip (with their handles parallel).
- Get into the high plank position gripping the dumbbells instead of putting your palms on the floor. This is the starting position.
- Engage your core and glutes, then pull your right arm toward your chest keeping your elbow close to your body and the handle in a neutral grip.
- Lower the dumbbell to the starting position.
- Repeat with your left arm.
Lifting your right arm and then your left arm counts as one rep.
8) Gorilla Row
- Place two dumbbells on the ground about hip-width apart with their handles parallel — stand so that the left dumbbell is in front of your left foot and the right dumbbell is in front of your right foot.
- Engage your core, bend your knees slightly, and hinge forward at your hips until you can grasp the dumbbells. NOTE: It can be helpful to elevate the dumbbells slightly so you don’t have to bend over so far.
- Pull your right arm toward your rib cage keeping your elbow close to your body and the handle in a neutral grip.
- Lower the dumbbell to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
You can also perform the gorilla row with kettlebells as a way to elevate the handles higher up the shins.
9) Pullover
- Lie down on the floor while holding a dumbbell on your chest.
- Bend your knees and position your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart.
- Grip the dumbbell securely (either at both ends or by cupping one end of the weight along the handle).
- Lift it into the air directly above your chest.
- Keeping your arms straight, slowly move the dumbbell over your head and gently touch it to the floor.
- Engage your core, back, chest, and arms to bring the weight back to the starting position over your body. That’s one rep.
10) Reverse Fly
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand (arms at your sides, palms facing in, elbows slightly bent).
- Engage your core, bend your knees slightly, and hinge forward from the hips so that your back is at an angle between 45 degrees and 90 degrees (but not lower than parallel with the floor).
- Keeping your elbows bent slightly, raise both arms out to the sides until they are in line with your shoulders.
- Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. That’s one rep.
You can also use an incline bench to support your torso during this dumbbell back exercise.
11) Quadruped Single-Arm Rear Delt Raise
- Get on your hands and knees (knees underneath hips and palms underneath shoulders on the floor).
- Hold a dumbbell in your left hand.
- Bend your elbow slightly and raise your left arm to the side until it is at shoulder level.
- Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position. That’s one rep.
This dumbbell back exercise can also be performed while kneeling or lying on a bench for strength gains at any age.
Functional Dumbbell Back Exercises
If you’re looking for back exercises that pack a lot of punch, these functional dumbbell exercises are it, each one engaging your back for support while also engaging other large muscle groups like your hips, legs, shoulders, and arms.
12) Dumbbell Deadlift
- Stand with a dumbbell in each hand (instead of the barbell shown in the image above), arms at your sides, palms facing in toward the center of your body.
- Engage your core, brace your back, and bend your knees to send your hips back and the dumbbells down until they touch the floor.
- Keeping your back muscles engaged, press your feet through the floor in order to return to the starting position.
- That’s one rep.
13) Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
- Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, arms in front of your body slightly, with the handles resting on your thighs.
- Engage your core, brace your upper back, and bend forward from the waist in order to lower the dumbbells toward the floor (don’t bend your knees as you would in a regular dumbbell deadlift).
- Push your bottom way back and keep your back flat. Your torso should be almost parallel to the floor, and the weights should reach your shins.
- Keeping your back muscles engaged and your core tight, press your feet through the floor in order to return to the starting position.
- That’s one rep.
14) Good Morning
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell against your chest.
- Bend your knees slightly, hinge forward at the hips, and push your bottom back to fold your upper body forward.
- Stop when your upper body is just above parallel to the floor.
- Engage your core, squeeze your legs, and drive your hips forward to return to the standing position. That’s one rep.
15) Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlift
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet together.
- Shift your weight to your right leg, bend your right knee slightly, and hinge your body at the hip so that your left leg travels behind you and your upper body (and the dumbbells) moves forward toward the floor.
- At the bottom of the movement, your upper body should be flat and almost parallel to the ground and your left leg should be straight out behind you.
- Engage your core and push through your left heel to stand up straight and return the weight to the starting position. That’s one rep.
- Perform all the reps on one side and then perform all the reps on the other side.
16) Dumbbell Weighted Pull-Up
- Hold a dumbbell between your legs or attach it to a pull-up/dip belt.
- Grasp a pull up bar about shoulder width apart.
- Engage your back and core and pull your elbows down toward your body so that your chin rises above the bar.
- Lower your body down to the hanging position. That’s one rep.
17) Dumbbell Suitcase Carry
- Stand with a dumbbell in each hand with the weight beside your legs (like you’re carrying a suitcase).
- Keeping your core, back, shoulders, and arms engaged, walk a prescribed distance or for a certain amount of time.
If moving with the dumbbells is too difficult, you can also simply stand with the weights in your hands to strengthen your back, shoulders, and arms.
Quality Equipment for Your Dumbbell Back Exercises
Regardless of which of the dumbbell back exercises you choose to add to your workout, you’re going to need one essential piece of equipment: dumbbells.
That’s where Titan Fitness comes in.
We’ve got a wide variety of dumbbells to choose from, including:
Whether you’re outfitting a home gym, a professional gym, a school weight room, or just need a set of weights for dumbbell back exercises, Titan Fitness has the equipment you need.
For tips on choosing equipment for your home gym setup and taking your workouts to the next level, visit Titan.Fitness today.