Dumbbell Back Exercises

Rows are the core of dumbbell back training: the one-arm dumbbell row builds the lats, and wide-elbow rows hit the upper back.

Heaviest dumbbell row; braced on a bench.

Lats · Upper Back

DumbbellFlat bench3 × 8–12 per side

Both arms at once, no bench needed.

Lats · Upper Back

DumbbellNo bench3 × 8–12

How to

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, feet hip-width apart.
Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips until your torso is at about 45° or lower, back flat.
Pull both dumbbells toward your lower ribs, elbows close to your body.
Lower them slowly until your arms are straight, keeping the same torso angle.

Chest on an incline bench, so your lower back rests.

Lats · Upper Back

DumbbellIncline bench3 × 8–12

How to

Set a bench to about 30–45° and lie face down on it with a dumbbell in each hand.
Let the dumbbells hang straight down, palms facing each other.
Pull the dumbbells up toward your hips, keeping your chest on the pad.
Lower them slowly until your arms are straight.

Elbows out to target upper back and rear delts.

Upper Back · Rear Delts

DumbbellNo bench3 × 8–12

How to

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing behind you, and hinge forward until your torso is close to parallel with the floor.
Let the dumbbells hang below your shoulders.
Pull the dumbbells up toward your upper ribs with your elbows pointing out to the sides.
Lower them slowly until your arms are straight.

A long arc that stretches the lats.

Chest

DumbbellFlat bench3 × 10–15

A simple dumbbell back workout

Do one row with elbows close for the lats and one with elbows wide for the upper back, 3 sets each.

Mostly: rows train the lats and upper back well, and a pullover adds the overhead stretch a pulldown gives.

How heavy should dumbbell rows be?

Pick a weight you can row for the whole rep range with about 2–3 reps left, without twisting your torso.