Back to Basics: The Best At-Home Back Workout

We think it’s about time we started talking back. No we’re not asserting ourselves all of a sudden, we literally mean let’s talk back. Let’s talk about the back. Let’s get back to basics, stand back up, never back down, and basically explore back-to-front everything we love about the muscles in our upper and lower back! More specifically, let’s dive into how we train these uber-muscles from the comfort of home, using minimal equipment!

So lean back (sorry), kick your legs back (sorry again), and let’s get back to our favorite at-home back exercises.

Image of woman performing a lat pulldown with a resistance band

Resistance Band Pulldowns

Let’s kick things off with one of the most difficult muscle groups to work while at home — the lats. Sure, if you’re in a big fancy gym, there are any number of lat pulldown machines to get you that wide wingspan you’ve been craving. But since the lats require a pulling down rather than a pushing up motion, you’re going to have to improvise. And the perfect way to do that is with a resistance band, preferably tied around some immovable object above you, like a ceiling beam. Spread your hands to shoulder width apart, and sink into about 5 sets of 10.

Image of strong man performing a single arm dumbbell row in a gym

Single Arm Dumbbell Row

Moving right along, one of the best back exercises you can do at home is the single arm dumbbell row. All you need for this one is a set of medium-heavy dumbbells and a soft raised platform like a workout bench, but any couch arm should do as well. Place one knee and the same-side hand on the bench or platform, your alternative foot on the floor, and the alternative hand holding the dumbbell – sink down as deep as you can with the hand holding the dumbbell, really feeling the stretch. Rest at the bottom for a split second, then come back up, and try 3 sets of 10 on each side.

Image of man at home performing superman exercises

Supermans

This next amazing at-home back exercise requires no equipment whatsoever, apart from either a yoga mat or a soft fluffy carpet to work on, for comfort. And though it looks easy, it’s actually deceptively difficult when you actually try it. Start laying flat on your stomach, with your head, knees, and toes on the floor. Place your hands in front of you, and then in one fluid motion lift your hands and ankles up off the floor, hold that for 3-5 seconds, then bring it back down and repeat for 10 reps.

Image of woman performing a renegade dumbbell row at home

Renegade Dumbbell Row

Our next amazing home back exercise is not only great for developing the musculature of the upper back, it also employs lower back muscles and your core for stabilization. Start in a push up position, with both hands clenching dumbbells underneath you. Raise one elbow behind you, balancing at the top for a second, then come back down and switch sides. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 on each side.

Image of fit woman performing reverse flys on an exercise ball at home

Reverse Flys

This at-home upper back exercise is truly an amazingly effective part of any back workout, and uses minimal equipment to boot. You can do this either balancing on a yoga ball or on your feet leaning slightly forward. The point of this back exercise is to really squeeze your rear shoulder and trapezius muscles, and you do that by pausing at the very top (hardest part) of the exercise. Try this for 3 sets of 15 using a moderately light weight.

Image of man doing a forearm plank at home

Forearm Planks

Now you’ve probably heard that planks are all about strengthening your core. And they totally are, but most people don’t realize how effective of an upper back exercise they are! Resting your weight on your elbows, lift yourself up into a flat plank position, trying to hold yourself up without moving for 30 seconds. As you progress in your training, you can bump up the time by 10-15 seconds. While you’re doing that, you’ll barely realize you are working your lats, traps, shoulders, and erector spinae muscles, amongst others.

Well that’s it, we’re back to the beginning! We hope this exhaustive, at-home back workout will have you exhausted, at home, in no time at all! And if you’re looking for more personalized training tips, why not sign up for a 7-Day Free Trial with Studio SWEAT onDemand? We offer an entire library of amazing streaming fitness classes that you can do from the comfort of your living room (or anywhere really). And with our endless variety (we offer more workout categories than anybody, including Indoor Cycling, Yoga, Pilates, Barre, Kickboxing, Zumba, HIIT, TRX Training, and a whole lot more), you’ll never get bored.