The Top 5 Exercises for a Stronger Back
A strong, healthy back is essential for good posture, injury prevention and overall fitness, and targeting all the different muscle groups is key.
Whether you’re looking for upper back training tips, lower-back exercises, or back exercises with weights, in this guide, we’ll cover why back training matters and reveal the 5 best back exercises perfect for building strength both in the gym and at home.
What muscles are in your back?
Regardless of whether you’re training your back for aesthetic purposes, functional reasons, or to boost your sports performance, it’s important to ensure that your workout routine takes into account all the different muscle groups.
Your back muscles are divided into three categories:
The superficial group
Made up of your latissimus dorsi (lats), levator scapulae, rhomboids, and trapezius (traps), this group is home to the largest (and most visible) muscles in the back, which is why these are the muscles you’re probably most used to working out. They sit just below your skin and are responsible for upper back, arm, and neck movements.
The intermediate group
There are two major muscles within this category: the serratus posterior superior and the serratus posterior inferior. Their main function is to move your rib cage up and down, and in and out.
The intrinsic group
This group is also broken down into three more subcategories (superficial, intermediate, and deep). These are the deepest muscles in the back and are critical for rotation, flexion, and maintaining your posture. While they might not be visible, they’re super-important!
Why is it important to have a strong back?
Having a strong back is hugely beneficial from a physical point of view: both in terms of performance, and everyday wellbeing.
Here’s why back exercises should be a staple part of your upper-body routine.
Having a strong back will improve your posture
If you spend long spells of the day sitting at your desk, in the car/on public transport, or watching TV, then your shoulders, neck, and upper back will probably be hunched over.
Adding back exercises to your gym or home-based workout routine will help you maintain a better stance (both standing and sitting) and go some way towards minimising any pain and stiffness caused by bad posture.
In general, the stronger your back, the more stable your spine, shoulders, and neck will be, meaning your posture will be better even when you’re not consciously thinking about it.
Back exercises can help develop core strength
Remember those really deep back muscles we spoke about? They’re fundamental to core strength and stability.
And if you’re doing any kind of physical exercise, you need a strong core: it’ll boost your overall performance and massively reduce the risk of sports injuries.
Back strengthening exercises can reduce the risk of lifting injuries
The stronger your back, the less likely you are to hurt yourself when lifting weights in the gym.
And you probably use your back in the gym a lot more than you realise.
If you’re doing a heavy set of dumbbell arm exercises, you have to lift the weights off the rack; you use your back to do that.
Loading or de-racking a packed barbell? You’ll use your back to move the weights.
Deadlifting; squatting; lunging? All exercises that engage your back.
So, even if you’re not actively doing a back exercise, having a strong back will allow you to safely perform your whole gym workout.
Training your back can reduce back pain
A 2023 study found that almost 45% of Europeans suffer from back pain.
And, while there are numerous different reasons why we might experience discomfort in our backs, ranging from environmental factors to genetics, it’s widely agreed that exercise can prevent back pain from developing.
Plus, strengthening your back (while taking care not to make any pre-existing conditions worse) by doing weighted back exercises combined with bodyweight movements and regular stretching can help to reduce back pain if it does occur.
The top 5 exercises for a stronger back
Now you know why it’s so important to incorporate back exercises into your workout routine, let’s look at how to ensure you’re hitting all those muscle groups.
Here are the 5 best back exercises to include in your training programme, whether you’re working out at home or in the gym.
Fitness ball back extension
You don’t need to head straight for the weights to get a stronger back.
Many of us suffer from back pain because our backs tend to stay in one position all day with minimal movement, rotation, flexion or extension. However, back extensions have been proven to significantly reduce lower-back pain, and several studies have also shown that they can have a noticeable impact on lower-back strength and efficiency.
These exercises focus on the erector spinae muscles; particularly the lower portion in your lumbar (lower) back. Plus, by resting on a fitness ball, you’ll have to engage your core and glutes for balance.
So, let’s get to it. Grab a fitness ball. Then:
Lie face down on it, making sure your hips are on the widest part of the ball. Your lower stomach and upper thighs should also be in contact with it.
Press your feet firmly into a wall, a few inches above the floor. If you want to make things a little more challenging, try placing the tops of your feet flat against the floor instead (just make sure you feel stable before beginning the movement).
Cross your arms in front of your chest or keep your hands lightly behind your head. Take a deep breath in as you lower your chest toward the ball, rounding gently over it.
As you exhale, lift your chest by engaging your lower back and core muscles.
Keep gently rising until your back is arched past neutral. There should be activation in your lower back, but no discomfort.
When you reach the top of the movement, squeeze your glutes.
Inhale again as you lower your chest back toward the ball, moving with control. You need to resist gravity; don’t just flop back onto the ball.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Extensions are also a great way to train your lower back at home, and are super simple to do without a fitness ball.
Lie on your front, with your hands straight down by your sides. Inhale, engage your core, and exhale as you use your lower back to raise your chest off the floor as far as you can without discomfort. Squeeze your glutes at the top, and control your torso back down as you take another breath in. That’s all there is to it!
If you are able to, you can also lift your legs at the same time, but this puts more pressure on your lower back, so it’s best to work your way up to this option.
Bent-over barbell rows
If you’re looking to supercharge your upper-back training, look no further than barbell rows; they’re one of the best back exercises you can do.
Not only do these exercises target most of your major back muscles, including your lats and traps, but they also work the backs of your shoulders, your biceps, and those deep back muscles, including the erector spinae.
Plus, the bent-over motion means you work through a hip-hinge position, which is a critical movement pattern to learn. It carries over into other gym movements, such as the deadlift and hip thrust, and almost every sport.
So, let’s get started.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward. Let the barbell hang in front of you with your arms straight; your hands should be in an overhand grip (so your palms are facing towards you) and just wider than thigh-width apart. Then:
Hinge at the hips to lean your torso forward to a 45-degree angle, keeping your back straight and knees slightly bent.
Let the barbell hang at arm’s length below your shoulders, keeping your arms straight.
Inhale, and brace your core.
Exhale, then pull the barbell toward the bottom of your ribcage, driving your elbows up and back and keeping your arms close to your body.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. Imagine you’ve got something between them that you’re trying to crush, like an egg!
Inhale as you slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
Repeat the movement for your desired number of reps, keeping your core tight and back straight throughout.
The key to getting the most out of this exercise is to keep your back neutral and as still as possible. If you have to move your body up and down to get the bar to move, you need to reduce the weight.
You can also adapt this movement and swap out the barbell for dumbbells or any other individual weights; you can use kettlebells, or even full bottles of water, meaning this is one of the best back exercises you can do at home.
The setup for these is almost identical to the traditional bent-over barbell row. Grip your selected weights in a neutral position, and hinge forward from the waist. However, instead of pulling the weight up to the front of your ribcage like you would with a barbell, drive your elbows up and back so that the weights come to the side of your body. Do this with both arms working simultaneously (bilaterally).
Unilateral gorilla rows
Given that we’ve just looked at a bilateral dumbbell exercise, it makes sense that the next exercise should be unilateral (working one arm at a time).
This exercise can be performed with both dumbbells or kettlebells; however, you might find the latter easier to work with if you’re tall.
Like the bent-over barbell row, this exercise will hit all of the major back muscles and, because of the unilateral movement, you’ll also need to engage your core – particularly your obliques – to stay stable and stop your body from rotating.
You’ll need to start off slow with this one; you might be surprised at how effective this exercise can be with just a light weight. With that in mind, place two kettlebells or dumbbells on the floor about shoulder-width apart in front of you. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width and your toes pointing slightly out.
Hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight as you:
Reach down and grip one weight with each hand. Keep your knees bent.
Keep your back, neck, and head straight; inhale, and engage your core.
Then, exhale and row one weight toward your ribs by pulling your elbow back.
Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades toward your spine at the top of the movement.
Inhale again as you lower the weight back down. Make sure you’re in full control of the movement; don’t let the weight drop or forcefully hit the floor.
As that weight touches down, exhale and row the opposite side up with the same technique, keeping your torso as still as possible.
Keep alternating sides with a slow, controlled rhythm, like a gorilla pounding its chest.
Repeat the movement for your desired number of reps, keeping your core tight and back straight throughout.
Dumbbell shrugs
Dumbbell shrugs are one of the best ways to train your upper back at home.
While these might look like a shoulder exercise at first glance, they actually target your traps. They also engage your rhomboids and can help develop forearm and grip strength.
Shrugs are a relatively simple exercise to complete, but to get the most out of them, you need to focus on one crucial step: retracting your shoulder blades to a neutral position.
Many of us don’t have great posture and naturally stand slightly hunched, with our shoulders rolled forward. Shrugging in this position will put the focus on the front of your shoulders, rather than where you want it to be across your upper back.
So, hold your dumbbells at your side with an overhand neutral grip (palms facing your thighs). Stand up straight and gently roll your shoulders back; you should feel like you’re puffing your chest out. Then:
Inhale and engage your core.
Exhale as you raise your shoulders upward; imagine you’re trying to get them to touch your earlobe.
Squeeze your traps and upper back for a moment at the top of the movement.
Control the weights back down as you take another breath in and get ready to go again!
We all have varied shoulder mobility, so it’s important on the upward “shrug” phase of this exercise to only move within your natural range. If you force your shoulders to go higher, you’ll jut your chin forward, putting unnecessary strain on your neck.
Good mornings
You’ve done a lot of work on your upper back, so let’s focus on the lumbar (lower back) now.
‘Good mornings’ target your erector spinae, but also move further down your posterior chain and give your glutes and hamstrings a workout, too. Plus, they help you perfect the all-important hinge movement.
While these exercises are great for all-over posterior chain strength, the perfect form can be tricky to master. So, to reduce the risk of injury and make sure you’re getting everything out of the movement, make sure that you:
Start with a light weight. Good mornings are not the kind of exercise where you can just throw weight on the bar without learning the correct form. It’s advisable to practise with just the bar first (and to warm up in the same way), before adding any weight.
Maintain a neutral spine. Your back needs to stay neutral throughout. If it’s excessively curving – either your lower back is dropping down, or your upper back and shoulders are rounding off – then you need to either reduce the weight, or better engage your core. Remember to keep your head and neck neutral, too. Don’t forcibly look up or down.
Focus on the hinge. The forward lean of a good morning movement should be initiated by pivoting at your hips and pushing them backwards; not by bending your torso forward.
Keep a slight flex in your knees. If you lock your knees out, you’ll put too much strain through your back and your hamstrings.
Now, grab yourself a bar. Set it up in a squat rack at the same height as you’d usually squat from. Then, de-rack, step back so you’re clear of the uprights, and stand with your knees around hip-width apart. Then:
Inhale, and engage your core.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together, and get ready to hinge.
Slowly push your hips and glutes backwards, hinging forward as far as your lower back and hamstrings will allow. Your torso shouldn’t go past parallel to the ground.
Maintain a bend in the knee throughout this phase (but not too much; your shins should be vertical).
Pause for a moment at the bottom, then exhale as you pull your hips forward to straighten up.
Once you reach the upright position, contract your lower back and glutes, then go again.
Exercise your back to boost strength, stability, and posture
Building a stronger back improves posture, prevents injury, and boosts performance. By targeting all major muscle groups with these 5 effective exercises, you can train your back at home or in the gym for lasting, visible results.
Combining upper back training with lower back exercises will give you a chiselled, toned, well-balanced physique, perfect for showing off in our men’s workout gear and women’s training kit.
Wherever you’re working out, to build a strong back you need to be stable from the ground up. With specially designed women’s trainers and purpose-built training shoes for men, our range of training shoes includes innovative, science-backed technology to make sure your feet provide the perfect foundation for working out.