The 15 Best Dumbbell Back Exercises for Mass & Strength

You may have heard that the best back workouts require barbells, machines, and a gym full of equipment.

Although these tools are fantastic for building back mass, they’re not always essential—you can gain impressive back size and strength using dumbbell back workouts alone.

The key is selecting dumbbell exercises that effectively train every area of your back, ensuring you build balanced, proportional mass. Having trained tens of thousands of people, I’ve found that the most effective exercises are:

1. Dumbbell deadlift
2. Dumbbell bent-over row
3. One-arm dumbbell row
4. Chest-supported dumbbell row
5. Kroc row
6. Dumbbell seal row
7. Helms row
8. Dumbbell pullover
9. Farmer’s walk
10. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
11. Dumbbell good morning
12. Dumbbell upright row
13. Dumbbell rear lateral raise
14. Dumbbell shrug
15. Dumbbell rear delt row

These exercises allow you to create countless effective back workouts with dumbbells, perfect for building a thick, muscular back wherever you like to train.

In this article, you’ll learn why these are the only dumbbell exercises for back you need, discover how to do them with proper form, understand how to organize them into effective dumbbell back workouts, and more. 

Table of Contents

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• The 15 Best Dumbbell Exercises for Back Mass and Strength
• Back Anatomy
• The Benefits of Doing Back Exercises with Dumbbells

The 15 Best Dumbbell Exercises for Back Mass and Strength

These 15 exercises are all you need to create back dumbbell workouts that maximize mass and strength gains. Here’s how to perform each exercise, why they’re the best, and how to integrate them into your routine with guidance on sets, rep ranges, and rest periods.

1. Dumbbell Deadlift

The dumbbell deadlift trains your entire posterior chain (the muscles on the back of your body), though it’s an especially effective lower back dumbbell exercise. It’s so effective because it allows you to train with heavy weights safely and progress regularly, which is vital for gaining back mass and strength.

How to:

1. Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand. 
2. Move your hands in front of your thighs with your palms facing you, allowing the dumbbells to rest gently against your thighs. 
3. While keeping your arms straight and the dumbbells directly beneath your shoulders, hinge at the hips, bend your knees, and arch your lower back slightly. 
4. Allow your knees to bend slightly more as the dumbbells pass them, and keep descending until the dumbbells are 6-to-8 inches from the floor. 
5. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

2. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

The dumbbell bent-over row is a fantastic exercise for adding mass to your entire upper and mid back, including your lats, traps, and rhomboids. Plus, because you need to maintain stability while hinging at the hips, it doubles as an effective lower back exercise with dumbbells.

How to:

1. While holding a pair of dumbbells, position your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward.
2. Bend over at the waist until your back is roughly parallel to the floor, and allow your arms to hang straight down.
3. With your palms facing each other, pull the weights to your upper body, squeezing your shoulder blades as the dumbbells rise.
4. Once the dumbbells touch your torso, reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

3. One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Unlike many dumbbell exercises for the back, the one-arm dumbbell row trains each side of your body independently, helping you develop symmetrical size. 

How to:

1. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. 
2. Plant your left knee and hand firmly on a bench, your right foot on the floor a foot or two from the bench, and let your right arm hang straight toward the floor. 
3. Keeping your back straight, pull the weight upward until it touches your torso, and then return the dumbbell to the starting position. 

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

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4. Chest-Supported Row

The chest-supported row eliminates the ability to use momentum, forcing your back muscles to handle all the load. This ensures your lats, traps, and rhomboids do all the work, leading to greater muscle growth. 

How to:

1. Set an incline bench to roughly a 30-degree angle. 
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie prone on the bench with your feet on the floor and your arms extended toward the ground. 
3. Pull the dumbbells upward until they’re by your sides, then reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

5. Kroc Row

The Kroc row is a solid addition to any dumbbell back workout for mass because it allows you to lift heavier weights compared to most other dumbbell back exercises, which is crucial for gaining muscle and strength.

How to:

1. While holding a dumbbell in your right hand, stand behind an incline bench and place your left hand on the top of the bench. 
2. Position your right foot slightly back for stability and lean forward until your back is at a 45-degree angle relative to the floor, allowing your right arm to hang straight down.
3. Flatten your back, then pull the dumbbell to the bottom of your rib cage.
4. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

6. Dumbbell Seal Row

The dumbbell seal row is an outstanding dumbbell exercise for back mass because it prevents you from using your lower body to generate momentum, forcing your back muscles to do all the work and ensuring they’re fully stimulated.

How to: 

1. Elevate a flat bench off the floor using blocks, plates, or steps, and place a pair of dumbbells under the bench.
2. Lie prone on the bench and grab a dumbbell in each hand. 
3. Pull the dumbbells toward your upper body until they touch the bench.
4. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

7. Helms Row

The Helms row trains your back similarly to other chest-supported dumbbell back exercises. Its main advantage is that it can be easier to set up and perform, which is beneficial if you’re time-pressed.

How to:

1. While holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand behind an incline bench set at a 45-degree angle.
2. Lean forward until your chest rests on the top of the bench, and allow your arms to hang straight down.
3. Pull the dumbbells to your torso, then reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

8. Dumbbell Pullover

The dumbbell pullover should be a mainstay of most back workouts with dumbbells because it trains your lats in a fully stretched position and through a full range of motion, which boosts muscle growth.

How to:

1. While lying on a flat bench with your feet on the floor, hold a dumbbell at one end with both hands and rest it on your chest. 
2. Position your head as close to the end of the bench as possible. Press the dumbbell over your chest until your elbows are almost completely locked. 
3. While keeping your elbows slightly bent, lower the dumbbell in an arc over your head until your biceps are next to your ears.
4. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

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9. Farmer’s Walk

The farmer’s walk is a highly effective dumbbell lower back exercise because it forces your spinal erectors to work overtime to stabilize your torso as you walk. It’s also a useful dumbbell exercise for your upper back, since it puts stress on your traps when stretched. 

How to:

1. Stand upright and hold a dumbbell in each hand. 
2. Keeping your shoulder blades pulled together and down, take small, quick, even steps forward. 
3. If you run out of space to continue walking forward, turn around and walk back to the starting point without dropping the dumbbells.

Sets and Reps: Sets: 3 of as many steps as possible with 2-to-3 min rest

10. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

The dumbbell Romanian deadlift is an excellent lower-back dumbbell exercise that also trains your upper back, hamstrings, and glutes.

How to:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. With a flat back, lower the weights toward the floor in a straight line, allowing your butt to move backward as you descend. 
3. Once you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, bend your knees slightly more and continue lowering the weights until your lower back begins to round. 
4. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position. 

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

11. Dumbbell Good Morning

Many people think of the dumbbell good morning as a leg exercise, but research shows it’s a highly effective lower-back dumbbell exercise for mass, too.

How to:

1. Place a dumbbell at the top of your back, across the base of your neck, and hold it in position with both hands.  
2. With slightly bent knees, move your butt backward so your torso can “hinge” forward and lower the weight in a straight line toward the ground. 
3. Once you can’t lower the weight any further without bending your back, reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 4-to-6 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

12. Dumbbell Upright Row

Research shows the dumbbell upright row is an effective dumbbell upper back exercise, especially for the rear delts and traps. Adding mass to the muscles is important because they help “frame” your upper body and aesthetically connect your neck to your shoulders.

How to:

1. Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand. 
2. Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you.
3. Lift the weights straight upward until they’re at chest height, keeping your elbows higher than your forearms throughout the movement. 
4. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

13. Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise

Adding the dumbbell rear lateral raise to the end of a dumbbell back workout is a good way to ensure you train your upper back muscles and rear delts with enough volume (sets) to grow. 

How to:

1. Whether standing or seated, bend at the hips so that your upper body is as close to parallel to the floor as possible. 
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and while keeping your back flat, lift the dumbbells out to the side until your upper arm is parallel to the floor. 
3. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

14. Dumbbell Shrug

The dumbbell shrug primarily trains the upper traps. When well-developed, these muscles add significant size to your upper body and make your upper back and shoulders more aesthetic. 

How to:

1. Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand. 
2. Keeping your arms by your sides and your palms facing your body, shrug your shoulders toward the ceiling as high as possible.
3. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

15. Dumbbell Rear Delt Row

The dumbbell rear delt row resembles the one-arm dumbbell row, but with a crucial difference: In the rear delt row, you pull the weight to your chest with your elbows flared. This adjustment turns it into a highly effective dumbbell exercise for the upper back, rather than an overall back mass builder.

How to:

1. While holding a dumbbell in each hand, position your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward. 
2. Bend over and flatten your back so it’s roughly parallel to the floor, and let your arms hang straight down.
3. Pull the dumbbells to your mid-chest, flaring your elbows at about a 60-degree angle relative to your body. 
4. Reverse the movement and return to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 6-to-8 reps with 2-to-3 min rest

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Back Anatomy

Understanding the complex network of muscles in your back is key to effectively targeting each area. Here are the main back muscles and their functions:

• Trapezius: The trapezius, or “traps,” spans from the neck to mid-back and is crucial for moving and stabilizing the shoulder blades.
• Rhomboids: The rhomboids lie beneath the trapezius and connect the spine to the shoulder blades, aiding their movement. They also support your posture.
• Latissimus Dorsi: Commonly known as the “lats,” these broad, flat muscles on the back’s lower half help you pull your arms down and back and also assist in activities where you move your body towards your arms, like swimming or pull-ups.
• Erector Spinae: This set of muscles run vertically alongside the spine and are vital for posture and rotation.
• Posterior Deltoids: the “rear delts” are on the back of the shoulders and help move the arm backward.
• Teres Muscles: Comprising the teres major and minor, these muscles pull the arm back and rotate it outward.
• Infraspinatus: This thick, triangular rotator cuff muscle found in the upper back helps you rotate your arm outward, like when reaching back to throw a ball.

The Benefits of Doing Back Exercises with Dumbbells

Unilateral Training

Using a pair of dumbbells allows you to train your back unilaterally (one side at a time), which has several benefits:

• It may allow you to lift more total weight than when you train bilaterally (both sides of the body simultaneously), potentially helping you gain more muscle over time.
• It helps you develop a greater mind-muscle connection because you only need to focus on one side of your body at a time.
• It helps you find and fix muscle and strength imbalances by forcing both sides of your body to lift the same amount of weight.
• It may improve your athletic performance more than bilateral training. 

Longer Range of Motion

A barbell can limit your range of motion on some back exercises. For example, in the barbell bent-over row, you must stop each rep when the bar touches your torso, even though you could comfortably pull the weight a few more inches. 

Dumbbell back exercises sidestep this issue because there’s no bar to hit your body, allowing you to train your muscles through a full range of motion and maximize muscle and strength gain. 

Highly Versatile

Because dumbbells are more maneuverable than barbells, dumbbell exercises for your back allow you to train through different ranges of motion, at varying angles, and using a range of grip orientations, which likely produces more balanced and complete muscle growth than taking a less varied approach to training. 

Increased Freedom of Movement

The greater freedom of movement with dumbbells can be easier on your joints and soft tissues, as you can adjust the weights’ path or your grip orientation to suit your natural movement patterns and avoid discomfort. 

Greater Muscle Activation

When performing dumbbell exercises, your body has to work harder to stabilize and control the weight than it would if you were using a barbell. As a result, your body activates your muscles to a greater degree and recruits more small nearby muscle groups to support your larger muscles.

In the context of back dumbbell exercises, this means that you can simultaneously train your main back muscles and the smaller stabilizer muscles around the spine and shoulder blades, which can help to improve posture, prevent injuries, and enhance overall back development.

The post The 15 Best Dumbbell Back Exercises for Mass & Strength appeared first on Legion Athletics.

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