Back and shoulder at home workouts are key to achieving a strong, sculpted physique. Broad shoulders and toned backs are perfect for that 3D rugged physique we all desperately crave, hence the need to train them with at-home workouts specially designed for them.
Besides the supermodel looks, though, you will soon find that the stronger your back muscles are, the easier it will be to perform such everyday tasks as bending, twisting, and turning, et cetera.
Lifting and supporting heavy loads will also feel less stressful with well-trained shoulders. Incorporating home workouts into your routine allows you to build muscle and strength without the need for a gym.
Without further ado, let’s unpack 11 back and shoulder at-home workouts that are suitable for all fitness levels and deliver on their promise of not neglecting any muscle group from your waist all the way to your arms.
1. Bent over rows
Bent-over rows are among the best upper back exercises and are famous for their ability to increase trunk and hip stability. They work the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezoids of the upper back and also make a good shoulder workout for women and men.
Steps:
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your side. You can hold a weight in each hand to increase the difficulty level.
- Engage your core, drop your knees a little by pushing your butt back, and bend forward at your waist to a 45-degree angle or thereabout. Let your arms (or the weights dangle straight down.
- If using weights, pull them towards your chest, keeping your elbows hugged close to your body, and hold for two seconds. If weights are absent, follow this step using your arms.
- Slowly lower the weights (or your arms) by extending them towards the floor for one rep.
Precautions:
- Don’t lift heavy weights if you haven’t built back and shoulder strength.
- Avoid curving your back.
- Try not to (especially as a beginner) bend your upper body below 45 degrees.
2. Reverse fly
The reverse fly closely mimics the bent-over row and, for this reason, is also called the bent-over reverse fly. The one shown above is an excellent back exercise at home with dumbbells and it really hits the deltoids hard.
The reverse fly also has many variants, but any one of them is effective in correcting the pain and reduced range of motion that can result from overstressing the muscles of the rear shoulder, back, and chest when slouching over a computer or driving.
Steps:
- The same as the bent-over row discussed earlier, only that you raise the weights (or your arms if you are a beginner) to your sides rather than to your chests and return them slowly to the starting position for one rep
Precautions:
- Avoid rounding your back. Keep it straight
- Don’t swing the weight; this is a game of muscle, not momentum. Slowly raise your arms to challenge the muscles.
- Lift only as much as can allow you to perform the workout correctly. Anything more than this is too heavy for you.
3. Pull-ups
If you have a pull bar at home, pull-ups are among the best workouts for toning your shoulders and building your back. And in case you didn’t know, the pull-up is among the most demanding triceps exercises
Mind you, this exercise is simple because it requires nothing more than a bar, but the effort in lifting your entire body mass—the hard part—is an endeavor that puts up to 12 muscle groups to the test.
Steps:
- If you are new to pull-ups, you might have to warm up for some time (maybe a week or so) by working on the components of a pull-up. You could, for instance, hang from a pull-up for up to 20 seconds until you are tired to strengthen your back and arm muscles for the complete pull-up.
- Stand under a pull-up bar with your feet hip-width apart. You should need to jump to grab the bar.
- Hang from the bar by fully extending your arms. Take a deep breath
- Slowly exhale as you pull yourself up until your chin is parallel to the bar
- Pause and hold for a few seconds
- Lower yourself slowly until your arms are again fully extended, but don’t drop from the bar. That’s one rep.
- Alternate raising and lowering yourself for as many reps as you can before you are exhausted
Precautions:
- Use only a stable and secure bar. If in doubt, fix it or leave it.
- Allow a day or two between pull-ups in order to rest well as this form of exercise is extremely demanding. Also, limit your pull-ups to two days a week.
4. Superman
The superman exercise looks somewhat like lying facedown on your bed and stretching out your legs and arms in a straight line. It is without a doubt among the most effective lower back workouts at home plus, it can double as an upper back stretch.
The workout exerts the muscles of the shoulders, lower and upper back in tandem, placing a strong emphasis on strengthening the core and promoting better posture.
Steps:
- Lie face down on a firm surface (not hard, but not pressing down in the middle either), straighten your legs, extend your arms in front of you, and keep your forehead on the floor.
- Without trying to look up, slowly lift your chest, arms, and legs simultaneously as far as your back can go. Try keeping your navel off the floor and engage your back and butt muscles.
- Hold for as many seconds as you can, and don’t stop breathing.
- Slowly lower your chest, arms, legs, and stomach back to the floor, and repeat for as long as you can before you have to stop.
Precautions:
- It would be wise to stay off the superman exercise if you are pregnant or have chronic lower back pain.
- Avoid looking up or in front of you as this will subject your neck and upper back to unnecessary strain.
5. Dumbbell lateral raise
Dumbbell lateral raises are a splendid upper back exercise with dumbbells and a vital part of upper-body strength training routines. They are especially great at stabilizing the shoulder joints, thus staving off potential injuries and reducing the severity of intermittent pain.
Steps:
- Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your side. Let your palms face inwards as you grip the dumbbells.
- Raise your arms to lift the dumbbells sideways to form the letter T shape with the rest of your body, and breathe in as you lift.
- Hold that position for a second or two at the peak of the movement.
- Lower the weights slowly to bring your arms back to your side and exhale as your arms decline.
Precautions:
- Avoid shrugging your shoulders as you lift the weights sideways to avoid recruiting the wrong muscle groups—the trapezius muscles of the upper back. If you have to shrug your shoulders to complete any part of the movement, you are probably tired or lifting too much weight.
- Don’t drop your head at any point during the workout. Looking at yourself in front of a mirror can help guard against this.
6. Single-arm dumbbell row
The single-arm dumbbell row is among the dumbbell exercises that has proven very effective as a shoulder strengthening exercise with weights. It simultaneously trains the back muscles, shoulders, and triceps. Much of its value lies in how the rowing movements of lifting the weights offset the horizontal extensions we do daily, from pushing the door to driving a car.
You can use a bench for support or rest your free arm on your thigh when performing single-arm dumbbell rows.
Steps:
- Grip a dumbbell of reasonable weight in one hand by your side, palm facing inwards, and stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Take one leg back in a single step and slightly bend your front leg at the knee so your knee is in line with your ankle.
- Hinge your upper body forward enough to rest your free hand on your thigh, but keep your back straight. If using an exercise bench, support one knee and the corresponding arm on the bench while keeping a straight back.
- Now, lower the dumbbell towards the floor to straighten your arm perfectly horizontally. This is your starting position.
- Move the dumbbell upward by squeezing your mid-back muscles and driving your elbow towards the ceiling to row the weight. Keep your elbow hugged close to your body as it passes the ribs.
- Repeat for as many reps as possible and then switch sides to do the same reps with the opposite arm.
Precautions:
- Always squeeze your shoulder blades as the first part of the move to avoid rowing with a rounded upper back.
- Avoid letting your biceps do the pulling. Pull with your back instead, as this is a lat and rhomboid-focused move.
7. Standing dumbbell shrugs
Dumbbell shrugs, a variation of the shrugs exercise, are very beginner-friendly and highly rated for good reason. This workout prepares you for a host of other more intensive fitness regimens, such as deadlifts, overhead presses, and rows.
Dumbbell shrugs also help increase grip strength, and should be on your workout to-do list if toned shoulders and a better posture are in your goal checklist.
Steps:
- Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart, gripping a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing inwards.
- Suck in your navel to engage your core.
- Lift your shoulders upwards and raise them to the highest point possible, keeping your chest open and your chin perfectly level with the floor.
- Hold the position for a second or two as you squeeze your traps, and then slowly lower your shoulders to their starting position.
- Repeat for as many reps as possible.
Precautions:
- Don’t look at the ground while shrugging. Look straight ahead. Try doing this exercise in front of a mirror to keep your gaze on your face and form.
- Avoid moving your neck excessively and shrug only your shoulders. Also, avoid rotating your shoulders.
8. Overhead barbell press
A word of caution here before we proceed: check your shoulder mobility before going ahead with overhead presses with a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell. Checking your shoulder mobility takes only a simple test where you lift both arms overhead and get them in line with your ears. Being unable to align your arms with your ears signals that overhead presses would ask too much of you.
That aside, overhead presses deliver a plethora of benefits due to the exertion required of your core muscles and upper back muscles to keep your balance and not stagger. There are few, if any, better upper back strengthening exercises
Steps:
- Grab the barbell press with palms facing outwards. Suspend the bar somewhere around your collarbone. Make sure your forearms are perfectly vertical. Keep the bar on the heel of your palm, as that’s where you can generate the most force.
- Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Look straight ahead. Bring your chest up and out.
- Lean back, push your hips forward, and move your head back just enough to give way to drive the bar up straight.
- Keep your whole body taut and press the bar overhead. Keep it close to your face.
- Once the bar passes your forehead, return your head, stand up straight, and fully straighten your arms overhead.
- At the top of the lift, lock your elbows, hold the position for a second, and slowly lower the bar to your shoulders.
Precautions:
- Always move the bar up in a straight path.Â
- Never lean back by arching your back.
- Keep your body tight throughout the movement.
- Look straight, not up.
9. Good mornings
Good mornings, unlike the name may sound, aren’t limited to the wee hours of the day. Instead, this exercise borrows its name from how it mimics a bow when greeting. It is one of the best back exercises you can think of.
Good mornings are a great at-home lower back workout for developing good posture and core stability, improving mobility, and relieving back pain.
Steps:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend slightly at the knees.
- Place a barbell on your upper back across your shoulders. If you are a beginner, just use your body weight.
- Engage your trapezius muscles and abs and inhale.
- Breathe out as you lean forward at the hips. Continue this hinging movement until your body is nearly parallel with the floor.
- Breathe in as you stand up to your starting position.
Precautions:
- As a beginner, start with light weights or no weights.
- Avoid heavy weightlifting if you are pregnant or are recovering from injuries to your spine, back, neck, legs, or arms.
- If using heavy weights, warm up first to make the muscles flexible. This protects against shock and injury from sudden load.
10. Barbell deadlift
Deadlifts are a full-body strength training exercise that requires you to bend forward at your hips, pick up a barbell, and carry the weight up to your hips. In the process, your hip extensors, back muscles, and shoulder stabilizers get a rigorous workout.
Steps:
- Step up to a barbell bar with your feet under it and shoulder-width apart. Ensure you leave an equal distance between the right and left sides of the barbell.
- Bend over at your hips to grip (don’t lift yet) the barbell with both hands shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees until your shins almost touch the bar.
- Squeeze your butt to engage your glutes and tighten your stomach.
- Lift the bar by pushing upwards with your legs as you press down onto the floor with your legs to straighten them at your knees.
- Continue pressing down with your legs until you bring the barbells past your knees while pulling your shoulders back to their limit but without bending backward. Then, straighten your hips to stand up.
- Slowly lower the bar to the floor by reversing your movement.
- Repeat for as many reps as you can.
Precautions:
- Don’t haul the weight with your arm, as this can hurt your biceps and lure you into rounding your back.
- Avoid looking up, as this can cause you to overextend your neck and even strain it.
- Don’t let your butt rise faster than your chest.
- Ensure your arms remain fully extended throughout the movement.
11. Back extension
Back extensions are an effective lower back workout and can also target the hamstrings and glutes, depending on the variant performed. This exercise can be done with a back extension machine, medicine ball, or bosu ball, depending on which equipment is at your disposal.
Steps:
- Lie facedown on the floor or at the center of an exercise ball.
- If using an exercise ball, stretch your arms in front of you and in line with your ears.
- Hinge downwards at the waist to bring your head close to the floor.
- Slowly raise your upper body and arms towards the sky to curve your back inwards and elevate your shoulders above hip level.
- Hold your position for a second or two and slowly lower your body.
- Repeat the process for as many reps as possible.
Precautions:
- Avoid rapid movements as they can cause injury
- See your doctor before engaging in back extensions if you have back or shoulder problems.
Wrapping up
Back and shoulder at home workouts are essential for achieving a balanced and strong physique. By following this compilation, you will avoid making the same mistake many others make: choosing workouts focusing only on the lower back.
Workouts that are solely lower back-oriented neglect the other half of the equation that also requires the role of the upper back muscles and shoulders in building a strong back and developing good posture.
The result is that a full back and shoulder workout routine is often more effective at correcting back pain and improving disabilities than strictly lower back-oriented exercise, according to the Journal of Physical Therapy Science.
I encourage you to pick any of the workouts just discussed and follow along with the steps for it. If you are already on your feet, try doing a bent-over row. No dumbbells? No problem. Use your body weight.
Or you might just go along with something you can do even while lying down. Like a back extension or a superman.
