7 Best Dumbbell Back Exercises To Help You Build Strength At Home

Have you started working out from home and wondering what exercises you can do to strengthen your back? ✨

In this post I’ll walk you through 7 of my favourite back-strengthening exercises that you can do at home using your dumbbells.

These moves will work your upper, mid, and lower back muscles to better support your body in its everyday movements, improve your posture, and generally help you feel a little bit stronger and more stable during both your home workouts and daily life!

My particular favourites are number 2 and number 7 on the list! 💗

P.s This post may include affiliate links, which means if you click on them I could make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps me keep the content I share on this blog free and accessible for you! I may also use it to fuel my activewear & cosy pjs addiction.

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7 Dumbbell Back Exercises Perfect For Your Home Workouts

1) Bent-Over Row

Perfect For: building all-round back strength

Here’s a quick demo (this one features my senior Samoyed dog Luka!) 👇🏻

How-To Do A Bent-Over Row:

• Start by standing tall, one dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Send the hips back finding tension in the hamstrings, bringing your torso forward and letting your dumbbells hang down in line with your shoulders. Your back should be in a fairly neutral position, the knees soft and your shins vertical.
  
• From here, pull your elbows back, keeping the dumbbells close to your body as you do this. Really think about using your back muscles to pull. I like to squeeze my shoulder blades together at the top of the movement too.
  
• To return to the starting position, simply let your arms hang long again. Throughout the bent over row, try keep your core stable and make sure the shoulders aren’t hunched up to your ears at any point!

Jane’s Technique Tip 💋
If you find that your dumbbells are ending up at your chest or armpits, with the elbows flared out – you’re probably pulling up straight instead of diagonally. Really think about using your back muscles to bring those dumbbells back toward the hips. This way you’ll feel the movement more in your back, rather than just the arms or shoulders!

2) Single-Arm Row

Perfect For: building strength on each side of the body and requires control

Here’s a quick demo for you 👇🏻

How-To Do A Single-Arm Row

• Start by holding your dumbbell in one hand, and step forward with the opposite leg into a split stance position. Place your hand on the leg out in front leaning onto it, then lean your torso forward whilst you let the dumbbell hang long the other side.
  
• From here, just as in the bent-over row, pull your elbow back, bringing the dumbbell toward the hips/ribcage. Hold for a second at the top whilst squeezing your shoulder blade.
  
• To return to the starting position, simply let your arm hang long again. You can adjust your stance with the legs as needed, and remember try to stay stable and strong throughout this movement.

Jane’s Technique Tip 💋
If you find this version difficult just leaning onto the other leg, don’t worry I do too. Simply grab a chair or bench if you have one and rest your hand on it for more support! I prefer leaning on something when I want to go a little heavier on the weight.

3) Underhand Grip Row

Perfect For: overall back strength plus works your arms too

Here’s a quick demo for you 👇🏻

How-To Do An Underhand Bent-Over Row

• Start by standing tall, one dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Make sure you holding onto them with an underhand grip – your palms facing upwards. Send the hips back finding tension in the hamstrings, bringing your torso forward and letting your dumbbells hang down in line with your shoulders. Your back should be in a fairly neutral position, the knees soft and your shins vertical.
  
• From here, pull your elbows back, keeping the dumbbells close to your body as you do this. Really think about using your back muscles to pull. I like to squeeze my shoulder blades together at the top of the movement too.
  
• To return to the starting position, simply let your arms hang long again. Throughout the underhand bent over row, try keep your core stable and make sure the shoulders aren’t hunched up to your ears at any point!

Jane’s Technique Tip 💋
Similar to the regular bent-over row remember you’re pulling the elbows and dumbbells *back*, rather than straight up to your armpits.

4) Upright Row

Perfect For: building strength in the upper back as well as shoulders

Here’s a quick demo for you 👇🏻

How-To Do An Upright Row

• Start by standing tall, with a dumbbell in each hand, resting in front of the thighs.
  
• From here, leading with the elbows, bring the dumbbells up to the chest and squeeze the shoulder blades back at the top. The elbows will kind of go out to the side at the same time. Do your best to avoid shrugging the shoulders or using your neck muscles too much.
  
• To return to the starting position, simply let your arms come back to the front of your legs.

Jane’s Technique Tip 💋
This movement can be a funny one for some people especially if you have a history of shoulder issues or impingement – so feel free to not do this one! I never go too heavy on these as I don’t feel the need so do what feel’s best for you.

5) Bent-Over Flye

Perfect For: building strength to support better upper-body alignment throughout your day

Here’s a quick demo for you 👇🏻

How-To Do A Bent-Over Flye

• Start by standing with a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing towards each other. Then we’re going to hinge forward at the hips and bring the torso down too so we are parallel-ish to the floor. Your dumbbells will now extend down from your shoulders.
  
• From here, keeping a soft bend in the elbows, raise your dumbbells straight out to the side using your back and arm muscles – until they reach in line with the shoulders. I like to do a little squeeze of the back at the top of the movement or try to hold for a second.
  
• To return to the starting position, simply let your arms come back down.

Jane’s Technique Tip 💋
If you’re just starting out with this exercise, don’t go too heavy with your dumbbells as it is quite challenging even with lighter weights! Especially if I’m doing higher reps, my 3kg is often enough! 😆

6) Quadruped Row

Perfect For: anyone who needs a more supportive position for their back to start

Here’s a quick demo for you 👇🏻

How-To Do A Quadruped Row

• Start by coming down to the floor and getting into an ‘all 4’s position.’ So you’re dumbbells/hands should be underneath the shoulders and the knees underneath your hips. I’d keep my knees about hip width distance apart for stability.
  
• From here, using your back muscles – start to bring your dumbbell back toward the hips, the elbow pulling back behind you. Squeeze the shoulder blade at the top or hold for a moment.
  
• To return to the starting position, just set your dumbbell back down to where it was. Then you can either stay on that side or switch and do the other arm.

Jane’s Technique Tip 💋
Make sure that your knees are underneath the hips and hands underneath the shoulders. This will ensure you’re in a lovely solid 4-point position to really work your core as well as your back!

7) Pullover

Perfect For: upper body mobility and building strength for reaching above the head (also works the chest!)

Here’s a quick demo for you 👇🏻

How-To Do A Lat Pullover

• Start by lying flat on your back, with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold your dumbbell straight above the chest – either at each end if it’s not too big or in goblet style if it’s a bit heavier.
  
• From here, simply stretch your arms back behind you, so that the dumbbell either reaches the floor or gets close enough to it (it might depend on your shoulder mobility!).
  
• To come back up to the starting position, think about pulling back up through your lat muscles. (the muscles at the side of your back!

Jane’s Technique Tip 💋
It can be easy for your ribcage to flare up in this exercise, so really be aware of keeping it down! and your back fairly flush to the floor if that feel’s okay!

What Dumbbells I Use For Home Workouts

For home workouts I like to use HEX DUMBBELLS. They’re super versatile and due to the hexagonal shape of them, they won’t roll away from underneath you meaning you’ll feel much safer and stable.

I also find the non-slip grippy bit on the handle means you can grip them better in comparison to neoprene dumbbells which can be slippy if you’re sweating.

You can easily get them on Amazon – these are the ones that are best reviewed in the UK/Ireland and seem to be most popular! If they’re not available just look for similar ones – it looks like a bunch of companies sell them!

I hope this post has given you some inspiration in regards to what dumbbell exercises you can do at home to strengthen your back!

If you want to save this list so you can refer back to it later, I’d recommend either bookmarking it in your favourites folder on your browser or save it to Pinterest below! 💋

Let me know in the comments if you’ll try any of these back exercises in your next home workout or if you have a favourite already!

Save This List To Your Pinterest 📌

DISCLAIMER ☁️✨

Just a friendly heads‑up: The workouts and tips I provide on this site are here to help you move, feel strong, and learn — but they’re absolutely not a substitute for personalised medical advice. If you have any health concerns, injuries, or conditions, it’s always best to chat with a healthcare professional before trying something new. Listen to your body, take things at your own pace, and stop if something doesn’t feel right.