The Best Back Workouts at Home to Get in Shape for Summer

With summer quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about getting in shape for beach season. For many people, that means focusing on the showy muscles at the front of their body like the shoulders, chest, and biceps. As a result, the back is a part of the body that is frequently overlooked, despite being crucial for overall strength and appearance. Fortunately, getting a great back workout doesn’t require a gym membership or pricey equipment.

You can develop a strong, toned back at home with only a resistance band, a pull-up bar, and your own body weight. In this article, we reveal the best back workouts at home to get in shape for the summer and feel good in anything you decide to wear. So go grab your resistance band, and let’s begin!

• Your Back Muscles
• Best Back Strengthening Exercises at Home
  • Pull-Ups
  • Lat Pulldowns
• Lower Back Exercises at Home
  • Superman
  • Superman Hold
• Complete Back Workout at Home
• Wrap Up

Your Back Muscles

An effective back workout will work all of the muscles that make up the rear part of your torso. These include:

Latissimus Dorsi: The latissimus dorsi, or “lats,” is the largest muscle in the back and is responsible for many pulling movements. This is a fan-shaped muscle that flares out from the mid spine to the armpit.

Trapezius: The trapezius, or “traps,” is a large, triangular muscle that covers much of the upper back and neck.

Rhomboids: The rhomboids are small muscles located between the shoulder blades and are responsible for retracting the scapula.

Erector Spinae: The erector spinae is a group of muscles that run parallel to the spine and are responsible for maintaining proper posture and spinal extension.

Best Back Strengthening Exercises at Home

The best back exercises for home will effectively and safely work the target muscle without the need for bulky or expensive equipment. As a personal trainer, I often work with people in their homes who have no equipment at all. In these cases, I bring a set of resistance bands and a doorway pull-up bar. That’s enough to deliver an awesome workout for the back and every other part of the body.

Here are the top five exercises I rely on when training my home gym clients through a back workout:

Pull-Ups

You can use a doorway pull-up bar to perform pull-ups. Along with working the rhomboids and traps, they primarily focus on the latissimus dorsi muscles. Try assisted pull-ups with a resistance band if you can’t complete a full pull-up.

Resistance Band Rows: The lats and rhomboids, as well as other back muscles, can be worked using resistance bands. This exercise can be done by securing a resistance band under your feet and drawing the band toward your chest while keeping your elbows close to your torso.

Lat Pulldowns

You can also do lat pulldowns by securing a resistance band to a solid object. In addition to working the lats, this exercise also works the traps and rhomboids. Pull the band toward your chest while keeping your elbows close to your body while kneeling or sitting on the floor.

Plank with Row: The plank with row is a challenging exercise that works the arms, abs, and entire back. Start in a plank position with your hands on the ground and a resistance band secured to a solid object and wrapped around one hand. Pull the band toward your chest and back down, keeping your elbow close to your body.

Lower Back Exercises at Home

Here are two versions of an exercise that will quickly strengthen the erector spinae muscles that support your spine.

Superman

This exercise uses your own body weight to work the erector spinae muscles. Lie on your stomach and simultaneously lift your arms, legs, and chest off the ground to complete this exercise. In the top position, you should resemble Superman flying in mid-air. Hold the top position for a three-second count, lowering yourself down to the floor.

https://youtu.be/cZxtPxeR2H8

Superman Hold

This is an advanced version of the previous exercise. Lay on your stomach with your arms overhead and your legs straight to complete this exercise. At the same time, raise your arms, legs, and torso off the floor. Hold for twenty to thirty seconds before coming back down.

Complete Back Workout at Home

Let’s now put our key back exercises together into a workout you can do at home. Be sure to use a resistance band that challenges you for the last few reps. Here’s the workout:

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest Time
Pull-ups	3	8-10	60 sec
Resistance Band Rows	3	12-15	60 sec
Lat Pulldowns	3	12-15	60 sec
Plank with Row	3	10-12 per side	60 sec
Superman	3	10-12	60 sec
Superman Hold	3	30-45 sec	60 sec

Perform this workout twice per week, with at least forty-eight hours rest between each session. So if you did your first workout on Monday, the second one could be done on Thursday.

Find out how to incorporate a variety of squat versions into your lower body workout.

Wrap Up

After your back workout, it’s vital that you give your muscles time to rest and recover. This involves getting adequate rest, drinking lots of water, and eating a balanced diet with a lot of protein to support muscular growth. To relieve stress in your back muscles and increase circulation, you might also want to think about using a foam roller or massage ball.

When it comes to developing a strong, toned back, consistency is key. Your posture and back strength will improve noticeably over the course of time. You’ll also develop that athletic V-shaped upper body that is so sought after. But you’ll only do that by making your back workouts a consistent part of your life.