Back Workouts from Home: How to Get the V-Shaped Torso You’ve Always Wanted

Who needs back workouts from home when you can focus on your abs and biceps instead, right?

Wrong.

Ask any gym addict about the muscle groups that they’d never skip, and you’ll get one of two answers; either the chest or the arms. Little do they know that it’s the often-ignored muscles that can make you look and feel big – yes, I’m referring to the back and leg muscles.

I mean, sure, pumped out chest and biceps do look nice, but there’s a whole world of gains waiting to be built around the other side. That why you should dedicate as much time and effort to building your back as you’d do working on your chest.

Ever heard “never skip leg day”? Well, you shouldn’t be skipping back day either, even if you do most of your training at home rather than the gym, and even during a lock down, which is why I’m writing this guide to back workouts from home.

Why You Should Work Out Your Back Muscles More

Your back, just like any other part of your body, consists of several muscles, including:

• Latissimus dorsi, which are the large muscles that start just below the armpit and run around the backside of the ribcage. These muscles are responsible for shoulder movement.
• Trapezius muscles, which connect the neck to the middle of your back. These muscles move your shoulder blades.
• Rhomboids, which are located in the mid-upper part of your back. These muscles are responsible for the retraction of your shoulder blades.
• Erector spinae, which run along your spine and take care of extension and lateral movement.

All of these muscles work together to support your spine, posture, and the various activities of your daily life. Training these back muscles will give you your desired V-shaped torso. Besides, adding back exercises to your workout routine will boost your performance in other sports, such as rock climbing, boxing, and swimming.

Now, for direct health benefits, training your back will stretch and strengthen the muscles that support its structure, thus making your spine less vulnerable to pain and dysfunction.

Knowing all of that, you must be excited to learn some back workouts from home, correct?

So, with no further ado, here are the best back workouts from home!

Back Workouts from Home: Bodyweight Exercises

Although having some dumbbells at home is always a good idea, using them might not be an option for everyone, which is why we’re starting this guide to back workouts from home with bodyweight exercises. As the name indicates, all you need to perform these exercises is – hey, surprise! – your body.

So, if you’re wondering “How can I train my back without weights?”, keep reading!

Reverse Snow Angels

What muscles does this exercise work?

Mainly trapezius and lower back muscles.

How can I perform this exercise?

1. Lay on the ground face down with arms at your sides. Make sure your palms are facing down as well.
2. Pinch your scapulae together and engage your rhomboids and lats in your mid-back to raise your shoulders and hands just a few inches above the ground.
3. Bring your arms up past your shoulders and up to your ears slowly and steadily until your thumbs meet directly above your head.
4. Bring your arms back to the starting position. When doing so, make sure your arms are straight and your elbows are locked throughout the entire movement to engage your shoulders as well as your lats.

How many reps and sets?

Repeat the exercise for 3 sets of 5 reps, with one minute of rest between sets.

What can I do if I’m a total beginner?

Move your arms only halfway through until they’re even with your shoulders.

Superman

What muscles does this exercise work?

Back muscles, glutes, and hamstrings.

How can I perform this exercise?

1. Position yourself face down with your chin on the ground and your eyes at a neutral gaze. Make sure your ankles are touching and your toes are pointed under you.
2. Position your arms above your shoulder with your palms resting flat on the floor. Pull yourself just a few inches off the ground by engaging your back, shoulders, and glutes.
3. Keep your hands and feet elevated at the same height by keeping your arms and legs fully contracted. Engage your body to fly like superman (thus the name) and hold this position for 15-30 seconds.

How many reps and sets?

Repeat the exercise for 3 reps, each lasting 15 to 30 seconds, with 30 to 60 seconds of rest in between.

What can I do if I’m a total beginner?

Try to the Aquaman exercise: raise and lower the opposite arm and leg simultaneously in the same fashion as what’s described above. Hold that position for 5 seconds and perform 3 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds of rest between the sets.

Hip Hinge

What muscles does this exercise work?

The hip hinge is an exercise that targets the posterior chain, which consists of the lower back muscles, hamstrings, and glutes.

Before starting, keep in mind that form is crucial when performing this exercise to avoid injury and get the most out of it. Avoid rounding your back when bending as that will result in the loss of the neutral spine position.

How can I perform this exercise?

1. Stand up with your hands on your hips. Plant your feet firmly on the ground, slightly wider than your hips.
2. Push your ribs down and pull your shoulders slightly back with a neutral neck position to engage your core.
3. Bend forward at the waist slowly and steadily while keeping your shoulders in line with your hips. Make sure to keep your back, hams, and glutes engaged throughout the exercise.
4. Bend over until you’re parallel to the ground.
5. Bring yourself up to the starting position and repeat the movement.

How many reps and sets?

Repeat the exercise for 3 sets of 10-15 reps, with around a minute of rest in between.

What can I do if I’m a total beginner?

If you’re a total beginner, you can perform seated good mornings instead of hip hinges. To do so, sit on a chair with your shoulders over your hips and legs bent at 45 degrees. Proceed to plant your feet firmly underneath your knees with your hands on your hips. Next, engage your core and pull your shoulders back slightly. Then, bend forward to a 45-degree angle. Finally, get back to the starting position and repeat for 3 sets of 10-15 reps, with around a minute of rest in between.

Nose and Toes Handstand

What muscles does this exercise work?

The Nose and Toes Handstand works your abs, hip flexors, spinal muscles, hamstrings, and inner thigh muscles.

This exercise can be a bit challenging for both total beginners and workout veterans, so proceed with caution.

How can I perform this exercise?

1. Start the exercise in a push-up position, with your feet against the wall.
2. Walk your feet up the wall while contracting your core, flexing your hips, and maintaining a neutral spinal position.
3. Plant your palms firmly on the floor just outside your shoulder width, then start inching your hands slowly and steadily toward the wall.
4. Keep inching your hands towards the wall until only your nose and toes are touching the wall with firm hand placement on the floor.
5. Once you reach the top of the position, get back to the starting position by walking your hands away from the wall and bringing your feet down in a slow and controlled manner.

How many reps and sets?

Repeat the exercise for 3 reps, each having a 15 to 30-second static hold, with 30 to 60 seconds of rest in between.

What can I do if I’m a total beginner?

1. Position your back against the wall and spread your feet apart.
2. Bend your knees and plant your hands on the floor (make sure they’re slightly wider than your shoulders).
3. Straighten your legs to a soft knee and start walking your hands towards your feet with your head aligning neutrally with your spine.
4. Push your glutes to the ceiling actively while keeping your core and back rigid and opening up your shoulders.
5. Get back slowly to the starting position and repeat.

Hollow Hold

What muscles does this exercise work?

The hollow hold works back muscles as well as the body’s anterior chain, which includes abs, hip flexors, quads, and diaphragm. This exercise is quite simple, and it’s basically the reverse of the superman exercise detailed above.

How can I perform this exercise?

1. Start by laying flat on your back with your legs long and arms extended over your head.
2. Lift your arms and feet while pressing your lower back into the floor, until you come into a hollow-body, crescent moon shape.
3. Squeeze your abs and glutes and hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Return to the starting position and rest for 10 seconds before repeating the whole thing.

How many reps and sets?

Repeat the exercise for 4 to 5 reps, each having a 20-second static hold, with 10 seconds of rest in between.

What can I do if I’m a total beginner?

The hollow hold is quite simple and easy to perform, even for total beginners.

Back Workouts from Home: Exercises That Require Weights

Don’t worry, weights don’t necessarily mean dumbbells, as there a variety of household items that can replace them, including:

• Milk jugs, which can be filled with water, sand, or cement.
• Canned merchandise that fits into your hands.
• Water bottles, which can also be filled with water, stones, or sand.
• Packets of rice or beans.
• Books (Healthy Body = Healthy Mind, amirite?)

So, grab your weights, and let’s delve into these back workouts from home:

Bent-Over Row

What muscles does this exercise work?

The bent-over row is an excellent compound exercise that works several muscles, including the lats, posterior shoulders, rhomboids, forearms, biceps, and spinal erectors.

How can I perform this exercise?

1. Hold your milk jugs or weights of choice in your hands and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Hinge forward at the hips while engaging your core until your torso forms a 45-degree angle with the floor. Make sure to not round your shoulders while doing this.
3. Pull the weights up next to your ribs while keeping your elbows tight to your body. When you reach the top of the movement, squeeze your shoulder blade for a couple of seconds.
4. Extend your arms toward the floor slowly to lower the weights.

How many reps and sets?

Repeat this exercise for 3 sets, each including 8 reps. Rest for one or two minutes between the sets.

Milk Jug Deadlift

What muscles does this exercise work?

This is yet another compound exercise that works the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles, making it one of the best back workouts from home. When performing this exercise, pay extra attention to form, and do not, under any circumstances, try to rush any part of the movement. Remember

How can I perform this exercise?

1. Hold your milk jugs or weights of choice in your hands in front of your hips, with your palms facing your thighs, and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Squeeze your shoulders together and bend over by hinging at the hips while lowering the weights along the fronts of your legs. Keep hinging without bending your back until your torso is parallel to the floor.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.

How many reps and sets?

Repeat this exercise for 3 sets, each including 8 reps. Rest for one or two minutes between the sets.

Single Arm Milk Jug Rows

What muscles does this exercise work?

Single-arm rows mainly work your lats.

How can I perform this exercise?

4. Hold your milk jug or weight of choice in your right hand and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
5. Step forward with your left foot and rest your left hand on your left quad.
6. Hinge forward at the hips while engaging your core and bend your left knee. Make sure to not round your shoulders while doing this.
7. Pull the weight toward your chest while keeping your elbows tight to your body. When you reach the top of the movement, squeeze your shoulder blade for a couple of seconds.
8. Extend your arm toward the floor slowly to lower the weight.
9. Repeat the movement for 8 reps on the right side then switch to the left side and do the same.

How many reps and sets?

Repeat this exercise for 3 sets, each including 8 reps for each arm. Rest for one or two minutes between the sets.

Delt Raise

What muscles does this exercise work?

The felt raise heavily works the posterior deltoid muscle. This exercise is all about control. To get the most out of this home back workout, you must focus on eliminating momentum and using your back rather than your arms.

How can I perform this exercise?

1. Hold a pair of milk jugs or water bottles that are filled with water, sand, stones, or cement.
2. Stand with your feet hip-width apart from each other and your knees slightly bent.
3. Shift your hips back and lower your torso until it’s nearly parallel with the floor. Avoid bending your back when doing this.
4. Face your palms against each other, bend your elbows, and raise the jugs or bottles up to shoulder height.
5. Lower your back down gently while keeping your glutes and core muscles engaged the whole time.
6. Get back to the starting position in a slow and steady manner.

How many reps and sets?

Repeat the exercise for 3 sets of 10 reps, with 1 to 2 minutes of rest between reps.

Alternating Biceps Curl

What muscles does this exercise work?

Yes, bicep curls are a great exercise to work your biceps as well as upper back muscles.

How can I perform this exercise?

1. Stand, preferably against a wall, with your feet hip-width apart from each other.
2. Hold the weights with your arms in front of your body and your palms facing down.
3. Curl your right hand up toward your shoulder slowly and steadily by squeezing your biceps. Make sure your elbow is tight to the side of your body the whole time.
4. Lower the weight to the starting position slowly and repeat the movement with your left arm.

How many reps and sets?

For this exercise, you need to do 3 sets of 8 reps (for each arm), with 1 to 2 minutes of rest between reps.

Back Workouts from Home: Verdict

Whether you’re a gym addict or a home workout enthusiast, back exercises should be an integral part of your workout routine. In the above guide, I tried to list and explain the best back workouts from home, so don’t you dare to skip back day ever again!

Disclaimer: I may be a good marketer, but I’m in no way a certified healthcare professional, so take my words with a grain of salt and consult your physician/trainer before doing any of the above exercises.