Rhomboids – Split between the rhomboid major and minor, these two muscles work in tandem to pull the scapula toward the spine.Levator scapulae – This begins at your neck and extends down to and helps lift your scapula (shoulder blade).You can really feel your lats working when you’re doing pull-ups. Latissimus dorsi (lats) – Positioned on the side of your back, that lats help extend and rotate your shoulders and arms.These can further be categorized into four different muscles, which get most of the love through dumbbell exercises for the back. Superficial muscles assist in your ability to move your arms and shoulders. We can generally split the back into three primary muscle groups:ġ. In fact, a simple set of dumbbells can take you pretty far when it comes to building up those back muscles.Ĭonsidering the size and complexity of the back, it’s unsurprising to learn that it comprises a number of different interconnected muscles, each with a different primary function. But if you’ve spent the past 18 months building out your home gym, there are plenty of back exercises you can tackle without all the nuanced equipment you’ll find at the local fitness center. We’ve covered the best lower back exercises in the past, but here we’ll focus on the mid- and upper-back, which in our opinion definitely deserves its own dedicated training day.

Critical for supporting your torso, the back muscles are integral in their ability to help the rest of your body move, like your arms, shoulders, neck and legs. While chest day is practically an official holiday at the gym, abs get all the attention and legs are the muscles group you should never skip out on training, it’s time to pay homage to the unsung hero of strength training - the back. The Best Dumbbell Exercises for Your Back If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SPY.com may receive an affiliate commission.

Dumbbell pullover back