The Best Back Workout With Dumbbells For Women (+Video)

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Improve strength and muscle definition with this killer back workout with dumbbells designed for women that want results.

Busy moms don’t have time to waste, and your workouts are no different. That’s why I make it my mission to create quick and effective workout routines that you can incorporate into any schedule.

Whether you are looking to improve strength, muscle definition, or both, this workout uses dumbbells and bodyweight exercises to target the back, shoulders, and abs in under 30 minutes.

What makes this workout so efficient is programming that challenges the muscles while still allowing enough recovery time to perform your best.

This workout can be done at home or in the gym and requires minimal space. Just grab a set (or two) of dumbbells that will challenge you for 8-12 reps each set without causing failure.

Back workout with dumbbells

This dumbbell and bodyweight workout uses couplet format. That means we will perform two exercises back to back until all sets are complete and we move on.

Each couplet will consist of 30 seconds Exercise A, 10 seconds rest, 30 seconds Exercise B, 10 seconds rest. We will repeat for 3 sets then rest for an extra 30 seconds before moving on to the next couplet.

This workout contains 5 separate couplets and can be done in under 30 minutes. If you don’t want to time or have access to a timer, follow the same pattern except replace you time interval with 8-12 reps.

You can follow the workout with either programming for all couplets below:

• 3 sets of 30s Exercise A, 10s rest, 30s Exercise B, 10s rest

OR

• 3 sets of 8-12 reps Exercise A, then 8-12 reps Exercise B

Be sure to start with a thorough warm-up that targets the upper body and cool-down with dynamic stretching to avoid injury and maximize performance

Here is the workout as follows:

Couplet 1

• Right Dumbbell Bent Over Row: Get in position by planting your left hand on a bench or chair for support with a neutral spine that is at a 45 degree or lower. Begin with the right arm extended down towards the floor. Keeping the elbow close to the body, pull the dumbbell up to your hip bone while engaging your latissimus dorsi. Return to start.
• Left Dumbbell Bent Over Row: Use the above steps with opposite sides.

Couplet 2

• Dumbbell Upright Row: Hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms extended down in fornt of you. Keeping dumbbells close to the midline, draw them up to just below your chin allowing your elbows to remain high with armpis open. Return to start.
• Knee Slide: Begin in a plank. Draw one knee up to the opposite elbow, then slide it across to the same side elbow. Return to start and alternate.

Couplet 3

• Dumbbell Bicep Curl: Start standing with a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your arms close to the ribs, bend at the elbow until full flexion is reached. Return to start.
• Bear Crawl: Begin in a plank. Keeping the core engaged, step each foot up to a 90 degree bend in the knees and keep them hovering off of the ground. Return to start.

Couplet 4

• Dumbbell Shoulder Raise: Begin standing with a dumbbell in each hand and arms extended down in front of you, palms facing your legs. Maintain a slight bend in the elbow but arms extended, rotate through the shoulders to lift the dumbbells straight ahead until shoulder height. Return to start.
• Hip Dip: Start in a plank on your forearms. Keeping your core engaged, rotate one hip toward the floor without compromising engagement, then alternate.

Couplet 5

• Right Renegade Row: Start in a plank position with dumbbell in or near your right hand. While maintaining your plank, draw the dumbbell up toward your hip, bending at the elbow, until full range of motion is reached. Return to start.
• Left Renegade Row: Start in a plank position with dumbbell in or near your left hand. While maintaining your plank, draw the dumbbell up toward your hip, bending at the elbow, until full range of motion is reached. Return to start.

Be sure to focus on form and use a steady and controlled pace throughout your movements. When strength training, opt for a weight that allows you to successfully complete the set, but only have an extra rep or two “in the bank” by the end of each set.

If you would like to follow along with expert coaching and motivation along the way, click here for the full-length workout video!

How to shape your back as a female at home with dumbbells?

Improve muscular definition in your back by incorporating 1-2 back focused workouts per week that includes exercises like Dumbbell Row, Dumbbell Reverse Fly, Dumbbell Upright Row, Dumbbell Renegade Row, and Dumbbell Bent Over Raise.

But don’t be afraid to add non-dumbbell exercises as well like supermans and resistance band pull-downs to work your back muscles in all planes of motion.

When looking to build muscle (hypertrophy training), opt for 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps each session and include 3-6 exercises that hit the target muscle group. Be sure to use a weight that gets you close (but not completely) to failure by the end of each set.

Building muscle will create the “shape” of your physique. As you progress, be sure to gradually increase the weight you use to stimulate adaptation and continued progress.

When you have reached the desired amount of muscle or physique you like, drop to just one back workout each week and vary your volume and weight. Such as heavy weights with 4-5 sets of 4-6 reps (strength) or light weights with 2-3 sets of 15+ reps (muscular endurance).

How to tone a woman’s back?

Continue to build back muscle with hypertrophy training at least once per week, and work on lowering total body fat percentage with a high-protein diet in a calorie deficit. This approach will help you lose fat and “uncover” the muscle you are building to create a more defined physique.

Altering your body composition is not an overnight feat. It takes consistency and time. However, you can expect to see your body adjust with this approach.

Remember that diet is a crucial part of maintaining a “toned” look because it requires fat loss without sacrificing muscle. That’s why opting for a high protein diet is crucial to maintaining muscle mass and recovery so you can continue building strength and stay consistent in your workouts.

I also suggest that you are sure to incorporate cardio 3 or more times per week and/or create more organic physical activity (usually in the form of steps) throughout your day to improve calorie expenditure and overall fitness.

How to get rid of bra fat on back?

Unfortunately, you can’t target fat loss in a particular area, but eating in a calorie deficit will result in total body fat loss and overtime, on your back too.

To speed things along, you can build more muscle in that area to created a more defined ( a.k.a. “toned”) look with exercises like dumbbell reverse flys, dumbbell bent over row, dumbbell inverted pull ups, and dumbbell bent over face pulls.

Can I build my back with just dumbbells?

You can absolutely build muscle ANYWHERE on your body with dumbbells, especially your back. Dumbbells are optimal at building muscle because they improve functional strength and are versatile.

Your body doesn’t know the difference in the source of the load, it only knows how to respond to stimulus. So as long as you are resistance training the target muscle group 1+ times per week, you will stimulate your body to build muscle.

Plus, dumbbells can be found at any gym and are the perfect tool for at home workouts because they are easy to store!

For more strength building tips, check out my post Get Strong At Home: Strength Training Plan For Women.