Mar 31, 20203 min read

How to get a good back workout at home

Since we are all on house arrest because of some dirty bat soup, everyone is limited to cardio once per day and home workouts. Whether you have some equipment or not, back is the hardest muscle group to hit when doing a workout at home.

Since we can't go down the gym and load a barbell with twice our body weight and deadlift like the alphas we are, we need to make use of slow reps, pausing at the top of the rep, extended time under tension, squeezing the muscle, drop-sets and supersets.

Below are a bunch of different back exercises you can do at home, whether you have no equipment, dumbbells / a barbell or resistance bands. So no excuses. Use a combination of these to hit upper, mid and lower back, or - if you're a maniac - do all of them.

No Equipment:

- Back Widow

Lay on your back, arms out, and push up off of your elbows. You'll only rise a few inches off the ground, but focus on pinching your shoulder blades together. Try not to use momentum. Wearing long sleeves will allow your elbows to slide on a wood surface which might make this easier.

- Sliding Pull Up

You'll need a wood or tiled surface in order to slide properly. Really focus on the lateral muscles. There is no top of the rep for this one, but as a bonus, this is a good shoulder workout too.

- Supermans (or Superpersons for you woke b*tches)

Squeeze those glutes, and make sure your knees and chest are off the ground. Hold the position for up to 5 seconds per rep. Another variation of this is with your arms by your sides, pulling your shoulders back.

- Reverse Snow Angles

This hits a bunch of smaller upper and mid back muscles as well as your lats and rear delts. Try to go through the movement as slow as possible.

- Door Frame Pull Ups

I don't recommend it, but feel free to do door frame pull ups at your own risk. I will not be held responsible for you accidentally pulling down the foundations of your home.

Resistance Bands:

- Laying Down Lat Pull Downs

Using a broom handle (or extra long dildo) with a resistance band hooked around a really heavy piece of furniture, you can get a real good lateral exercise. You can lay on your front or back, but I find laying on your front allows for a better range of motion.

- Door Pull Overs

Hook a band around the corner of a door (careful it doesn't come loose and ping you in the chops) or, alternatively, tie a knot in one end of your resistance band, and close it on the other side of the door. Really squeeze your lats for this one, and try to hold at the bottom of the rep for a second or two.

- Seated Rows

Hook the band around your feet or a heavy piece of furniture, keep your back straight and shoulders back, and row to your hearts content. You can do this unilaterally (single arm) to isolate each side and make the exercise harder.

- Reverse Flyes

This is a great one for a drop-set if you have different thickness resistance bands.

- Face Pulls

This again can be done with the band hooked around your feet or a heavy piece of furniture. A thin resistance band is all you'll need for this one. Try to hold for a few seconds at the top of the rep, making sure your elbows are at the same level as your shoulders.

- Deadlifts

You'll need a nice 'n' thick resistance band to really feel this one. Stand with the band under your feet, nice and wide apart, grab the band with your hands shoulder width apart. Keep your back straight and shoulder back.

Dumbbells / Barbell:

- Bent Over Rows

When using a barbell, use both underhand and overhand grips to hit different parts of your back. To get a better contraction in the lats, row the weight towards your bellybutton.