This Back and Biceps Workout With Dumbbells Can Help Improve Your Posture
A back and biceps workout with dumbbells isn’t just a great way to add in some upper-body work to your strength training routine—it can also carry some serious benefits outside the gym too.
That’s because a lot of us spend a ton of time sitting, whether we’re hunched over a desk at work or scrolling through our smartphones after. And the resulting poor posture can lead to a host of issues: When your shoulders roll forward, your upper back muscles—particularly your rhomboids, mid and lower trapezius, and deep cervical flexors, plus a few others—lengthen, while your chest or pectoral muscles shorten, certified personal trainer Alicia Jamison, MA, a coach at Bodyspace Fitness and lecturer of exercise physiology at Brooklyn College, tells SELF. This can lead to tightness in the front of your body, and weakness around your upper back, she says. Ultimately, it can set the stage for muscle imbalances, which can up your risk of injury and lead to general discomfort—think low back pain and achy knees and hips, explains Jamison.
That’s why adding pulling exercises into your workout routine is so crucial: They help engage and strengthen your backside muscles. This is important, because strong back muscles can combat the forward-slouching position by literally pulling your head and shoulders into the better-aligned positioning.
And there are a whole bunch of options out there, regardless of what kind of equipment you have at your disposal. If you don’t have access to dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells, bodyweight exercises like pull-ups, chin-ups, or inverted rows are great pulling options. Doing a home workout and have some free weights? Pullovers or row variations (say, like the bent-over row and renegade row) work that same movement. And if you’re at the gym, specific machines like the lat pull down or cable system can help diversify your routine.
The pulling motion really works your back muscles, but your arms—especially your biceps (officially called the biceps brachii)—get in on the action too: “Anything that requires you to flex your elbow requires your biceps to activate,” explains Jamison. In fact, depending on the grip you choose—if you go narrower rather than wider—you may actually hit your arms more than the bigger muscles in your back. So to be able to effectively execute pulling moves, you’ll want your biceps muscles as strong as possible, which is why it doesn’t hurt to show these upper-arm muscles some specialized love.
With that in mind, Jamison created a five-move dumbbell workout that can strengthen your upper back and biceps, while also engaging key muscles that can help you stand (or sit) up straight. For instance, the mid and lower traps, deltoids, serratus anterior, and rotator cuff muscles all play a role in helping you maintain optimal positioning.
Before diving into this routine, do a warm-up first to loosen tight areas and activate your muscles, focusing on your chest and back. You can try moves like the pec doorway stretch, T-spine extensions, and banded pull-aparts.
With that, here’s all the info you need on an awesome back and biceps workout with dumbbells that you’ll definitely want to slot into your workout plan. Let’s get to it!
The Workout
What you need: Two sets of dumbbells, including one light set (about 5 to 15 pounds) for the rear delt raise and the reverse fly, and one light to medium set (about 8 to 20 pounds) for the hammer curl, bent-over row, and renegade row. Of course, scale the weights up or down as needed based on your current strength level.
Exercises
- Eccentric Hammer Curl
- Single-Arm Row
- Quadruped Single-Arm Rear Delt Raise
- Renegade Row
- Reverse Fly
Directions
- Do 10–12 reps of each exercise. For the single-arm bent-over row and the quadruped single-arm rear delt raise, do 10–12 reps per side.
- Move from one exercise to the next without much rest, though definitely take a longer break if you feel like you can’t maintain proper form or you’re unable to catch your breath.
- After you’ve completed all five exercises, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat for 2 to 4 rounds total.
Demoing the moves below are Nathalie Huerta (GIF 1), coach at the Queer Gym in Oakland, California; Jamie Song (GIF 2), NASM-certified personal trainer based in New York City; Lanoa Curry (GIF 3), a group fitness instructor in NYC who teaches classes at Mile High Run Club and Crunch Gym; Amanda Wheeler (GIF 4), host of the Covering Ground podcast; and Tray Drew (GIF 5), MPH, owner/operator of Body By Tray
Kelsey McClellanEccentric Hammer Curl
- Hold a medium dumbbell in each hand, arms relaxed by your sides, and palms facing each other in neutral grip.
- Curl the weights to your shoulders.
- Bend your elbow to slowly lower the weight back down over the course of about 3 counts. This is 1 rep.
- Do 10–12 reps.
Dumbbell curls, in some form or another, are pretty much a must in any arm workout—they’re one of the best biceps exercises out there. The hammer curl, which uses a hammer grip (palms facing in), puts your shoulders and wrists in a neutral position, making the range of motion a little easier than the traditional curl, which uses a supinated or underhand grip, says Jamison. The move targets your forearms and biceps, and the eccentric tempo (meaning, you slow your pace as you lower the weights back down) delivers an added challenge. As you perform reps, try not to hyperextend or overarch your upper back, says Jamison. If you feel that, your weight is likely too heavy, in which case you should opt for lighter dumbbells, she advises.
Katie ThompsonSingle-Arm Row
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a medium weight in your right hand with your arm at your side. (You can stagger your stance if you feel more comfortable that way.) This is the starting position.
- With your core engaged, hinge forward at the hips, push your butt back, and keep a soft bend in both knees, making sure you don’t round your shoulders. (Your hip mobility and hamstring flexibility will dictate how far you can bend over.)
- Gaze at the ground a few inches in front of your feet to keep your neck in a comfortable position.
- Pull the weight up toward your chest, keeping your elbow hugged close to your body, and squeeze your shoulder blade at the top of the movement.
- Slowly lower the weight by extending your arm toward the floor. This is 1 rep.
- Do 10–12 reps, then switch sides and repeat.
The single-arm dumbbell row works a couple muscle groups: primarily your biceps and latissimus dorsi, a flat muscle that takes up a good portion of your back. As you row, keep a neutral spine (don’t round or arch your back) and engage your glutes to prevent your lower back from taking on excess strain. If you do start to feel discomfort while doing this move, take the hand that’s not holding the weight and place it on a wall or against a chair for support, suggests Jamison.
Katie ThompsonQuadruped Single-Arm Rear Delt Raise
- On a mat, start in an all-fours position with your knees underneath your hips and palms underneath your shoulders. Hold a light dumbbell in your right hand.
- Raise your right arm to the side, feeling the work in the back of your shoulder. Brace your core, keep your back straight, and try not to twist to the side.
- Lower your dumbbell back to the ground. This is 1 rep.
- Do 10–12 reps, then switch sides and repeat.
This isolation exercise really targets your rear deltoid, a backside shoulder muscle. Strengthening this area can help improve your posture, says Jamison.
Katie ThompsonRenegade Row
- Start in a high plank holding a medium dumbbell in each hand on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you wider than hip-width apart (it'll help with stability), and your core and glutes engaged. This is the starting position.
- Pull your right elbow back to do a row, raising the dumbbell toward your chest and keeping your elbow close to your torso. Keep your abs and butt tight to prevent your hips from rocking.
- Lower the weight back down to the starting position.
- Do the same thing with your left arm. This is 1 rep.
- Do 10–12 reps.
This exercise, says Jamison, is “a tough one.” It begins in a plank position—which really fires up your core—and then when you pick up one dumbbell to row, you’re removing a point of contact with the floor, which challenges your stability and requires your core to engage even more. This move also works your upper back and biceps. Make it easier by putting your knees on the ground. Just make sure to keep your hips tilted forward, says Jamison. You can also elevate your hands on a sturdy box to reduce the core challenge, she adds.
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Katie ThompsonReverse Fly
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand with your arms resting along the sides of your legs, palms facing in.
- Bend your knees slightly. Hinge over at your hips, making sure to keep your back straight.
- With a slight bend in your elbows, slowly lift the weights up and out to the sides until they’re in line with your shoulders.
- Lower them back down with control. This is 1 rep.
- Do 10–12 reps.
This exercise works your back extensors, traps, and shoulders. Make sure to use a light weight for this exercise and keep your shoulders pulled down and away from your ears, says Jamison. This will keep your upper traps from jumping in and taking on work they’re not supposed to.
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