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The upper back is important to strengthen, as this bears most of the weight from our neck, head, shoulders, and chest. When we think of bad posture, the first image that comes to mind is a slouching upper back.
Working on this area will help keep your posture upright and make it easier to support the rest of the weight from the upper extremities.
6 best exercises for your upper back
To help you out, we've gathered some of the most effective exercises you can perform at the gym for your upper back.
Most of these exercises have variations you can even do from home.
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1) Lat pulldown
This is a popular back exercise that strengthens the upper back for more strenuous exercises such as inverted rows and pull ups.
This exercise is performed on a lat pulldown machine, but you can also do it on a cable machine. Use a straight bar and adjust the pulley to the top.
• Grab both ends of the bar with either hand and sit down on the seat of the lat pulldown machine. Straighten your back and keep your shoulders tall. Allow your arms to extend straight out.
• Pull the bar down to your chest while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Ensure your back is upright and your chest points outward.
• Slowly straighten your arms up above you again and return to the starting position.
2) Seated Rows
This is an easy exercise to strengthen the upper back and improve pull strength. Most lat pulldown machines come with an adjustment and a separate cable and pulley for this exercise. Use the V-handle attachment for this.
• Position yourself on the seat of the machine and grab the V-handle. Lean back slightly and extend your arms out straight. Keep your shoulders tall and back straight.
• Pull the handle backward, towards your diaphragm, keeping your elbows in the same line and not letting them flare out.
• Slowly release the handle and allow your arms to straighten out fully again.
3) Bent-over dumbbell flies
This movement doesn’t require any machines; only a pair of dumbbells. You will have to hinge at your hip while performing this exercise.
• Stand straight with a dumbbell in either hand. Keep your feet hip-distance apart to balance yourself.
• Bend at your hip. You may allow your knees to bend slightly to accommodate your back being parallel to the ground. Keep your shoulders high and ensure your back is straight. Keep your arms straight and allow the dumbbells to be suspended below you with the dumbbells held together.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades and raise the dumbbells out to your sides. Keep your arms straight and bring them to shoulder-level.
• Lower your arms back down to the starting position.
4) Dumbbell rows
This exercise strengthens the back, arms, and lats. You would need a pair of dumbbells for this one as well. You can choose to bend over a bench, or perform this without one. Alternatively, you may use a barbell.
• Stand straight with your feet hip-distance apart and hold the dumbbells by your sides.
• Bend at your hip. You may allow your knees to bend slightly to accommodate your back being parallel to the ground. Keep your shoulders high and ensure your back is straight. Let your arms fall straight down and allow the dumbbells to be suspended below you, directly in line with the shoulders.
• Lift the dumbbells up towards your chest. Draw your elbows close to the body as they bend and point upward. You may hold this pose for a few seconds to build tension in your upper back.
• Slowly release your arms back down to the starting position.
5) Inverted rows
This is an essential move if you’re looking to be able to do pull ups. Inverted rows are also effective for developing the arms. You may use a pull-up bar, Olympic rings, or TRX bands for this.
• Face the bar and grab it with your hands slightly wider than the width of your shoulders. Lower your body below the bar and straighten yourself with your hips in line with your shoulders and feet. Your arms should be straight out and perpendicular to your body.
• Pull yourself up to the bar. Squeeze your shoulder blades and try to get your chest to the bar. You may pause here for a few seconds. Ensure your core is engaged to avoid your hips falling out of line.
• Lower yourself back down to the starting position.
6) Face pulls
This exercise is effective in strengthening the upper back, traps, and shoulders. Practicing these will also prevent neck pains. For this exercise, you will need a rope attachment for the cable machine, with the pulley above your head.
• Stand facing the cable machine and hold the ends of the rope in a supinated grip, i.e. your thumbs facing towards you.
• Pull the ends of the rope towards your head. Flare your elbows out and bring the ends of the rope to either side of your head, leveling your fists with your forehead. Squeeze your back.
• Slowly release the rope and extend your arms fully to return to the starting position.
Perform these exercises on your next pull or back workout day.
You should be seeing vast improvements in your upper body strength and posture in just a few weeks! As the back is an area susceptible to pain, be sure to stretch right after you’re done. That should keep the soreness away for tomorrow.
