Top 10 No-Equipment Exercises For A Stronger Back

When we think of working out our back muscles, we often think about using dumbbells, a weighted barbell or a pull-down machine.

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However, you don’t necessarily need a gym to whip your back muscles into great shape. You can get a stronger, sculpted back by performing a few no-equipment exercises at home.

This back workout targets all of your major back muscles effectively, along with some less obvious ones, for ultimate toning. This is a back-focused workout, but you’ll find this routine also effectively works out the rest of your body, too.

Also Read: No-Equipment, Inner-Thigh Exercises For Sexy, Toned Legs

Work these exercises into your at-home workout routine for some serious back toning and strengthening.  

1. Pike Pushups

  • Firmly plant your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor.
  • Bend over with your butt high in the air and your palms flat on the ground.
  • Walk your hands forward about a foot.
  • Perform pushups with your legs still straight and your butt up high.
  • Complete 10 push-up repetitions per set.

2. The Superman

  • Lie face down on the floor.
  • Extend your arms and legs so that your body forms a straight line.
  • Lift your chest and legs up off the floor at the same time, extending your arms up and forward (like superman flying!). Keep all of your limbs straight.
  • Hold the position for 15 seconds.
  • For each 15 second hold, rest 10 seconds and count as one repetition.

3. Donkey Kicks

  • Get into a standard push-up position.
  • Bend your left knee forward toward your chest.
  • Kick your left leg back, away from your body.
  • Quickly return your left leg to the pushup position.
  • Repeat the same motion with your right leg quickly.
  • As you kick (like a donkey), count each leg’s kick as one repetition.

4. Tuck Jump

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Quickly jump up as high as you can.
  • Tuck your feet up under your butt.
  • Return to your feet and rest 10 seconds before performing another repetition.

5. Animal Crawl

  • Begin at one end of a room.
  • Laying flat on your stomach on the floor, tuck your arms beside you.
  • Wriggle your body, without using any limbs, across the floor to the other side of the room.
  • Now flip onto your back and raise yourself into a bear crawl.
  • Bear crawl to the other side of the room.
  • Switch into a crab walk position.
  • Count each time you reach the end of the room as one repetition.

6. Flamingo Pose

  • Standing near a wall (or something else you can steady yourself on), kick your right leg out behind you.
  • While balancing on your right leg, lean forward, extending your left arm out in front of you and using your right arm for balance.
  • Hold the position, with your back parallel to the floor, for 20 seconds at least.
  • Return to a standing position and switch legs.
  • Count each hold per leg as one repetition.

7. V-Ups

  • Lay with your back on the floor.
  • Extend your arms and legs so that your body is one straight line.
  • Without bending your limbs, lift your arms and legs straight up.
  • Raise your limbs and upper back until your body forms a “V.”
  • Hold the position for 15 seconds.
  • Lay back down and rest 10 seconds before performing another repetition.

8. Decline Plank Push-Up

  • Place your feet on an elevated but stable surface, like a box or a chair.
  • Get into a planking position with your feet still elevated.
  • Hold the decline plank for five seconds.
  • Dip into a push-up.
  • Resume decline plank for another five seconds, counting a new repetition.

9. Side Bends

  • Don’t be fooled by the name. Side bends help work your back muscles and tone your back and its sides.
  • Grab homemade weights or dumbbells.
  • Standing with your feet at shoulder-width apart, raise your right hand and dumbbell above your head.
  • Let your left hand and dumbbell rest at your side.
  • Lean towards your right side until you feel the stretch.
  • Hold the position for 10 seconds.
  • Switch arm positions and bend to the opposite side.
  • Count each bend to each side as one repetition.

10. Upside Down Flys

  • Generally you perform flys on your back. This time, lay on your stomach on the floor.
  • Grab homemade weights or dumbbells that you can easily lift.
  • Extend your arms out to your sides with dumbbells in hand.
  • Arch your back toward the floor, raising your upper back into the air as much as possible without using your limbs.
  • Slowly raise and lower your arms and weights three times.
  • Rest for 10 seconds, count that as one repetition, and begin again.

 

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