15 Bodyweight Back Exercises For Strong And Toned Muscles

Try this simple bodyweight exercise to strengthen your back muscles. Plus, you'll get a chance to feel like you're flying, just like a superhero!

To do it, you simply have to lie down and imitate Superman in flight. This exercise offers a thorough stretch to both your upper and lower back, helping with proper spinal alignment and improving posture.

Steps To Do:

• Lie down on the floor on your belly. The back should remain straight.
• Extend your arms forward and legs backward.
• Engage the core muscles, and start lifting off the legs and arms from the ground at the same time.
• Once you have lifted them, you will truly get into the “flying” Superman pose. 
• Stay in this position for 10 seconds before lowering them.
• Perform this back bodyweight exercise 4-6 times daily.

Aka Dand, the Hindu pushup is a fun twist on the traditional pushup that effectively engages your back muscles.

However, take caution if you have acute lower back pain, as this workout could overstretch those muscles if done carelessly.

Steps To Do:

• First, get into a pushup position.
• Press your hip upwards without moving the arms and legs. Keep the back straight during the lifting process.
• Now, take a deep breath, and start arching the body.
• Slide the upper body downward till the chest nearly touches the floor. 
• Then, move the upper body forward, pressing the hips down. 
• Continue this motion until the chest is nearly vertical and the legs approximately touch the ground. 
• This movement helps to stretch your back with ease.
• Repeat this activity for 7-10 reps. Don't forget to take deep breaths after every rep.

Next on the list is pull up, an amazing bodyweight exercise that strengthens the upper back and helps create that V-tapered look. It also builds grip strength, making it an effective forearm workout.

Lifting your body on a pull-up bar is a real feat of fitness, typically achieved by those with a solid foundation of strength. It can also be quite challenging for beginners, who may manage only 1 or 2 reps initially.

Steps To Do:

• Get under a pull up bar, extend both your arms, and grab them firmly with a pronated grip.
• Take a deep breath and shift your entire weight onto your arms to propel yourself upward.
• Now, push yourself up by squeezing your lats and arms until your chest reaches the bar.
• Lower down steadily, making sure your body doesn’t build up any unwanted momentum.
• Continue doing this exercise for desired number of reps. An expert can conduct 15-20 reps in a single go.

This is an interesting yoga stretch that can strengthen your back muscles and enhance the function of the lumbar and cervical spine. It is divided into two parts, i.e. the cat pose and the cow pose. 

Steps To Do:

• Get into a tabletop position with the hands under the shoulders and knees under the hips. 
• For the cow pose, inhale and push your hips up as your chest drops down. Look up, allowing your tailbone to stick up during the pose.
• Now, exhale and move your pelvis forward. As you do this, round your back forward - this is the cat pose. Remember to drop your head during this movement.
• Continue repeating these two poses consecutively for 7-10 reps.

An effective full-body stretch, this exercise is, as the name suggests, truly a wonder. It combines multiple movements like the plank, lunges, and twists, working not only the back muscles but also the hips, chest, and core all at once.

Steps To Do:

• Start the activity by getting into a plank pose.
• Now, bring your right foot forward, right near the right hand.
• The knees must be bent at a 90-degree angle. The left leg should remain straight.
• Engaging your core, lift the right hand and twist the body.
• The right hand must be extended straight up, and you need to stay in this pose for 30 seconds.
• Lower the right hand gently and switch the sides.
• Conduct 5-7 reps on both sides equally.

Another fantastic method to use your body weight as a resistance is the inverted row. It could also be visualized as a horizontal pull.

Inverted row is a fun alternative to the pull up, though it’s not quite as challenging. Newcomers can easily get comfortable with this workout and build up more reps fairly quickly.

Steps To Do:

• Place a barbell on the Power Rack at hip height.
• Get under the bar, then grab the handles with a pronated grip at shoulder width distance.
• The arms must be straight before pulling yourself up. If the space is limited, raise the barbell’s height.
• Breathe deeply, squeeze the shoulder blades, and lift yourself slowly and steadily. The back must not be arched during the lift.
• Pull the body until the chest nearly touches the bar handle.
• Hold at the top for a few seconds.
• Return to the initial position and perform 2-3 sets of 10 reps.

A pronated Y raise is an excellent workout for targeting the trapezius muscles (both the upper and lower sections), making it one of the top trap exercises to try at home. It can also provide relief for issues like rotator cuff tears, neck pain, or shoulder impingement.

Steps To Do:

• Roll a mat and lie face down on the floor.
• Then, place your arms overhead. The legs should be extended back.
• Now, it’s time to create a Y shape with your arms. So, extend the arms at a 45-degree angle.
• Raise the Y-shaped arms in an upward direction to feel a good stretch.
• Don’t look up, keep your legs on the ground, and avoid pulling the chest too high off the ground.
• Once you feel the stretch, stay in that pose for 30 seconds.
• Return to the starting position and repeat this movement for 5-7 reps.

While doing this back bodyweight workout, avoid rounding up your shoulders; the body must be in a straight line from the head to heels. This exercise is also great for engaging the abdominals, obliques, and arms.

Steps To Do:

• Get hold of a suspension trainer and grab the handles firmly with your wrists.
• Slowly get into an incline position. The arms should be extended straight.
• Next, start to pull your body toward the suspension trainer, bending the elbows.
• Pull until the chest reaches the handles. 
• Lower the body back to the original position again.
• Practice this physical activity for 10-12 reps.
• For an added challenge, incline your body further to generate more pulling action.

Great for targeting the upper back and rear delts, the Band W-raise requires a resistance band and can improve stability and posture. It gets its name from the shape your arms form when you raise them – like the letter W.

A key tip while doing this exercise is to pull your shoulder blades back and down during the motion for maximum stretch. This helps further engage the upper back muscles, making your workout more effective.

Steps To Do:

• Begin by attaching the resistance bands to a strong object at shoulder height.
• Grab the opposite ends of the band in both hands.
• Extend your arms forward. Make some distance between the object and your body to make way for a better pulling action.
• Now, squeeze the shoulder blades and pull the resistance band toward you. 
• Fire up those elbows while pulling to create a W shape with your arms.
• Once you reach your maximum pulling potential, hold there for 3-5 seconds.
• Repeat for 10 reps and 2 sets with a minute of rest between each set.

Similar to the prone Y raise, this workout is also done lying down, but the arm movement is a bit different. Instead of extending your arms forward, you keep them at your sides.

While it may seem like it targets the shoulder muscles, like the rear delts, it’s still great for strengthening the rhomboid and trapezius muscles.

Steps To Do:

• Lie down on the floor on your belly.
• Lift your head slightly, but don't look up. Also, raise your chest just a bit.
• Extend the arms to your sides gently, forming a T shape.
• Next, lift the arms slowly with controlled motions. Go up as high as you can.
• Remember to keep the head, chest, hips, and legs stationary during lifting process.
• When you reach top, hold there for a few seconds.
• Return to the starting position, and repeat for 5-8 reps.

Bird dog is another bodyweight back workout that helps us stay flexible and strong. This exercise is easy to do and doesn't require any complex equipment; just a mat and a small space in your house are sufficient.

It’s crucial to fully extend the arm and leg in order to get the best stretch in the back and other parts of body. 

Steps To Do

• Start in a tabletop pose, with your arms directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Now, push your left hand forward, extending it straight ahead. At the same time, lift your right leg, extending it backward.
• Tuck your chin so that the head is perfectly in line with your back.
• Hold the stretch for 30 seconds to a minute.
• Lower the leg and arm, and switch sides.
• Continue doing the Bird Dog workout 10-12 times.

Seated pulldown is a wonderful back bodyweight exercise that strengthen your lats, traps, and rhomboids. Along with targeting these key back muscles, it also engages your arms and shoulders.

To do this exercise, you’d typically need access to a pulldown machine at the gym. However, you can go the DIY route through attaching resistance bands to a doorframe and sitting in a chair.

Steps To Do:

• Sit on the chair with your legs shoulder width apart.
• Grab the handle of the bands and place it right above your head.
• The arms should be extended fully to give room for the pull.
• Start pulling the handle in a slow, controlled motion. Bring it down by bending the elbows.
• Pull until the handle touches your upper chest.
• Then, release the handle back to its original position.
• Continue this move 15-30 times.

Another yoga asana on this list, Cobra Pose is a great back stretcher. Regular practice of this exercise can help tone your back muscles, all while bringing a sense of calm and relaxation. 

Just be careful not to overstretch the muscles for the sake of intensity as it could quickly lead to sprain or injury in the lower back region.

Steps To Do It:

• Get down on the floor with your arms beside your ribs and legs extended back.
• Contract your glutes and press your hands to lift the upper body from the floor.
• Keep on lifting until the arms become straight and the chest becomes vertical.
• Hold at the top for 30 seconds.
• Next, bring the raised upper body back to the initial position.
• Repeat the Cobra pose for 7-10 reps.

Half Locust, aka Ardha Salabhasana, is a good yoga asana for improving the flexibility and strength of the lower back. It also helps to engage the erector spinae muscles.

Steps To Do:

• Lie face down on the floor with your arms lying beside your sides.
• The legs should remain straight without any bend in the knee.
• Breathe deeply, then slightly lift your head and chest.
• Now, raise both legs slowly. Go as high as possible. 
• You could alternatively only raise one leg and then go for another.
• Lower the leg/s back down after holding at the top for 10 seconds.
• Conduct this yoga exercise for the desired number of reps.

Particularly good for your upper and middle back, the 90/90 stretch is useful for people who spend their entire day sitting. It also increases the range of motion of hips, making it one of the best hip mobility exercises.

Steps To Do:

• Sit down on the ground, tilting to the right side. The legs must be laid at a 90-degree angle.
• Both the arms should be straight during this process.
• Now, maintaining the knees together on the floor, begin rotating the chest to your left.
• Bring your left arm to the other side as well.
• Do this activity slowly and steadily to feel the deep stretch in the back muscles.
• Hold here for 10 seconds before coming back to the initial pose.
• Perform 10-12 reps on each side for 2 sets.