8 Fantastic Back Exercises For A Strong Back After 45

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I think we can all agree your back is one of the most important parts of your body. Unfortunately, years of sitting do have an impact on your spine as well as the muscles in your back.

Especially when you start to age a bit, the decline becomes more noticeable, and it becomes extra important to regain or keep the strength you have.

Luckily, there are many options to do so. In the list below I’ve described eight exercises that work well for lifters at any age and are sure to keep your back in optimal condition. They’re quite easy to do and some only require a simple set of dumbbells. Read on!

Dumbbell Rows

Target area: upper back

One of my favorite back exercises is dumbbell rows. That’s because it’s an exercise that’s manageable and can be done by everybody. If you’re a beginner, this exercise doesn’t require a lot of technique, whereas more experienced trainees can up the weight and give themselves a proper workout.

You want to position one hand and one knee on a stable surface. If you’re doing these exercises in a gym, place one half of your body on a bench. If you’re doing these at home, you can also use a bench or stand in front of a chair and bend over, supporting yourself with one hand on the chair.

The goal is to pull the dumbbell from the ground to your back, stopping when the dumbbell reaches the same height as your body. After that, slowly lower the weight back down without resting it on the floor.

Before you start lifting the weight, make sure you engage your back and your shoulders (don’t let them hang). Try to pick a weight that allows you to do 10 repetitions but not a single one more.

Now, if you work out at home and you don’t have adjustable dumbbells I highly recommend you get a good set. That’s because dumbbells offer the only way you can effectively work out your back at home (other options include pull-ups, but those are not beginner-friendly).

On top of that, dumbbells are affordable and don’t take up a lot of space. You can check out your options on Amazon by clicking the button:

Cable Rows

Target area: upper back and some lower back

Cable rows are a great exercise if you have access to a gym. Because of the cables, there’s more tension on your muscles throughout the movement (because the cables are constantly pulling).

I typically do a lot of cable rows myself. I’ve put this exercise second because cable rows can only be done if you have the machine (which requires a gym membership). Also, getting started with dumbbells is less intimidating for many people.

Still, if you have access to this machine, I highly recommend to use it.

To start, pick a weight that you’re comfortable with, if this is your first time, start a little on the light side to ensure you’re not hurting yourself.

Place your feet on the machine, and make sure your legs have a 45-degree bend (don’t stretch them all the way, this is not a flexibility exercise).

Now, ensure your back is straight and engaged before you pull the weight into position. Pulling the weight into the right position without a straight back can cause injury.

Once you’re sitting upright with a straight back, it’s time to do your repetitions. Pull the handle that you’re holding as close to your chest as possible. Then, lower it slowly until your arms are straight again.

Ensure your back is engaged and your shoulders stay in the same position. Moving your shoulders back and forth is not what you want to do here.

When you’ve done around 10 repetitions and can’t do anymore, you bend forward and lower the weight back into position. Make sure your back is still straight and engaged while doing this!

Lat Pulldowns

Target area: upper back, especially the lats

The muscles in your back have two major functions: horizontal pulling and vertical pulling. The rowing exercises we’ve done up until now all involve a horizontal pulling motion. However, to train the complete back, we’ll need to do vertical pulling as well.

Now, I’m not going to recommend you start doing pull-ups. The average person can’t do pull-ups and that’s expected. Instead, I recommend a ”sitting down pull-up” known as a lat pulldown.

Now, keep in mind that you do need a machine for this. It’s difficult to do vertical pulling exercises at home if you can’t do pull-ups. Trust me, I’ve tried this a bunch but whenever I do a home workout doing good vertical pulling is almost impossible.

If you have access to a gym, the lat pulldown machine is your friend. The great thing about this machine it’s straightforward: you pick a weight you are comfortable with, grab the handles above your head, and pull it down to your chest.

There are only a couple of things to keep in mind.

First, engage your lats (the muscle on the middle and side of your back) when you start. You do this by pulling your shoulder blades back and down while putting your chest up.

Second, lean back and look up a little while doing the exercise. You don’t want to pull straight down. Instead, you want to pull down at a slight angle to your chest.

Reverse Flyes

Target area: upper back and some lower back

Another great upper back exercise that is easy to do at home or in the gym, as long as you have access to a set of dumbbells.

To perform this exercise, stand up and bend your knees 45 degrees while bending over yourself to around 60 degrees.

The goal of this exercise is to pull the dumbbells in line with your body without bending your elbows too much. A slight bend in the elbows is normal.

Next, ‘flap’ your arms like a bird trying to fly away. That’s honestly the best way I can describe the motion.

Since you’re standing up and doing both arms, this exercise can be a bit more tiring than other exercises. If it’s too much, or you have trouble keeping balance, try to do this while sitting on a chair or bench. This will require a bit more hip mobility but is less exhausting.

Barbell Rows

Target area: upper back and some lower back

Just a heads up, barbell rows are one of the best back exercises you can do. However, they’re also one of the heavies and probably only a good idea if you have some confidence in your weightlifting ability.

To start a barbell row, you get yourself a barbell. Keep in mind these weigh 45 lbs already so any weight you add here is on top of those 45 lbs. Once you get the bar loaded up, you get into the same position as the one you had with the reverse flyes.

This means: bending your knees 45 degrees and your back at the hips at 60-70 degrees. At this point, the barbell will be hanging somewhere around knee height. Now, engage your back and pull your shoulders backward.

Then, pull the bar to your chest and lower it to the ground in a controlled motion.

Congratulations, you just did a barbell row!

Back Extensions

Target area: lower back

This is one of the two exercises on the list that really hits your lower back. That’s not bad because your lower back is also used in other exercises. For example, cable rows, barbell rows, and reverse flyes all require you to use your lower back to hold yourself steady.

If you do have access to a back extension machine, it’s pretty self-explanatory. You put yourself on the machine, lower your upper body down, and bring it back up again.

If this is too easy, you can hold some weight to make it more challenging. Just be careful not to overextend your back on the way up.

If you don’t have access to a gym, but you do have a stability ball, you can also use this to perform a modified version.

Lay with your face down on the ball, where the ball is right underneath your hips. Extend your legs as far as possible, stabilizing yourself with your toes. Put your hands behind your head, lower your face to the floor, and bring it back up in line with your body.

Renegade Rows

Target area: upper back and some lower back

To be honest, I haven’t done a lot of renegade rows myself. Renegade rows combine a plank and a dumbbell row and I find it difficult to focus on my back muscles while planking.

Nevertheless, if you want to challenge yourself, get in a plank position with a dumbbell in each hand. From here, alternate between bringing the dumbells to the side of your body.

The bonus of this exercise is that it also works your core (you’re planking) and it’s quite exhausting so you’re getting a bit of cardio in here as well.

Good Mornings

This is the challenging version of a regular back extension. That’s because you’re standing instead of supporting your body with a machine or a stability ball.

The good news is: if you have a dumbbell or a barbell you can try it yourself.

Like most standing back exercises, start by bending your knees 45 degrees. I’m going to assume you’re holding two dumbbells. If that’s the case, hold them on either side of your neck and support them with your shoulders.

Now, bend at the hips and lower your back as close to parallel with the ground as possible. Keep your legs and the bend at the knees in the same position during the whole exercise.

When you hit parallel, bring your upper body back up to a standing position. That’s it!

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