John KIRAGU
- Feb 16
- 5 min read

10 dumbbell exercises to get rid of back fat

"Dumbbell back exercises help to build strength and back muscles while offering a mix of challenge and accessibility."

Photo by VD Photography on Unsplash

Back exercises such as the incline row, dumbbell pullover, incline pause row, renegade row, and upright row facilitate muscle activation and stabilization, enhance flexibility, burn back fat, and eliminate and identify strength imbalances.

Here are 10 dumbbell workouts that will enhance your back strength and reduce back fat.

1. Renegade rows

An effective compound exercise that involves your biceps and back muscles while engaging the core. It works on various muscle groups such as the lower back, upper back, arms, and legs, which help with muscle activation, fat burn, core stability, movement awareness, and hypertrophy. Renegade using dumbbells enhances metabolic movement and creates muscular and metabolic demand. Increasing tension time, range of motion, explosiveness, and complexity of the total body lift leads to more muscle fiber, thus increasing energy and caloric expenditure.

How to do the Renegade using dumbbells:

Take a pair of dumbbells and position yourself in a plank position.
Ensure that your hands are in a neutral grip position with the palms facing each other.
Maintain the neural spine and engage the core by squeezing your glutes while keeping your hips level.
Start the workout by rowing one dumbbell up to the other side of the chest.
Ensure that your elbows are close to your body and squeeze your shoulder blades to your spine while lifting the weight.
Do the row with the other arm to complete one rep.
Consider keeping the hips firm throughout the workout to maintain control.

There are various ways to perform renegade rowing using dumbbells, such as single-arm renegade and kneeling renegade, which help in back fat burning, improve your core stability and strength, enhance your posture, and work on your whole body.

Photo by Julia Larson on Pexels

2. Lateral raise and front

The front and lateral raise is one of the easy workouts that improves your definition around the upper back and shoulders. Incorporating dumbbell weights in your fitness routine helps to boost your metabolism and build strength throughout the day.

How to do it:

Stand facing forward with your dumbbells in each hand.
Raise the dumbbell upwards and forward until your arms and shoulders are at the same level and parallel to the ground.
With control, lower the weights back to the starting position to make one rep.
Take a breath and repeat the procedure 10 to 12 times for one set.

A front and lateral raise is essential for fat loss, strength gain, calorie burning, and improving upper back and shoulder range of motion and stability.

3. Dumbbell swing

The dumbbell swing is an ideal workout that facilitates stability, strength, and an ideal movement that mobilizes the thoracic spine. It burns more calories, strengthen your lower back, and improve your stability by enhancing your cores, glutes, and thighs. The dynamic movement also engages your rotator cuff, lower back, middle back, and forearms.

How to do it:

Stand with your shoulders width apart and lift the dumbbell with one hand in front.
Bent your knees slightly with your back straight, bend your hips backward, and swing the dumbbell between your legs.
When the weight is behind the body, thrust your hips forward and contract your glutes.
Swing the dumbbell up to your chest level; once there, contract your core, glutes, and quads and let the dumbbell swing back between your legs.

4. Bent-over dumbbell rows

The bent-over dumbbell row is the best body resistance workout that engages multiple muscles, which help to increase stability, build muscles, and burn back fat. To maximize the growth of the back muscles, try different hand positions and angles.

How to do it:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and make a slight bend in the knees.
Hold the dumbbell with both hands in a neutral grip and your palms facing each other.
Bend your torso and pull the dumbbell up and across your chest.
Minimize wrist movement while lifting.
Lower the dumbbell slowly to where you started while inhaling deeply to make one rep.
You can perform 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps of the dumbbell bent-over row workout.

Photo by Jan Valle on Pexels

5. Reverse fly

The major upper-body muscles, such as the trapezius, rhomboids, and the back shoulders, are used in reverse flies. This exercise helps to burn fat, reduce the risks of injuries, improve balance and posture, and minimize shoulder and back pain.

How to do it:

Hold the weights at the sides and stand with your legs together and shoulder-width apart.
Push your hips back and bring your chest forward until it is parallel to the floor.
Allow the dumbbell to hang towards the ground. Ensure your back is straight, your cores are firm, and your chins are tucked.
Lift your arms out while you squeeze your shoulder blades together and lower the arms to the starting position.

6. Dumbbell upright row

The dumbbell upright row is one of the effective and familiar workouts that stabilizes and strengthens your shoulders and upper back while engaging the triceps, which enhances fat burn.

How to do it:

Stand with your legs hip-width apart.
Hold the dumbbells, palms down, in front of your body.
While keeping your chest up and your shoulder blades back, lift the dumbbells vertically while raising your elbows to the ceiling and back to the starting position.
You should do at least 10 reps of dumbbell upright rows.

7. Pilate's press overhead

The pilate overhead press facilitates strength in the core muscles such as the lower back, spinal stabilizer, transverse abdominal muscles, and obliques. It reduces injuries because it involves prone lateral raise and scapular retraction.

How to do it:

Take a sitting position with the soles of your feet touching each other in front of you and your legs bent.
Hold the dumbbells in each hand, palms facing outward, and begin with the dumbbells resting at shoulder height.
Extend our arms while bracing our core, and push the dumbbells upward and away from us.
Return to the starting position and repeat the procedure.

8. Single-leg row

Single-leg rowing is a strength workout that targets your glutes, muscles of the hamstring, and your upper back. It promotes stability, trunk control, balance, postural strength, and endurance.

How to do it:

Hold the dumbbell in your right hand, palm up, palm down.
Lower your torso and lift your right leg until both the leg and the chest are parallel to the ground.
Hinge in front and let the dumbbell hang directly under your shoulder.
Pull the dumbbell towards your ribcage and pause.
Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position to complete one rep.

Photo by Julia Larson on Pexels

9. Good morning

Good Morning is an accessory workout that develops and strengthens your spinal erectors, hamstrings, and glutes. It offers increased muscle activation, develops more functional strength, promotes mobility, and improves the quality of life.

How to do it:

Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart.
Hold the dumbbells with both hands and rest them behind your shoulders, thumbs down.
Keep your torso straight and the knees slightly bent; gently hinge from the hips until your body becomes upright.

10. Alternating single-arm dumbbell rows

A single-arm dumbbell row is an excellent exercise that engages your shoulders, biceps, lower and upper back, and hips while promoting your core stability. It enhances body posture, builds a stronger grip and back, and develops muscle hypertrophy.

How to do it:

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Slightly bend your knees and lean forward with the dumbbell in both hands.
Ensure that the dumbbells are directly below your shoulders.
Lift one dumbbell to the side of your chest and gently take it back to its starting position.
Repeat the procedure while switching your arms.

Sedentary lifestyles may contribute to the accumulation of back fat. You can cut calories by toning your back muscles when you focus on a workout routine that targets both the upper and lower back muscles. Dumbbell exercises will not only facilitate strength, stability, endurance, and muscle tone, but also get rid of back fat.