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Do you want to know how to use a dumbbell back workout to build a simple but effective muscle-building plan? A solid and muscular back is the foundation of any good fitness routine. A toned back looks great and helps with posture and overall strength.
5 Steps for a Simple But Effective Dumbbell Back Workout Plan
This simple but effective dumbbell workout will help you build your back muscles quickly. So, let’s get started! The first step is to select the exercises you will perform during the dumbbell back workout.
The exercises should focus on the major muscle groups in the back. Some should be compound exercises to workout muscle groups together and save time. Selecting one or two isolation exercises is okay, but the foundation of any workout is compound exercises.
The Bent-Over Row
This dumbbell back workout exercise targets both your upper and lower back muscles. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding a pair of dumbbells in either hand. Then, with your knees slightly bent, hinge at the hips to lean forward until your upper body is almost parallel to the ground.
Keep your core tight, and ensure your back stays straight throughout the movement. Now, draw in your shoulder blades and pull the dumbbells up towards your chest, squeezing at the top of the motion for maximum effect. Then, lower them slowly until they are just above the ground before repeating.
Trap Raises
This dumbbell back workout exercise focuses on building up those all-important trapezius muscles (or “traps”) between your shoulder blades. Start by standing with a pair of dumbbells in either hand, keeping them close to your body throughout the movement.
Now, raise one arm to the side while keeping it straight and lower it slowly before repeating with the other. Keep a slight bend in the elbow so that you don’t overextend yourself or strain different muscle groups unnecessarily.
Bent-Over Flyes
This dumbbell back workout exercise works best when you use lighter weights as it targets smaller muscle groups, such as those near your spine. Begin by standing upright with dumbbells in either hand, palms facing each other, and elbows slightly bent at 90 degrees from your body.
Now, hinge at the hips to bring yourself into a bent-over position until you are almost parallel to the ground again—but this time, keep your arms extended rather than raised towards the ceiling like with rows—and then open up those arms into a flye motion until you feel an intense stretch across that entire posterior deltoid area before bringing them back together again. Again, remember to keep those elbows still as you do this exercise; otherwise, it won’t be as effective!
The Volume Needed for Dumbbell Back Workout
After selecting the exercises, you must choose the right volume to signal your body to build back muscle. Aim for 8 – 12 reps, 3 – 6 sets, and 70 – 80% of your one rep max. The exact amount of reps, sets, and weight will depend on your fitness level, goals, and experience. However, you will see results if you are around the range for the reps, sets, and weights identified above.
Use Progressive Overload
In addition to volume, using progressive overload and a periodization plan to start slow and build to the perfect dumbbell back workout for your fitness level and needs is crucial. Thus, aim for a 5 – 10% or 2 to 5 pounds increase during each period of progressive overload. Then, once you master and complete the reps and sets at the current weight load, you are ready for a progressive overload.
Implement a Periodization Plan
A periodization plan uses three phases which begin with strength, progress to muscle building, and concludes with fat cutting. Most periodization plans spread your dumbbell back workouts over one year.
How much time you spend in the strength, muscle-building, and fat-cutting phases depends on your fitness level, goals, and experience. Beginners can expect to spend 2 – 5 months in the strength-building phase depending on genetics and the intensity of workouts.
Select a Workout Program
Next, you need to select your workout program. As a beginner, you can incorporate arm workouts into a 5×5, split day, or full-body workout. Intermediate and advanced bodybuilders can try post-exhaustion, pre-exhaustion, or german volume training.
Also, intermediate and advanced bodybuilders can use supersets and drop sets to get the most from a dumbbell back workout.
Beginners can’t do as much but don’t have to because almost anything they do will stimulate muscle growth. Also, the periodization plan will affect a dumbbell back workout while 5×5 builds strength, drop sets, and supersets will cut fat. Thus the phase of the periodization plan will determine the workout program used during a dumbbell back workout.
Conclusion on a Dumbbell Back Workout Plan
If done correctly, these three exercises should effectively target all major muscle groups located in your back region while avoiding overexertion or injury risk due to poor form or excessive weight loadings. First-time users may want to practice without weight before adding some light resistance — whichever works best for you!
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