Building your back and shoulder muscles is integral for building upper-body strength and physique. As such, it’s common to see fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders spending hours at the gym working on these two muscle groups.
But what if you’re not able to hit the gym as regularly?
Many people believe that working out at home is not as effective. But that is far from the case. With a pair of dumbbells, you’re all set.
There are many studies supporting the notion that dumbbell (free weights) training is as effective as machine-based training for muscle-building and strength gains [1]. In fact, many researchers even found that working out with dumbbells may result in comparatively better body coordination and functionality [2].
Based on these findings, we have devised the perfect workout involving back and shoulder exercises with dumbbells. You can easily set up a home gym and use our workout plan to grow muscles effectively.
Back and Shoulder Workout with Dumbbells
Full-body workouts might seem effective. But they tend to increase the chances of you hitting a training plateau after a while [3]. That is why it is important to divide your workout routine into well-structured training splits.
Research has found that split-based training programs make room for more exercises, more training volume, and heavier weights, increasing the overall effectiveness of the workouts [4]. One of the best training splits, in this regard, is performing back and shoulder exercises on the same day.
Doing so can yield very positive results as these are antagonistic muscle groups. The back supports pulling movements while the shoulder is associated with pushing motions.
When one is being engaged, the other is relaxed and vice-versa. This allows bodybuilders to increase the intensity and volume of their training routines without fatiguing their muscles too quickly, leading to improved hypertrophy and strength gains.
So, if you want to take advantage of training your back and shoulders during the same session, we have the perfect plan.
The following workout is straightforward enough. It involves some of the most common exercises that target all the muscles within the shoulder and back areas. For example, deadlifts are one of the most effective exercises for building and retaining muscle mass in the back [5].
Similarly, lateral raises are considered to be the best exercise for building the lateral head of the delts, which is important for having a great physique [6]. The complete workout routine is as follows:
- Dumbbell deadlift: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Chest-supported incline dumbbell row: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- One-arm dumbbell row: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Dumbbell pullover: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Dumbbell shoulder press: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Seated dumbbell lateral raise: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Dumbbell front delt raise or dumbbell rear delt fly: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Dumbbell shrugs: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Back and Shoulder Dumbbell Superset Workout Routine
Including supersets is a great way to complete your workouts quickly without compromising the number of exercises, repetitions, or sets that you perform [7].
In fact, it even concluded that a superset-based training routine could get you the same results in lesser time compared to a normal workout. This is mainly because the training intensity is bound to increase drastically, resulting in greater muscle engagement throughout the workout.
But isn’t that going to compromise the benefits of resting in between sets? Many people believe that their muscles will get exhausted too quickly if they include supersets in their routines.
While that may be the case with similar muscle groups, back and shoulder exercises are a little different. Since the back muscles are mainly meant for pulling movements and the shoulder for pushing, the lack of resting time will not result in rapid exhaustion.
That is why supersets are the most effective when it comes to back and shoulder workouts.
With our routine, back and shoulder exercises are strategically used as supersets to maximize strength and muscular gains.
- Bent over two-dumbbell row supersetted Arnold press: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Dumbbell pullover supersetted with leaning dumbbell lateral raise: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Chest-supported incline dumbbell row supersetted with incline dumbbell front raise: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- kroc rows supersetted with seated dumbbell rear delt raise: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Dumbbell shrugs: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Don’t miss:
Chest and Back Dumbbell Workout Routine
Chest and Tricep Dumbbell Workout Routine
3 Day Full Body Dumbbell Workout Plan
5 Day Dumbbell Workout Plan
Final Words
Contrary to popular belief, training with free weights can be as effective as going to the gym and using all the machines and equipment.
With a well-rounded workout plan, you can easily train your shoulder and back muscles to grow in strength, endurance, and size. To help you with that, we’ve come up with the perfect routine to help you achieve your fitness goals using just dumbbells.
References
- Schwanbeck, S., Cornish, S. M., Barss, T. S., & Chilibeck, P. D. (2020). Effects of training with free weights versus machines on muscle mass, strength, free testosterone, and free cortisol levels. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 34(7), 1851–1859. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000003349
- Aerenhouts, D., & D’Hondt, E. (2020). Using machines or free weights for resistance training in novice males? a randomized parallel trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21), 7848. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17217848
- Krzysztofik, M., Wilk, M., Wojdala, G., & Gołaś, A. (2019). Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic review of advanced resistance training techniques and methods. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24), 4897. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244897
- Kerksick, C. M., Wilborn, C., Campbell, B., Roberts, M. D., Rasmussen, C. J., Greenwood, M., & Kreider, R. B. (2009). Early-Phase adaptations to a Split-Body, Linear Periodization resistance training program in College-Aged and Middle-Aged men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(3), 962–971. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181a00baf
- Martín-Fuentes, I., Oliva-Lozano, J. M., & Muyor, J. M. (2020). Electromyographic activity in deadlift exercise and its variants. A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 15(2), e0229507. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229507
- De Almeida Costa Campos, Y., Vianna, J. M., Guimarães, M. P., De Oliveira, J. L. D., Hernández-Mosqueira, C., Da Silva, S. F., & Marchetti, P. H. (2020). Different shoulder exercises affect the activation of deltoid portions in Resistance-Trained individuals. Journal of Human Kinetics, 75(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2020-0033
- Weakley, J., Till, K., Read, D. B., Roe, G., Darrall-Jones, J. D., Phibbs, P. J., & Jones, B. (2017). The effects of traditional, superset, and tri-set resistance training structures on perceived intensity and physiological responses. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 117(9), 1877–1889. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3680-3