6 Back Exercises That Don't Require A Bench

Any good workout routine has back exercises. It’s a major part of the upper body routine, and without working on the lats, you won’t be able to become bigger or more muscular.

Moreover, working only on one part of your upper body, for example, your chest, will not help you at all. To have symmetrical development of your muscles, focus on working with each muscle group with equal intensity and dedication.

Back exercises can be done using free weights, machines, benches, and even bodyweight. Here, we will discuss the exercises you can without using a bench. One of the reasons you should know these variations is to avoid wasting time when all benches are occupied.

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Back exercises without bench

The following are some back exercises you can do without a bench. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever use a bench for back exercises.

In fact, it’s ideal to have a combination of variations to ensure that your muscles do not get too used to one movement. It’s an ideal method to introduce a new stimulus and boost progress.

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1) Barbell row

To do it:

• Set up the barbell either on the power rack or on the floor. Stack it with weight plates on both sides.
• Keep your legs shoulder-width apart, and grab the barbell using either a supinated or a pronated grip.
• Keeping your back straight, lift the barbell using your lower body.
• Once you’re standing straight, bend forward from your hips.
• Pull the barbell towards yourself by contracting and engaging the lat muscles.
• Lower the barbell steadily to avoid injuries.
• Wear workout straps or gloves if you lose grip after two to three reps.

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2) Double hand dumbbell row

To do it:

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and stand straight.
• Bend forward from your hips while keeping your hands extended towards the floor in front of you.
• Squeeze your lat muscles, and pull the dumbbells towards you.
• Your elbows should move past your torso for maximum muscle engagement.
• Lower the weight steadily before starting the next rep.
• Try to do at least 12-15 reps for hypertrophy.

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3) Pull-up

To do it:

• Stand underneath the pull-up bar.
• Extend your arms upwards, and hold the bar (jump once if you’re not being able to reach it)
• Grip the bar tightly, and engage your core muscles to keep your body stable.
• Engage your lats, and pull yourself upwards.
• Control the negative when you’re lowering yourself to boost strength on the lat muscles.

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4) Reverse pec dec

To do it:

• Set up the pec dec machine’s handles behind the backrest pad.
• Sit with your chest on the backrest pad, and hold the handles.
• Push your arms outwards while engaging your back muscles.
• At the top of the motion, squeeze your muscles before moving to the starting position.
• You can use this exercise as part of a superset.

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5) Rack pull

Rack pulls are a good back exercise as an alternative for deadlifts. In rack pulls, you take the pressure from legs and focus completely on your back.

To do it

• Set up the barbell on the power rack or on the floor.
• Add weight plates to the barbell, and grab the barbell with both palms.
• Use your lower body to lift the barbell, and stand straight first.
• Lower the barbell while keeping your back straight till your knees.
• Use your lower back and mid-back muscles to come back to the starting position.
• Repeat.

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6) Seated cable row

To do it:

• Set up the anchor of the cable pulley machine at the bottom.
• Attach the v-bar to the anchor, and hold it with both hands.
• Move backwards and sit on the floor.
• Keep your legs in front of you but slightly folded from the knees.
• Keep your back straight, and pull the v-bar towards yourself.
• The bar should be halfway near your chest and half on your upper belly.
• Contract the shoulder blades for muscle engagement and activation.
• Steadily move the weight back to the starting position.
• Repeat

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Bottom Line

Back exercises are extremely important, as mentioned above. However, the form is more important than any variation.

If you’re just starting with back exercises, it’s best to stick to lower weights and and higher reps, but it’s absolutely essential to perfect your form before adding progressive overload to the routine.