Using dumbbells to train your lats has benefits over using machines or a barbell. Here are the best dumbbell lat exercises for building a strong back.
If you want a broader, thicker back with that classic V-shape (hello, Cronk!), you’re going to have to pay your lats some special attention.
Lats—or, as they’re officially known, latissimus dorsi—are the thick muscles on your back that run all the way from your shoulders down to your waist.
They’re chiefly pulling muscles, but they’re also utilized for adduction movements (moving something inward toward the centerline of your body).
Below, we’re going to list some of the best lat-specific exercises you can add to your workout using only dumbbells.
The beauty of these exercises is that you can do them at the gym or using just your home gym equipment.
Read on to find out my favorite (and most effective) dumbbell lat exercises!
Why train the lats with dumbbells?
Let’s be honest: when you think of training your lats, you probably think of lat pulldowns using the lat pulldown machine.
Lat pulldowns are highly effective because they increase time under tension and engage your muscles in the most natural position possible as you pull on the lat pulldown bar.
It’s absolutely worth working lat pulldowns (including banded lat pulldown) into your workout to maximize results.
But, it’s also worth finding a good lat pulldown alternative for one simple reason: it will help you hit the muscles from a new angle, leading to better overall muscle growth.
Because dumbbells work in a different (larger) range of motion than barbells or cable machines, you can target the lats in a way you can’t really with the other equipment.
That’s why I recommend incorporating dumbbell back exercises into your workout along with pull-ups, chin-ups, deadlifts, and lat pulldowns.
Here are some of my all-time favorite exercises to help you shred your lats like a Beast.
The Best Dumbbell Exercises for Big and Strong Lats
Exercise 1: Bent Over Dumbbell Row
If you’ve been working out for a while now, you’re probably very familiar with rows—which are honestly among the most effective pulling exercise you can do with either a barbell or dumbbells.
The bent over dumbbell row is an amazing alternative to bent-over barbell rows and deadlifts because it utilizes dumbbells (which are more versatile and readily available) to maximize muscle recruitment of your lats.
Plus, it targets your lower back muscles, helping you develop a stronger core!
To perform this exercise:
- Stand with your feet spread shoulder width apart, spine and neck straight, with a dumbbell held in each hand.
- Bend forward at the waist with your knees slightly bent. Stop just before your upper body reaches a 90-degree angle to your legs.
- Pull the dumbbells up toward your torso, sliding your elbows upward and rowing the dumbbells to your core.
- Hold the position for a 1-count, then slowly lower.
- Repeat for 10-15 reps per set.
Trainer’s Note: Adjust your grip—from neutral (palms facing each other) to pronated (palms facing toward your body) to supinated (palms facing away from your body)—to adjust the way your muscles are recruited.
Exercise 2: Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows
This is one of my all-time favorite Back Day movements because of how safe and effective it is.
It works your muscles in the same way that the bent-over row does, but because you’re supporting your weight on a bench, it reduces the risk of lower back strain.
Related: 6 Best Adjustable Dumbbells for Your Home Gym
Also, unilateral (single-sided) exercises increase core engagement, forcing your abs, obliques, and lower back to contract to keep you stable while you lift the weights.
This builds a stronger core overall, which leads to lower injury risk. And you know me: I’m all in favor of anything that helps to mitigate injury risk!
To perform this exercise:
- Start with your right knee and right hand leaning on a bench, with your left foot planted on the floor and a dumbbell gripped in your left hand. You should be leaning forward far enough that your torso is nearly horizontal/parallel to the bench.
- Row the dumbbell up toward your torso, sliding your elbow backward and up, keeping it as close to your side as possible.
- Lift until the dumbbell is nearly touching your side, hold for a 1-count then lower slowly and under control.
- Repeat for 10-15 reps per set.
Trainer’s Note: Resist the urge to let your elbow flare out. Keep it locked as close to your side as possible, and it will make the exercise much more effective at targeting your lats!
Exercise 3: Dumbbell I-Y-T Raises
This is a slightly more complex exercise, so it’s one you should only attempt after you’ve been working out for a few months and have mastered the form of basic back exercises.
However, if you feel confident that you’re ready to tackle a greater challenge, you’ll love how badass this dumbbell back exercise is.
This is a compound exercise that works not only your lats, but also your rear deltoid and upper trapezius muscles, so it’s truly a BEAST for building upper back muscles.
Just be very careful not to swing the weights or try to lift your arms too high.
You could injure your shoulder joints if you perform this exercise with the wrong form, jerk, or raise too high.
Just go slow, focus on your form, and make sure to stop when you feel tension in your joints.
To perform this exercise:
- Set your bench to a 30-degree incline, and sit/lie face-down. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward, letting the weights hang down just beneath your shoulders. Plant your feet firmly on the ground and press your torso into the bench. This will be the stable platform that enables you to lift the dumbbells smoothly and without jerking.
- Start off by raising the dumbbells out in front of you, lifting until they reach roughly the height of your forehead (forming the letter “I”). Hold for a 1-count, then slowly lower back to the starting position.
- Next, form the letter “Y” with your arms by raising them up and outward at a 45-degree angle from your body. Make sure to squeeze your shoulder blades together to really feel the burn. After a 1-count hold, lower slowly.
- Finally, form the letter “T” by extending the barbells out to either side at a 90-degree angle from your body. Hold for a count of 1, then lower.
- Repeat for 6-8 reps per set.
Exercise 4: Dumbbell Lat Pullover
This is an excellent exercise to not only target your lats, but also hit your chest and shoulder muscles, and even increase your shoulder joint range of motion.
As long as you keep the movement smooth and under control, you’ll find it’s a safe and easy one to pull off.
To perform this exercise:
- Lie on a flat weight bench with your knees bent and feet planted on the floor. Hold a single dumbbell in both hands by forming a diamond shape with your forefingers and thumbs.
- Raise the dumbbell until it’s extended straight above your head, then slowly lower it backward over your head. Keep your elbows straight (but not locked) throughout the entire movement.
- Lower the dumbbell until you feel the pressure ease off your lats, or until the weight is in line with your head (whichever comes first).
- Pull the weight back upward (slowly) until roughly your eyeline. (Stopping at this point rather than directly over your chest keeps the focus on the lats and reduces chest muscle engagement).
- Repeat for 10-15 reps per set.
Exercise 5: Renegade Row
This is a kickass exercise to build not only your lats, but also seriously improve core strength.
Because you’re holding a plank position throughout the exercise, you’ll shred your abs, obliques, lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, and even build some endurance in your shoulders, chest, and triceps.
Trust me, after just a few sets of this exercise, you will be DONE and hitting muscle failure hard.
To perform this exercise:
- Start in a Plank position, with your legs extended, feet planted on the floor, and your weight resting on your hands. Try to rest your hands on the dumbbells—however, if this hurts your wrists/palms too much, you can keep your hands flat on the ground and place the dumbbells beside them.
- Shift your body slightly to your right to balance your weight on your right hand. With your left hand, row your dumbbell up toward your side and lower it slowly back to the ground.
- Now shift your body slightly to your left to balance your weight on your left hand, and use your right hand to row the dumbbell.
- Repeat 8-10 times per set to FEEL THE BURN!
Lat Exercises with Dumbbells – FAQs
What’s the best dumbbell lat exercise I can do at home?
If you’re looking for the single most effective dumbbell lat exercise to do at home (with minimal equipment), I’d have to recommend the Dumbbell I-Y-T Raises.
Because it moves your arms in multiple positions/directions, you maximize muscle recruitment in the upper back (shoulders, lats, and traps), which leads to the greatest possible strength increases.
Can you do a lat pulldown with dumbbells?
Lat pulldowns are typically done with cable machines, which utilize a series of pulley systems that allow you to pull the weight down rather than lift it (gravity, baby!).
Dumbbells are free weights, so you can really only lift them against gravity.
However, all of the exercises we listed above could be a suitable lat pulldown alternative because they target the same muscles—thus leading to bigger, thicker lats!
The Bottom Line
Building your lats is crucial for developing that broad V-shaped back you want, but it also facilitates your ability to do a pull-up (which we all know is one of the most popular metrics to determine your functional fitness).
Working with dumbbells gives you a lot more options, and allows you to hit your lats from multiple angles and directions.
Not only does this work better for those who use home-based gyms with limited equipment, but it’s also a great way to change up your workout so you’ll never get bored and you’ll always challenge your muscles in a new way.
And isn’t that what working out is really all about?
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