Having a strong upper back can help your posture and relieve back pain. Muscles of the upper back include the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, rotator cuff muscles and part of the erector spinae. You can perform dozens of exercises to strengthen these muscles. A thorough strength-training program will target each of these muscles, and some exercises address more than one muscle at a time.
Lat Pull-Down
The lat pull-down strengthens the large latissimus dorsi muscle in your back. To perform the exercise, you will need a cable system with a lat pull-down bar. Grab the bar with a wider-than-shoulder-width grip and sit upright directly below the bar, with your abs tight. Pull down, leading with your elbows and focus on your back doing the work. The bar should be pulled down in front of you, to the top of your chest and your elbows should remain below your hands. Slowly release the weight until your arms are fully extended and repeat. Exhale as you pull the weight down and inhale upon its return.
Dumbbell Reverse Fly
The dumbbell reverse fly targets your rhomboids, trapezius and rear deltoids. With your chest resting on the back of an incline bench or standing bent over with a flat back, hold the dumbbells straight out off of your chest with a slight bend in your elbows. Focus on bringing your shoulder blades toward your spine as you exhale and raise the weights out to the sides, in line with your shoulders. Pull your arms back just beyond your back to target the back muscles, not just the deltoids. Slowly lower the weights down while inhaling and repeat.
Dumbbell Shrugs
Performing dumbbell shrugs will target your trapezius and rhomboids of your upper back. Standing tall, with your abs engaged, hold the dumbbells by your sides, palms facing in. Draw your shoulders back and down before beginning. Then raise your shoulders up from this retracted position while exhaling. Inhale as you slowly lower the weights and then repeat.
High Row
To focus on the muscles of the upper back, perform the seated row in a higher plane. Hold the handles of the cables or resistance bands and sit a few feet back. Sit upright with your abs tight and shoulders drawn back. Turn your palms down to face the floor and pull back on the resistance, leading with your elbows and with your arms at chest height and lifted out to the sides. Squeeze your upper back at the end then return to the starting position. Inhale as you release and exhale as you pull back.
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