Exercises For The Rhomboids

The rhomboid muscles lie between the inside edge of the scapula bones in your upper back and your spine, with the rhomboid major muscle positioned inferior to the rhomboid minor, or lower on your back. These muscles cooperate to pull the scapula bones backward -- called scapular retraction. Exercising the rhomboids regularly keeps them flexible and strong and may help prevent injuries. Consult a fitness professional for comprehensive list of exercises.

Rhomboids Stretch

Since the rhomboids act to retract the scapula bones, moving them in the opposite direction -- scapular protraction -- lengthens and stretches the muscles, which increases your flexibility and range of motion. Stand upright, extend your arms in front of your chest and grasp a bar with your hands about 6 inches apart and your palms facing downward. Let your hips fall backward and your shoulders round forward until you feel light tension across your upper back, and hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat the stretch multiple times per day.

Stability Ball Shoulder Stabilization

The rhomboids contract isometrically to hold the scapula bones in a retracted position as you perform the stability ball shoulder stabilization exercise. Lie with your abdomen on top of a stability ball with your toes hip-width apart on the floor and your spine extended, so your legs and torso align diagonally. Start with your arms extended in front of your head, arc them along the sides of your body, flex your elbows and extend your arms back to the starting position. Continue this pattern repeatedly for your desired number of repetitions.

Incline Cable Row

Perform the incline cable row regularly to help build and strengthen the rhomboid muscles. Attach two handles to a weight machine that has a low cable fixed to a stack of weights through a pulley system. Sit on an inclined bench in front of the machine with your feet on the floor. Bend forward at your waist and grip the handles with your palms facing each other. Straighten back up, flex your elbows and pull them behind your back, squeezing your shoulder blades together, to pull the cable diagonally upward and lift the weight stack. Return to the starting position slowly, and repeat.

Seated High Back Row

The seated high back row is similar to the incline cable row, but you perform the exercise on a machine that has a chair and a chest pad positioned in front of two levers that are attached to a stack of weights. Sit in the chair, press your chest into the pad, extend your arms forward, and grip the handles with your palms facing either downward or inward, depending on the design of the machine. Flex your elbows and move them backward to pull the levers and lift the weight stack, then reverse to the starting position and repeat.