In this article I cover seven lower back exercises at home with dumbbells as well as two exercises you can do without dumbbells. Don’t forget to check out the sample workout below!

Sometimes, a set of dumbbells is all you need for a great workout. Dumbbells are also portable if you want to get a good outdoor workout. And dumbbells are affordable if you’re not buying a whole set at once.

Dumbbell workouts like barbells or kettlebells can develop strength, hypertrophy, and power. They are also versatile and can help add resistance to any exercise, including lower back exercises.

Adjustable dumbbells are a great option if you’re looking to make a purchase for your home gym. They take up less space than a complete dumbbell set and are much more affordable. They give you options for changing the load and more opportunities for rep and set variations. Varying the load, reps, and sets is necessary for long-term training, whether your goal is muscle growth, strength, power, or just getting great workouts.

Outdoor Muscle is all about taking your fitness out of the gym and into the places you like to be. Whether it’s your backyard, garage, or on the road, the idea is to enjoy your fitness. The gym isn’t for everyone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t love lifting weights. Owning a set of adjustable dumbbells does precisely that.

Lower Back Exercises at Home with Dumbbells

So, what low-back exercises can you do with a pair of dumbbells?

I’ve included seven exercises to help you work your posterior chain muscles: the low back, lats, glutes, and hamstrings. The posterior chain muscles work together to do the hip hinge and pulling movement patterns. A strong back makes a strong body. Strengthening your back muscles makes lifting, pulling, and bending easier and can help reduce the risk of lower back pain.

Dumbbell Good Mornings

Good mornings are a classic exercise bodybuilders have been using for decades. Good mornings are typically performed with a barbell. But you can use a dumbbell if you don’t have a barbell handy.

How to Do Dumbbell Good Mornings

• Start with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a single dumbbell behind your head, allowing it to rest on the top of your traps. 
• Try not to add any pressure by pulling the dumbbell against your neck. Your hands are only there to keep the dumbbell in place.
• Hinge at the hips by driving your butt backward, keeping your knees bent but stationary. The knees shouldn’t lock out or go forward. You should feel a tightness in your hamstrings. Continue to hinge until your upper body is about parallel with the ground.
• Stand upright by bringing your hips forward. 
• Stand tall, keeping your core muscles and glutes tight. Repeat.

Major Muscle Group: Hamstrings

Secondary Muscle Groups: Gluteus maximus, erector spinae

Joint Movement: Multi-joint

Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows

The bent-over row doesn’t always get the credit it deserves for engaging the lower back muscles. The movement is a lat exercise. However, holding the correct position is challenging for the lower back and hamstrings.

How to Do Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows

• Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Hinge at the hips by driving your butt back until you are about parallel with the ground.
• Keep a neutral spine. Allowing the back to round can increase the risk of injury.
• You can perform alternating one-arm rows or rows with both dumbbells simultaneously.
  Raise your elbows up and back, engaging the lats and holding briefly as you raise the dumbbell to your rib cage.
• Reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Keep your lats engaged so the dumbbells don’t pull you down.

Major Muscle Group: Back

Specific Muscle Group: Latissimus dorsi (lats)

Secondary Muscle Group: Trapezius, rhomboids (upper back), and the rear deltoids

Joint Movement: Multi-joint

Single-Leg RDLs

The single-leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL) with a dumbbell is a great exercise for strengthening the lower back. RDLs also help develop balance, which becomes essential as we age.

How to Do Single-Leg RDLs

• Start with your feet hip-width apart. Toes pointing forward.
• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Keep your left hand free.
• Hinge at the hip, keeping your spine neutral and eyes looking at the ground a few feet out in front of you. Allow a slight bend in the knee.
• Continue hinging until the dumbbell is just above the knee.
• Keep your glutes tight and hinge your hips forward to stand upright. Repeat all reps on one side before switching to the other.

Major Muscle Group: Lower body

Specific Muscle Group: Hamstrings

Secondary Muscle Group: Erector spinae, glutes, core

Joint Movement: Multi-joint

Dumbbell RDLs

The Romanian deadlift strengthens the hamstrings and lower back muscles. You will start with a dumbbell in each hand. Feet shoulder width apart.

How to Do Dumbbell RDLS

• Keeping your spine neutral, hinge at the hips, allowing the dumbbells to move toward the ground. Keep your lats activated.
• Keep the dumbbells close to your body as you hinge your hips back. Continue hinging until you are about parallel with the floor.
• Stand upright by bringing the hips forward.
• Your lats, hamstrings, and lower back should be engaged throughout the movement.

Major Muscle Groups: Lower body

Specific Muscle Group: Hamstring/Glutes

Secondary Muscle Group: Erector spinae

Joint Movement: Multi-joint

Dumbbell Hyperextensions

The dumbbell hyperextension is one of the best lower-back exercises. Unfortunately, not everyone has a Roman chair or a glute ham developer to do these at home. But if you have access to one of those pieces of equipment, I’ve included it in this list of lower back dumbbell exercises. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have access to a Roman chair or GHD. You can do Good Mornings, which is a similar movement.

How to Do Dumbbell Hyperextensions

• Start by placing your heels under the support bar of the Roman chair. Ensure the upper support is set at your hips.
• Hold a dumbbell to your chest with both hands. Engage your lats to keep the dumbbell in place.
• Lower yourself toward the ground. Stop before your back begins to round.
• Lift your truck until your body is parallel to the ground.
• Your body should form an upright plank position. Pause and squeeze your glutes before starting the next rep.
• Ensure you maintain good form throughout the exercise. Don’t allow your body to swing down by keeping a tight core to prevent swaying.

Major Muscle Groups: Lower body

Specific Muscle Group: Hamstrings/Glutes

Secondary Muscle Group: Erector spinae

Joint Movement: Multi-joint

Dumbbell Deadlifts

Dumbbell deadlifts are similar to the traditional barbell deadlift. The exercise uses a hip hinge to pick up the dumbbells from the floor. Dumbbell deadlifts are an excellent place to start if you’re knew to deadlifts and need to use a lighter load to learn the movement.

How to Do Dumbbell Deadlifts

• Place two dumbbells on the ground in front of you. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Keep your toes pointing forward and slightly outward.
• Bend your knees slightly and push your hips back, like you’re going to sit in a chair. Imagine you’re reaching for something on the ground while keeping your back straight.
• While keeping your back straight, reach down and grab the dumbbells with both hands. Your palms should be facing you. Make sure to keep the dumbbells close to your body.
• Imaging driving your feet through the floor as you stand up straight, lifting the dumbbells with you. Once you’re standing tall, lower the dumbbells back down to the ground with control.

Major Muscle Groups: Lower body

Specific Muscle Group: Erector spinae

Secondary Muscle Group: Hamstrings/Glutes

Joint Movement: Multi-joint

Dumbbell Suit Case Deadlifts

The suit case deadlift is a good alternative to the traditional deadlift when using dumbbells. It allows you to develop a strong and stable core and requires less weight than a barbell deadlift.

How to Do Dumbbell Suit Case Deadlifts

• Place two dumbbells on the ground beside each of your feet.
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees slightly, and then hinge your hips back.
• Imagine you’re picking up a suitcase from the ground. Grab one dumbbell with each hand, keeping your back straight.
• Now, stand up. Once you’re standing tall, slowly lower the dumbbells to the ground.

Major Muscle Groups: Lower body

Specific Muscle Group: Erector spinae

Secondary Muscle Group: Hamstrings/Glutes/Obliques

Joint Movement: Multi-joint

Lower Back Exercises You Can Do At Home Without Dumbbells

I included a handful of other lower back exercises you can do at home that don’t require dumbbells. You can include these options in your strength training routine or as a warm up to your dumbbell workout.

Bird Dogs

Bird dogs are a lower back exercise you can do at home without dumbbells.

How to Do Bird Dogs

• Get into a quadruped position (tabletop) with your hands and knees on the ground.
• Extend your right arm forward and your left leg backwards.
• Briefly hold the position, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
• Alternate each rep with right arm left leg and left arm right leg.

Major Muscle Groups: Lower body

Specific Muscle Group: Erector spinae

Secondary Muscle Group: Hamstrings/Glutes/Abs

Joint Movement: Multi-joint

Supermans

The Superman exercise doesn’t require dumbbells to complete. A few reps are all you need for this exercise.

How to Do Supermans

• Start on the ground, lying face down. Extend your arms past your head.
• Raise your arms and legs up off the ground. Lift your chest and knees off the ground as high as you can.
• Hold the position as long as you can. Lower your arms and legs back to the ground, then repeat.

Major Muscle Groups: Back

Specific Muscle Groups: Lats, erector spinae, glutes

Secondary Muscle Groups: Shoulder blades, abs

Joint Movement: Multi-joint

Sample Workout

It’s not common to only do a lower-back workout. Usually, you would include lower back exercises on lower body training days.

Here is a sample workout incorporating these movements on a lower body day in an upper-lower split with a focus on hypertrophy (muscle growth).

Sample Lower Body Day

1. Dumbbell Single-Leg RDL: 3 sets of 6-8 reps
2. Dumbbell Good Mornings: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
3. Superman Holds: 3 sets of 5-6 reps
4. Dumbbell Goblet Squats: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
5. Dumbbell Walking Lunges: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
6. Standing Dumbbell Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10-12

Don’t let the absence of a barbell deter you from working your lower back, hamstrings, and glutes. Barbell workouts are great, but if all you have is dumbbells, you have everything you need to get a great workout. The hip hinge is one of the most common movement patterns of the human body. Strengthening the muscles that allow us to hinge can help prevent injury and keep us strong into old age.

If you like working out with dumbbells, you may also enjoy our kettlebell workouts. Check out the Outdoor Muscle Kettlebell Hub for more workouts you can do from home.