Whenever I ask someone what the most important part of their workout is, I can almost guarantee the response will be the same:
“My arms” or “My chest makes my physique look best”.
And I don’t blame them, I mean, they are the parts we notice in the mirror.
However, I would always argue that the back muscles are a lot more important.
The back is the center of your strength, improves your range of motion, and helps to prevent injuries in the gym or at home.
Also, who doesn’t want lats that look like wings and make your upper body look massive!
As I have said many times before, working out from home works extremely well for most people, and a kettlebell can level this method up.
This specific type of weight tends to use exercises that fall in line with the natural movement of your body.
This is way safer and more effective than using a machine at a gym!
I get a ton of clients asking me what the best type of back workout is with a kettlebell, and choosing exercises that will work can be overwhelming – especially for newbies!
This is why I am about to share with you my top 7 exercises you can perform to define your back.
Before we get into the good bit, we must first understand the anatomy of the back.
To build a strong and defined back, we must work out each part of it with pulling exercises equally.
The back consists of a sheer amount of complex muscles, and without going into too much depth, these are:
Found in the upper back, these consist of 2 bilateral muscles called Rhomboid major and Rhomboid minor that connect the scapula to the vertebrae.
These muscles are extremely important for posture as their primary function is to retract the shoulder.
These muscles extend all the way up the back, running either side of the spine.
The primary function is the extension of the spine while stabilizing and supporting your lower back to avoid pain and injuries.
Located in your upper back, this is a pair of large triangular muscles that start at the base of your neck, move across to the shoulders, and extend to your mid-back.
The main functions are shrugging, and rolling the shoulders back and forth.
As I said before, these muscles are what give you the wing-like structure in your back.
They extend from the midback to the armpits, allowing for shoulder extension, adduction, and rotation.
Everyone wants a good set of lats that can be seen from the front!
A staple in a kettlebell workout, I fell in love with this exercise during lockdown!
Not just because it works every muscle in your back, it works almost every muscle in your body, while also increasing strength and being a great tool for fitness.
Check out this article here to find out more about why you should include it in your workout. Every. Single. Time!
One of the toughest exercises on this list, the renegade row, more commonly known as the plank row, is a test of strength and conditioning.
Planking is already hard enough, but inputting the extra element of rowing the kettlebells – it’s going to burn!
You are likely to feel this exercise in every muscle of your back, with it most commonly working your lats and Erector Spinae!
So far, I have listed some back exercises that work the whole back, which is great!
However, we need to start targeting some specific muscles to guarantee that they are all getting hit.
The upright row is a common exercise – you may have even performed it with a barbell in the gym.
Primarily an upper back exercise, the pulling movement towards your shoulders puts some serious size on your traps!
Note – Proper form is required with this exercise, or you can be at risk of serious shoulder injury!
We all know what a deadlift is.
It is one of the pillars of gym exercises, and the most important movement in a gym-goers back routine!
This exercise works the majority of your back, but mainly hits your upper back and the Erector Spinae.
It’s also a pretty good exercise to strengthen your glutes and hamstrings, so don’t take it lightly!
A common problem with this exercise is the form is difficult to get right.
Try to start with a light weight to perfect it, and take note of avoiding an arching back, or not lowering the weight enough to complete a rep.
Wing-like lats you can see from the front are desired by anyone trying to get into shape.
The single-arm bent-over row is the most important exercise for you to achieve it!
Swapping out the dumbbell in favor of the kettlebell can drastically increase the effectiveness of this exercise.
To find out whether using a kettlebell is better than a dumbbell, feel free to check out this article here.
For an exercise that can be performed with 1 or 2 kettlebells, for simplicity, we are going to use 1.
With it being such a complex movement, we achieve significant full-body results, with excellent full-back gains.
The movement requires a lot of practice, but it’s worth it, trust me!
To complete my set of outstanding back exercises, we are throwing in an exercise that can drastically increase the volume.
The deltoids are one of the largest parts of the back, and the standing reverse fly can be the perfect exercise to target them.
Depending on the stance, it can also be effective for the traps and the lats!
Wrapping up this article, you have now got the perfect kettlebell back workout filled with exercises that target every part of your back.
Now everything is left up to you.
Do you want a workout that could change your back into something you can be proud of in as little as 30 days, or not?
Some of you may have your own preferences for what could round off a perfect back workout, and that’s fine!
I would love to hear what your favorite back exercise is, so get in touch below!
If you want to know more about how you can train when and where you want, then make sure you get your FREE copy of my EBook – Train Wherever The F*ck You Want.
