15 Rhomboid Exercises for Defined Back

Whether you’re an athlete or just getting started with fitness, training the rhomboid muscles can help improve your posture and get a stronger, more defined upper back.

But what are the rhomboid muscles, and why are they so important? In this article, we’ll dive into the anatomy of the rhomboids, their functions, and the best rhomboid exercises you can do to strengthen them.

What are the Rhomboid Muscles, and What do they do?

The rhomboid muscles are located in the upper back, underneath the trapezius, and are divided into two sections: rhomboid major and minor. They are mainly responsible for connecting the shoulder blades to the spine.

The rhomboid major is the larger one and is responsible for retracting (pulling back) and downwardly rotating the scapula (shoulder blade). In contrast, the rhomboid minor is located underneath the major and assists in retracting the scapula and stabilizing the shoulder blade. ^[1]

Together, the rhomboids play an important role in maintaining good posture and shoulder stability. By strengthening these muscles, we can improve our posture, reduce the risk of shoulder injuries, and even enhance our athletic performance.

At-Home Rhomboid Exercises

Here are five of the best at-home rhomboid exercises:

1. Prone Lateral Raise

The prone lateral raise helps target the rhomboids and your middle and lower trapezius muscles, making it an excellent exercise for increasing upper back strength and improving posture.

How to do it:

• Lie face down on a mat with your arms extended straight out to the sides at about 90 degrees and palms facing down.
• Lift your arms to shoulder height and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top.
• Pause briefly at the top, then lower your arms back down.
• Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Avoid using momentum to lift your arms. You can hold a pair of light dumbbells to increase resistance.

2. Y-Raise

It’s a great exercise to target the upper back and help improve posture, reduce shoulder pain, and increase shoulder mobility. The Y-Raise helps you train your middle and lower trapezius and posterior deltoids besides rhomboids.

How to do it:

• Lie in a prone (face down) position on a mat with your arms extended straight out in front of you and your thumbs pointing up.
• Lift your arms up and out to form a “Y” shape with your body.
• Pause at the top and then lower your arms to the starting position.
• Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Do the movement slowly. Grab light dumbbells or weight plates as your fitness improves.

3. Bodyweight Row

This exercise is a great option for people who don’t have access to weights or a gym and want to target the upper back muscles, including the rhomboids, middle and lower trapezius muscles, and biceps.

How to do it:

• Find a sturdy horizontal bar or ledge that you can grip with both hands.
• Hang from the bar with your arms extended straight down and your feet on the ground.
• Then, pull your chest towards the bar while squeezing your shoulder blades back together.
• Pause for a few seconds at the top and lower your body to the starting position.
• Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Keep your elbows close to your body as you pull yourself up, and focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together.

4. Front Raise with Thumbs-Up

Thumbs up front raise is an effective exercise to train your rhomboids and lower trapezius muscles. Also, it gives you the flexibility to add weight or try different variations.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms in a neutral position (thumbs pointing up) at your sides.
• Keeping your arms straight, raise your arms in the front to shoulder height.
• Then slowly lower your arms and repeat for 10-12 repetitions.

Focus on lifting through your shoulder blades rather than using momentum. You can use dumbbells or bands to increase tension.

5. Pull-up Bar Scapular Retraction

This time you need a pullup bar or something you can grab to hang yourself. This scapular retraction exercise helps increase the number of pull-ups you do in a single set.

How to do it:

• Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms extended and your feet off the ground.
• Keep your shoulders back and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Do the scapula (shoulder blades) retraction and protraction for 10-12 reps.

Make sure to use your rhomboids and lower traps to perform the exercise. Avoid swinging or using momentum.

Dumbbell Rhomboid Exercises

Here are some of the best rhomboid exercises with dumbbells.

6. Bent-Over Rows

Instead of dumbbells, you can also use a barbell or resistance band to do the bent-over row. Doing it on an incline bench helps you balance the body and get more effective tension on the rhomboids.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
• Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core tight.
• With your palms facing inwards (overhand grip), raise the dumbbells towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top, and lower the dumbbells to the starting position.

Keep your back straight and your core engaged throughout the movement. Avoid rounding your shoulders or excessive arch in the lower back.

7. Standing I-Y-T Raise

The standing I-Y-T raise is a really effective exercise to isolate and strengthen the rhomboids and trapezius muscles. You can use lighter dumbbells or weight plates to do this exercise.

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the dumbbells at your sides.
• Raise your arms straight out in front of you to form the letter “I.”
• From this position, raise your arms up and out to the sides to form the letter “Y.”
• Finally, bring your arms down and out to the sides to make your body a “T” shape.
• Then lower your arms to the initial position and repeat.

Engage your upper back muscles throughout the exercise. Avoid swinging or using momentum when doing the movements.

8. Incline Dumbbell Row

The incline dumbbell row is a variation of the bent-over row that targets the upper back muscles, including the rhomboids. As you rest your body on the bench, it encourages you to target the rhomboids more effectively.

How to do it:

• Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle and lie face down on the bench, holding the dumbbells.
• With your arms hanging straight towards the floor, pull the dumbbells towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
• Pause at the top of the movement, squeezing your shoulder blades together. 
• And then, lower your arms to the starting position and repeat.

Avoid swinging or jerking the weights.

9. Dumbbell Reverse Fly

Although the dumbbell reverse fly may seem like a rear delt exercise, it provides a nice contraction to your rhomboids and middle and lower traps at the end of the movement.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet slightly apart and hold a pair of dumbbells in each hand in front of you. Slightly bend your elbows.
• Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core tight.
• With your palms facing each other, raise the dumbbells out to the sides until they reach horizontal.
• Then slowly lower the weights to the initial position and repeat.

Avoid using momentum to lift the weights and lower the dumbbells in a controlled way.

10. T-Bar Row

The T-bar row is an excellent exercise, especially when you want to get a thicker and more defined upper back.

This exercise can be performed using a traditional barbell or a T-bar row machine. Experiment with both variations to find which one feels best for you.

How to do it:

1. To begin, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and facing the loaded end of the barbell with an attached handle.
2. Bend over at the waist, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
3. Grasp the handle with both hands, palms facing each other, and row the bar up towards your chest.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top of the effort and then return back to the starting position. Repeat.

Keep your core tight throughout the exercise to protect your lower back. 

Cable Rhomboid Exercises

Check out the best rhomboid exercises with cable and resistance bands.

11. Close-Grip Seated Cable Row

The first cable rhomboid exercise is a close-grip seated cable row, a great way to target the rhomboids and other upper back muscles. It’s quite similar to the T-bar row, but here you can maintain a more controlled form.

How to do it:

1. Sit at a cable machine with your feet resting on the footrests.
2. Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip, with your hands shoulder-width apart.
3. Or you can attach a special handle so you can do it with a neutral grip.
4. Keep your back straight and pull the handle towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
5. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and slowly return your arms to the starting position and repeat.

Focus on using your upper back muscles to initiate the movement.

12. Face Pulls with Pause

Whether you want to build your rear deltoid, improve posture, or increase your upper back strength, the face pull is one of the best and my go-to exercises.

How to do it:

1. Attach a rope handle to a cable machine at face height.
2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, with your hands shoulder-width apart.
3. Step back until the cable is taut, with your arms extended in front of you. You can also do the exercise in a seated position for balance.
4. Pull the handles towards your face, keeping your elbows high and your hands at or above your eye level.
5. Pause there for a movement and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
6. Then slowly release the handles and repeat.

Keep your elbows high throughout the movement to fully engage your rhomboids.

13. Cable Reverse Fly

Although it’s a variation of reverse dumbbell fly, doing it in a cable machine helps increase your range of motion, resulting in better muscle activation.

How to do it:

1. Attach two stirrup handles to the cable machines at waist height.
2. Grasp the handles with opposite arms (left side machine handle with the right arm and right side handle with the left arm) and step back until the cable is taut.
3. Keep your core tight and pull the handles out to the sides, keeping your arms straight.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the effort.
5. Then slowly release the handles and repeat for desired reps.

Use a weight that you can handle without compromising your form.

14. One-Arm High Cable Row

One-arm high cable rows are a unilateral exercise that can help to correct muscle imbalances and strengthen the rhomboids.

How to do it:

1. Grasp the high cable handle with an overhand grip and step back with your arm extended toward the machine.
2. Stand in a walking position, one foot forward. Keep your back straight, core engaged, and feet firmly on the ground.
3. Pull the handle down towards your side, keeping your elbow close to your body. And contract your upper back muscles at the bottom of the movement.
4. Slowly return the handle to the starting position. Repeat and switch arms.

Keep your elbow close to your body throughout the movement to fully engage your rhomboids. Try a seated position to build strength before standing.

15. Resistance Band Pull-Apart

Resistance band pull-apart is an excellent exercise for targeting the rhomboid muscles and increasing upper body mobility. It can also be a great warm-up exercise you can do before heavier lifts, such as dumbbell rows or cable rows.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a resistance band with both hands in front of your chest. Your palms should be facing down.
• Keeping your arms straight, pull the band apart, bringing your hands to the sides of your body.
• Then slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Keep your core engaged to maintain good posture throughout the movement.

Tips for Incorporating Rhomboid Exercises into Your Fitness Routine

Here are some tips to help you get started with the rhomboid workout:

1. Include a Variety of Exercises: It’s important to vary your rhomboid exercises to target the muscle fibers from different angles that help prevent plateaus and fix muscle imbalances. ^[2]
2. Start with Bodyweight Movements: If you’re new to rhomboid training, start with bodyweight exercises like prone lateral raises, Y-raises, etc., to build a strong foundation first before moving on to more advanced exercises.
3. Progress Gradually: As you get stronger or familiar with bodyweight exercises, you can start incorporating dumbbells, cables, and resistance bands into your routine to progress consistently. 
4. Focus on Correcting the Form: Proper form is key to getting the most out of your rhomboid workout. Make sure to focus on learning the proper form of each exercise and try different variations as you become comfortable.
5. Include Rhomboid Exercises in Your Back Workouts: Rhomboid muscles are a part of your upper back, so incorporating rhomboid exercises (e.g., one or two) into your back workouts helps you see the best results.

Why is it Important to Train the Rhomboids?

Training the rhomboid muscles is important for several reasons. First, they are crucial in stabilizing the scapulae and improving upper body posture. And also contribute to upper back strength and aesthetic appearance.

Weak rhomboid muscles (along with the lower trapezius) can lead to several complications, including rounded shoulders, forward head posture, and neck and shoulder pain. 

Related: 75 Best Shoulder Exercises of All Time

A study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that strengthening exercises that target the rhomboids can significantly improve posture and reduce pain in individuals with forward head postures or upper cross syndrome. ^[3]

Another study published in the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation found that rhomboid strengthening exercises effectively improved scapular kinematics and posture. ^[4]

Bottom Line

Whether you’re a beginner or an athlete and have access to a gym or not, there’s a rhomboid exercise suitable for your fitness level and equipment availability.

So, incorporate these rhomboid exercises into your fitness routine to build muscle, improve posture, and increase overall strength.

Remember to consult with a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions.

FAQs About Rhomboid Strengthening Exercises

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Sources

Image Sources:

• Featured image: Canva.com
• Rhomboid major and minor anatomy: Thewellnessdigest.com

1. Farrell C, Kiel J. Anatomy, Back, Rhomboid Muscles. [Updated 2022 May 20]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534856/

2. Baechle, T. R., & Earle, R. W. (2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (3rd ed.). Human Kinetics.

3. Im, B., Kim, Y., Chung, Y., & Hwang, S. (2016). Effects of scapular stabilization exercise on neck posture and muscle activation in individuals with neck pain and forward head posture. Journal of physical therapy science, 28(3), 951–955. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.951

4. Kibler, W. B., McMullen, J., & Uhl, T. (2001). Shoulder rehabilitation strategies, guidelines, and practice. The Orthopedic Clinics of North America, 32(3), 527–538. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0030-5898(05)70222-4

5. Schoenfeld, B. J., Contreras, B., Krieger, J., Grgic, J., Delcastillo, K., Belliard, R., & Alto, A. (2019). Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 51(1), 94–103. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764.