8 Rhomboid Exercises That Activate Your Back Muscles In a Whole New Way
Your posture is about to get a boost.
By Lauren Mazzo•
What Exactly Are the Rhomboid Muscles?
The Benefits of Strengthening the Rhomboids
8 Best Rhomboid Exercises for a Strong Upper Back
How to Add Rhomboid Exercises to Your Workout Routine
It’s time to think more about your rhomboids—and no, we’re not talking geometry. Your rhomboids are a small but important group of upper-back muscles that don’t get as much love as bigger, buzzier ones (with catchy nicknames) like the lats or traps.
Why are they worth working out? ”Because it is a part of your body!” says Peloton instructor Logan Aldridge. Building strength in any muscle group helps you armor your body to move more ably and efficiently, and that very much includes your rhomboids. But where are your rhomboids, exactly, and how do you work them? We have all the details here, including some rhomboid exercises that’ll ensure you never forget these babies again.
What Exactly Are the Rhomboid Muscles?
The rhomboid muscles are a group of muscles in your upper back, between your spine and shoulder blades. “These muscles are important for upper extremity movement and stability of the shoulder joint,” explains John Gallucci Jr., physical therapist and CEO of JAG Physical Therapy.
Where Are the Rhomboids Located on the Body?
The rhomboids are actually two separate muscles: the rhomboid major and minor. Together, they form a rhomboid shape (surprising, right?) and lie underneath the trapezius muscles (aka the traps) in the upper back. They connect to either side of your spine, starting at the base of your cervical spine (neck) and stretching over to the inside edge of your scapulas (shoulder blades). Together, they form an upside-down V shape.
What Do the Rhomboid Muscles Actually Do?
The rhomboid’s main job is to move your shoulder blades. Specifically, it can pull your shoulder blades up and in towards your spine, allow them to rotate, and keep them pulled in tight against the back of your rib cage. “A movement the rhomboid muscles are primarily used for is pulling your arms and shoulders backward (retraction),” Gallucci says.
It’s worth noting that the rhomboids rarely act alone; they’re part of your shoulder girdle, a group of muscles including (but not limited to) the chest, traps, lats, and rotator cuff, which keep your shoulder joint stable and moving well. The rhomboid muscle enables your arms to work with your chest, back, and torso, Logan explains.
The Benefits of Strengthening the Rhomboids
In general, strengthening your rhomboids helps protect your thoracic (middle) spine and stabilizes your shoulders and scapula, Logan says.
A major perk of keeping these muscles sharp is improved posture. “The rhomboid muscles play a crucial role in maintaining proper posture by retracting the shoulder blades towards the spine. Weakness or dysfunction in these muscles can result in rounded shoulders, forward head posture, and exaggerated curvature of the upper spine,” Gallucci explains. Strengthening your rhomboids, on the other hand, can help improve posture, especially in your upper back, neck, and head, he says.
Dysfunctional or weak rhomboids can also contribute to scapular dyskinesis (when your shoulder blades don’t move normally), including scapular winging (when the inside edge of your shoulder blades flares out from your torso). This can cause pain, loss of strength, and limit your range of motion. Weak rhomboid muscles can also result in muscle imbalances around the shoulder, Gallucci adds. “This imbalance may lead to overuse of other muscles, which can make shoulder and neck pain worse,” he says.
How do you know if you have weak or inhibited rhomboids? “Some symptoms of rhomboid issues could include pain in the upper back, arm fatigue when making repetitive overhead movements, arm weakness, or tenderness/pain around the shoulder blade,” Gallucci says. Your best bet is to see a physical therapist, who can test for rhomboid weakness and help you tackle it.
There are also certain workout goals or sports for which strong rhomboids are key. For example, “stronger rhomboid muscles can help when performing workouts such as pull-ups and rows, as these muscles are activated when performing those exercises,” Gallucci says. They’re also important in any sports with overhead motion—think: throwing a baseball, swimming, paddling a surfboard, or swinging a tennis racket.
8 Best Rhomboid Exercises for a Strong Upper Back
Building strong and capable rhomboids has some clear benefits, but that doesn’t mean you should go all-in on rhomboid exercises. Since your rhomboids aren’t solo agents, it doesn’t make sense to target them alone—nor is it really possible. Most rhomboid exercises aren’t actually isolation exercises, meaning they don’t work just the rhomboids. Instead, they work multiple muscles in the back or shoulders while asking the rhomboids to get to work.
Logan sees this as a good thing: “I do not believe in training isolated muscle groups,” he says. “If you’re training a well-rounded functional fitness program, your rhomboids are getting a great dose.”
The eight rhomboid exercises below work many muscles in your back, shoulders, and arms, helping you build 360 degrees of functional strength that’ll help you move efficiently through life, sports, and workouts—not just build super-sized rhomboids.
Banded Pull-Aparts
Logan loves this resistance band drill as an activation exercise. To do it, grab a therapy band, long-loop resistance band, or resistance band with handles.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a resistance band in both hands with your arms straight in front of you at shoulder height, hands about 10 inches apart and palms facing down, so there’s no tension on the band.
Pull the band apart by opening your arms until they’re extended out to the sides. Keep your shoulders down away from your ears and your shoulder blades back and down.
Slowly allow your hands to return to the starting position.
Do 8-10 reps.
Muscles worked: rhomboids, rotator cuffs, rear deltoids, trapezius
WYTs
This is a favorite move of Logan’s, and it’s stellar for scapular stabilization, according to the American Council on Exercise. Try it as part of an upper body strength warm-up.
W: Lie prone (on your stomach) on the floor with your legs fully extended, toes pointed away from you, and arms long, biceps by your ears. Engage your core and gently exhale to lift your shoulders and arms off the floor, bending your elbows and pulling them backward until they make a “W” shape. Think about pulling your shoulder blades back and down, and keep your neck neutral, gaze on the floor. Hold this position for five seconds, then relax and return to the starting position.
Y: From the same starting position, gently exhale and slowly lift your arms off the floor, moving your arms into a “Y” shape, extending diagonally out at a 45-degree angle from your head. Hold for five seconds, then lower to return to the starting position.
T: From the same starting position, gently exhale and slowly lift your arms off the floor, moving your arms into a “T” shape, directly out to the sides at shoulder height, forming a 90-degree angle with your torso. Hold for five seconds then return to the starting position.
Do 3-5 reps of the whole sequence.
Muscles worked: rhomboids, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, infraspinatus, teres minor
Scapular Retractions
This move, recommended by Gallucci, is another great one to include in your strength warm-up. You can also do it as a posture check while sitting at your desk.
Start standing or seated with good posture: your spine stacked, core engaged, and neck long.
Maintaining good posture, pull both your shoulder blades back and down simultaneously.
Hold the position for 10 seconds. Do 10 reps.
Muscles worked: rhomboids, trapezius, latissimus dorsi
Scapular Pull-Ups
Scapular pull-ups are a great drill for helping you master pull-ups, and they’re also A+ for hitting your rhomboids. This move essentially entails hanging from a pull-up bar and creating “active shoulders,” Logan explains. You’re moving from hanging completely relaxed with your armpits floating up towards your ears to engaging your shoulders/scapula/rhomboids by pulling your shoulders back and down, he says.
Hold onto a pull-up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. (If necessary, use a step to reach the bar safely.) Allow your body to hang from the bar, completely relaxed.
From this position, without bending or moving your arms, pull your shoulder blades down and back.
Hold this position for one second, then slowly release to hang. Do 5-10 reps.
Muscles worked: rhomboids, lats, trapezius, serratus anterior muscles
Bear Crawl
Logan also recommends doing bear crawls, which train a whole lot of muscles, including the rhomboids.
Start on all fours, hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Engage your core and lift your knees just off the floor. Pull your shoulder blades back and down, and try not to arch or round your back.
Maintaining this position, step your right hand and left foot forward.
Repeat with the opposite hand and foot.
Crawl forward 3-5 steps, then repeat going backward to return to the start. Repeat for 30-60 seconds.
Muscles worked: back, core, shoulders, chest, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings
Plank Rotations
Logan also loves plank rotations to activate the rhomboids along with your core, shoulders, and more.
Start in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders, core engaged, and feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.
Lift your left hand off the floor and rotate onto the sides of your feet, turning your hips and shoulders to face to the left so you’re in a side plank with your feet staggered. Reach your left arm toward the ceiling.
Hold for one second, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Throughout the move, think about keeping both shoulder blades pulling back and down.
Continue for 30-60 seconds.
Muscles worked: back, core, shoulders, chest, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings
Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows
Bent-over dumbbell rows are a classic back-strengthening move is a rhomboid exercise pick from Gallucci. “A tip for this is to focus on pulling through the elbows rather than just moving the weights with your arms,” he says.
Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. With your knees softly bent, hinge forward at your hips, keeping your back straight and core engaged until your torso is almost parallel to the ground.
Pull the dumbbells backward and up, keeping your elbows close to your ribs, and squeezing the shoulder blades at the top.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position with control.
Muscles worked: rhomboids, trapezius, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, rear deltoids, biceps, core
Seated Cable Rows
You can do this rhomboid exercise using a cable machine or resistance band, Gallucci says. Here’s how.
Select an appropriate weight on a seated cable row machine. (If this is your first time, you may need to experiment to see how much weight is right for you.) Sit with your legs extended, knees slightly bent. Hold the handle at chest height in front of you, palms facing in, chest tall, and core engaged.
Pull the handle towards your body, keeping your elbows close to your ribs, until the handle is just in front of your chest.
Slowly extend your arms to return to start. Do 8-10 reps.
Muscles worked: rhomboids, lats, traps, rear deltoids
How to Add Rhomboid Exercises to Your Workout Routine
How you incorporate upper back and rhomboid exercises into your workout routine is really up to you. The American College of Sports Medicine and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend adults get at least two days of resistance training per week, and you can do that by breaking up your workouts in almost infinite different ways. The best method for you will depend on your goals, how much time you have to train, and what equipment you have.
For example, you can divide your strength training into a workout split, dedicating different days to different muscle groups, such as push, pull, legs or chest, back, legs, and arms. If you’re doing something like the latter, Gallucci recommends adding rhomboid exercises to your workout routine by integrating them into their back workouts. “I also recommend placing rhomboid exercises toward the beginning of your workout routine. Avoid doing them at the end of your workout when fatigue may compromise your technique,” he says.
It’s also OK if you just tackle three full-body strength workouts per week. As long as you vary the moves you’re doing and train all your muscle groups throughout your routine, you (and your rhomboids) will be A-OK.
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.
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