Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
When most lifters think of their major back muscles, they instantly envision the lats, traps, and even rear delts. On the opposite side of the training spectrum is the rhomboids, which rarely get as much love as they should.
But, neglecting this muscle group is a huge training mistake, as strengthening your rhomboids is necessary for achieving the best possible physique and crucial for building a well-rounded and strong back.
The rhomboid muscles play a very important role in your overall strength, posture, and durability. That's why this rhomboid strength and hypertrophy guide features the 11 best rhomboid exercises that you can do using various equipment, including barbells, dumbbells, and cables.
In addition, we'll discuss crucial programming tips, the benefits of rhomboid training, and even some bonus moves you can do at home.
Table of Contents:
- 11 Best Rhomboid Exercises
- Rhomboid Muscle Anatomy & Functions
- Benefits of Rhomboid Exercises
- How To Activate Your Rhomboids
- Posture-Improving Rhomboid Exercises You Can Do At Home
- Rhomboid Stretches & Rehabilitation Exercises
11 BEST RHOMBOID EXERCISES FOR STRENGTHENING, HYPERTROPHY & DEFINITION
The exercises below use a wide range of equipment, including the barbell, dumbbells, and cable machine. In addition, you can easily swap one piece of equipment for another with many of the exercises, such as using kettlebells instead of dumbbells for bent-over rows.
The 11 best rhomboid exercises for strength and hypertrophy are:
- Bent Over Rows
- Landmine Rows
- Dumbbell Rows (Bent Over & Single Arm)
- Dumbbell Rear Delt Flys
- Prone Lateral Raise
- Side Lying Reverse Dumbbell Fly
- Face Pull With Rope
- High Angle One Arm Cable Row
- Seated Row & Standing Cable Row
- Standing Rear Delt Cable Rows
- Inverted Row (Bodyweight)
All in all, each of the exercises below are highly effective at training the rhomboids for size and definition, as well as improving posture, scapular strength, and injury resilience.
1. Bent Over Barbell Rows (Overhand):
When doing rows, focus on really squeezing your rhomboids at the end of the row, even pause and hold the scapular retraction position with each rep. Focus on the rhomboids.
How to do bent over barbell rows:
- Hold the bar with an overhand grip (targets rhomboids better than underhand) and just wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Let the bar hang with your arms straight.
- Tighten your core and keep your shoulders down and shoulder blades together.
- Row the bar up until it touches your sternum, then slowly lower it back down again.
Tip: Don’t just retract your scapular, also tuck your shoulder blades downward (scapular downward rotation).
Check out our article on the different Barbell Row Grips & Muscles Worked to learn more great variations of this exercise.
2. Landmine Rows:
Again, squeezing your rhomboids in scapular retraction is essential to activating this muscle group during landmine rows. Make sure you use a weight that allows you to have a full range of motion. Without a full range, you won’t be able to target your rhomboids effectively.
How to do landmine rows:
- Setup the barbell with plates. Make sure the end of the barbell is secure (tucked in to corner or in a landmine base).
- Bend down with a high hinge, keep your back straight and grip the bar with both hands (or a V-bar) between your legs.
- Pull the barbell upward and squeeze your back muscles as you exhale.
- Lower the bar back down until your arms are extended. Inhale and repeat.
Looking for more great exercises like this one? Head to our article on the Best Landmine Exercises.
3. Dumbbell Rows (Bent Over & Single Arm):
How to do bent over dumbbell rows:
- With a dumbbell in each hand, bend over at about a 45-degree angle (hip hinge).
- Maintain this position and brace your core throughout the entire movement.
- Lift the dumbbells straight up while exhaling. Your arms should go no higher than parallel with the shoulders.
- While lifting, keep your wrist firm and there should be no movement of the legs.
- Lower the weights in a controlled manner while inhaling.
When doing one arm dumbbell rows, add a little thoracic rotation at the end of the row to get that extra bit of contraction in the rhomboids. Do this by slightly lifting your shoulders away from the floor. If done correctly, you will very noticeably feel it in your rhomboids.
Single Arm Rows:
Note: The following exercises are about as close you can get to a rhomboid isolation exercise as possible. Use light dumbbells so you can really focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Enjoy working your back with dumbbells? Check out these Best Dumbbell Back Exercises.
4. Dumbbell Rear Delt Flys:
This exercise is really good at targeting the rhomboids. Like many of the following exercises, it is as close to a rhomboid isolation exercise as you are going to get.
It will hit your upper back and rear delts very effectively.
How to do dumbbell rear delt flys:
- Sit down and lean forward with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Stay bent forward for the entire movement.
- Raise your arms to the side. They should come up in line with your shoulders.
- Lower back down in the same path slowly, then repeat.
5. Prone Lateral Raise:
How to do a prone lateral raise:
- Lie stomach down on a bench with your arms to your sides.
- With a dumbbell in each hand, raise your arms up to shoulder level. Once they reach at least parallel with the floor, squeeze your rhomboids and upper back.
- Keep your arms perpendicular to your torso and fully extended through the movement.
- Lower back down and repeat.
6. Side Lying Reverse Dumbbell Fly:
Really try to focus on your rhomboid muscles as you raise the dumbbell up. Squeeze them and keep your shoulder blades pulled together.
How to do a side lying reverse dumbbell fly:
- Lying on your side with your elbow fixed and body still, raise the dumbbell from floor until it is nearly vertical. Exhale as you raise the dumbbell up.
- Lower back down in a reverse motion while inhaling.
- Don’t let the dumbbell touch the floor. The goal is to keep tension throughout the movement.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
7. Face Pull with Rope:
Go light with this exercise targeting your upper back muscles, as that will reduce the focus on the shoulders and help you place it on your rhomboids.
How to do the face pull with rope:
- Set up the cable machine with a double-rope attachment fixed in a high position (shoulder level).
- Hold the handle of the rope in an overhand grip (palms facing the floor) and your arms fully extended in front of you. Keep your feet shoulder width apart.
- Pull towards your face with your upper arms parallel to the floor. The handles should go the sides of your face.
- Return to the starting position slowly, keeping the tension in the cable.
Check out these Best Face Pull Alternatives for more great takes on this exercise.
8. High Angle One Arm Cable Row:
How to do the high angle one arm cable row:
- Set up the cable machine with a handle fixed in a high position (top of your head level).
- Get into a split stance and grab the handle palms down. Your arms should be extended forward with your hand in line with the top of your head.
- Pull the cable in a straight diagonal motion down the side of your chest. As your arm reaches a 90 degree angle, slightly rotate your working shoulder outward. This rotation will allow you to better target your rhomboids and really squeeze them.
- Slowly return it back in the same motion then repeat.
For more information on this exercise, check out our Machine High Row Exercise Guide.
9. Seated Row & Standing Cable Row:
This versatile move also makes the list for best women's back exercises due to its emphasis on the rhomboids and lats. And, if you don't have access to the cable row machine or don't like training with this type of equipment, we've got you covered with these Best Seated Cable Row Alternatives!
How to do the seated row and standing cable row:
- Set up the cable machine with two handles.
- Bring a flat bench up to the cable machine.
- While sitting, the cable should be just below sternum level.
- Grab one handle in each hand and sit back so that your arms are fully extended. You back should be perfectly straight. You don’t need to arch your lower back. Keeping straight is better for targeting your rhomboids.
- Pull both hands towards your upper abs. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and focus in on the rhomboids.
- Slowly return in back until your arms are fully extended, then repeat.
Standing Rows:
10. Standing Rear Delt Cable Rows:
Not only is this one of the best Cable Rear Delt Exercises, but it's also an incredible rhomboids move.
How to do standing rear delt cable rows:
- Set up the cable machine with a double-rope attachment fixed in a high position (shoulder level).
- Hold the handle of the rope in an overhand grip (palms facing the floor) and your arms fully extended in front of you.
- Pull the handles toward the front of your shoulders.
- Your arms and elbows should be parallel with the floor.
- When you reach full contraction, squeeze your shoulder blades together and pause then slowly return it back and repeat.
11. Inverted Rows (can use a table or any stable bar to hold onto):
For this, you can use a smith machine, low pull up bar, suspension trainer (aka TRX ropes), or even a table.
How to do inverted rows:
- Hold the bar with your hands around shoulder width apart. Your body should make a straight line from your head to your toes.
- With your arms full extended, row your chest up towards the bar. You won’t be able to touch it to the bar, but row as high as you can.
- When you reach peak contraction, hold the position for a moment then lower back down in a controlled manner. Repeat.
You can increase the difficulty of this exercise by raising your feet in the starting position, so that your body is completely parallel with the floor.
WHAT ARE THE RHOMBOID MUSCLES?
You have a pair of rhomboids, one on each side of your upper-middle back, and together they create a rhomboid shape (hence, their name!). The rhomboids muscle group includes:
- Rhomboid Major
- Rhomboid Minor
The rhomboid major is located directly below your rhomboid minor, and it is thin and flat and twice as wide. The rhomboid minor is slightly thicker than the rhomboid major.
The rhomboids are a superficial muscle, meaning they are close to the surface of the skin. This muscle lies deep to the trapezius muscle of the upper back and is dwarfed by the almighty latissimus dorsi (lats) on the sides. So, it’s almost impossible to see the rhomboids unless you are looking at a well-defined individual with low body fat.
While the rhomboids aren't really a "mirror muscle", they are extremely vital to your back as a whole.
IMPORTANCE OF HAVING STRONG RHOMBOIDS
When it comes to bodybuilding, much of the training emphasizes superficial muscles that have the potential to get beefy. It’s all about looking bigger and leaner.
Since the rhomboids aren’t impressive in size and they don’t have much growth potential, they aren’t exactly the hottest topic in the gym.
Nevertheless, the rhomboids play a very important performance role. Without well-functioning, strong rhomboids, your other larger, "mirror muscles" have less potential to grow.
Key functions of the rhomboids include:
- Scapular Retraction: This involves pulling your shoulder blades together, so you use them on any pulling movement like dumbbell rows and pull downs.
- Shoulder Stability: The rhomboids stabilize your shoulders during movements, such as when you raise your shoulders, like with a shrug, or pull them down, like with pull ups.
All in all, the primary purpose of the rhomboid major and minor is to hold the shoulder blades to the spine and provide stability to the shoulder joint. Without strong rhomboids, you won’t have good scapular control, which is not only disadvantageous for your bodybuilding efforts, but also for sports, daily life, and your health and fitness as a whole.
BENEFITS OF STRONG RHOMBOID MUSCLES
Here are 4 major benefits of including rhomboid exercises in your routine.
1. Lift More Weight to Help Other Muscles Grow:
Because your rhomboids work during scapular retraction and stabilization, having strong rhomboids means you can lift even more weight during pulling exercises. This will allow you to build bigger and stronger lats and traps.
2. Prevent Injuries:
Strong rhomboids allow for excellent scapular control. This means your shoulder blades can perform at their best during upper body exercises.
If you don’t have adequate scapular control because you have weak and undertrained rhomboids, other muscles will need to step up to help. As a result, they will get worn out. This loss of scapular control often causes the shoulder joints to have excessive motion, which is not only a concern for your shoulder, but your elbows as well. Think of it like a bad kinetic chain reaction, from your scapular to your elbows, and not to mention your upper back and neck. So, keeping a strong base is vital.
3. Avoid Compensation Issues:
Any exercise that involves scapular retraction, whether that be pulling motions or even pressing motions that require you to maintain scapular retraction throughout the exercise (i.e. bench presses), your rhomboids are working.
But here’s the thing, your rhomboids don’t ever work in isolation. They work with a large group of muscles when controlling upper body movements. Even for scapular stabilization.
So, if they are lacking strength, other muscles must pick up the slack. These muscles are not prepared to always do the rhomboids job, so they will become overused. As we mentioned, this can cause injuries and it makes for poor performance. But not only that, it will lead to imbalances in your muscle development.
This is surprisingly more common than you may think. If you want a well-balance body, both in terms of performance and looks, strong rhomboids are a must.
4. Maintain Healthy Posture:
The rhomboids play a key role in maintaining healthy posture. A strong, well-balanced back includes strong rhomboids, and as such good posture.
Poor posture is an epidemic these days due to people having such sedentary lifestyles. Bad posture comes with an array of issues. From back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain to even breathing problems.
To make matters worse, a lot of people with poor posture who work out focus on pressing movements more than pulling movements, which makes matters even worse.
One way to correct poor posture or avoid it in the first place is to do postural exercises, which involve the rhomboids, and put more focus on developing your back muscles (pulling exercises).
Note: If you have pain in your rhomboids or you feel they are tight, this could very well be from poor posture. When your shoulders are rounded forward all the time (or for long periods like when sitting), you end up overstretching your rhomboids. Exercises that contract your rhomboids will help this cause (pulling movements and shoulder retraction).
The main point is that strong rhomboids are key to a strong, well-balanced, injury-resilient upper body.
HOW TO TARGET YOUR RHOMBOIDS
If you do any kind of pulling exercise (i.e. rows and pull ups on back day), you are targeting your rhomboids. But here’s the thing, a lot of people don’t target their rhomboids effectively. This is because they either use too heavy weight or they don’t fully contract their rhomboids, or both.
The rhomboids work when you pull your shoulder blades back and together (scapular retraction). What you want to do is really squeeze the rhomboids when in the retracted position. So, at the end of a row, you squeeze the rhomboids (focus on the muscles in-between your shoulder blades and spine, aka the rhomboids).
If you are using weight that is too heavy, you won’t have the full range of motion to target your rhomboids effectively. During the row, your shoulders and elbows won’t get back far enough to fully engage the rhomboids.
So, the best place to start when strengthening the rhomboids is by lightening the load on rows, as you are probably doing these every week. With less weight, you can perform the row with good form and full range of motion, which will allow you to hone in on rhomboid contraction.
Tip: Try one arm rows as you can get an increased range of motion by adding a slight rotation at the top. Basically, you do a slight t-spine rotation at the peak of the movement to get an extra bit of retraction and thus contraction in your rhomboids. The rotation occurs simply by twisting your working shoulder slightly away from the ground. Obviously, this can’t be done with two arm rows.
Note: A good mix of two arm and single arm rows is ideal.
Another way is to engage your rhomboids by contracting in downward rotation. Your rhomboids are being worked during downward rotation, which occurs during lat pull downs, pull ups, and rows. To create tension in downward rotation (as well as retraction, think of your shoulder blades being tucked into your back pockets when you do back exercises. Don’t let them rise toward your ears.
So, essentially, you want to pull your shoulder blades together (retraction) and slightly downward (rotation). This will allow you to target your rhomboids fully and most effectively.
Tip: Don’t arch your lower back or let your upper back slouch. Always keep a neutral spine during rows and pulldowns. You don’t want excessive lumbar extension. Your back should be completely straight and perpendicular with the floor on seated rows. For bent over rows, maintaining a hip hinge at all times will help you keep your back straight. If you go to heavy on bent over rows, it will be hard to keep your back straight, so use an appropriate weight.
To sum it up, to target your rhomboids, go light, use full range of motion and good form, and squeeze your rhomboids in scapular retraction and downward rotation (pull them back and down) during peak contraction. By going light, you can build a stronger mind-muscle connection with your rhomboids.
How do I make my rhomboids bigger?
The rhomboids don’t have a high ceiling for growth, but they can be strengthened significantly. The rhomboids respond best to high volume, so you want to focus on high reps and time under tension. Therefore, if you like doing heavy rows, be sure to do some lightweight rows as well, and really focus in on the rhomboids.
In addition, do some rhomboid “isolation” exercise on back/pulling days too.
Remember, you can completely isolate the rhomboids, but you can do exercises that best hone in on them, which you will learn below.
Aim for at least 30 seconds of time under tension during rhomboid-focused exercises.
RHOMBOID EXERCISES FOR POSTURE YOU CAN DO AT HOME
The scapulas play a vital role in posture, so strengthening the rhomboids is key to improving your posture. All of the strengthening exercises we showed you will be effective for improving your posture because they are strengthening your rhomboids and eliminating imbalances in your back muscles.
That said, if you want to put extra emphasis on postural exercises, or are looking for moves you can do at home, then focus on the lightweight and bodyweight rhomboid exercises, as you can really target your rhomboids and squeeze them. This will help you develop good habits of keeping your shoulders back in good posture, rather than rolled/hunched forward.
You can do these rhomboid posture exercises each morning when you wake up to promote good posture for the rest of the day!
1) PRONE Y RAISES:
2) SCAPULAR WALL SLIDES:
3) SCAPULAR RETRACTION HOLDS:
STRETCHING YOUR RHOMBOID MUSCLES
Occasional tightness in the rhomboids is normal as it is an area where we tend to get really tight and hold our stress. They may also be sore from overworking them on a tough back day or after lugging around a backpack for hours on end.
Thankfully, it is easy to address tight and sore rhomboids. All you have to do are some simple rhomboid stretches.
With the understanding that the rhomboids retract and depress the shoulder blades, to stretch them, you’ll want to move them in the opposite direction, which means scapular and arm protraction. You’ll see what we mean below.
Here are some of our favorite stretches to release tension in the rhomboids.
KNEE SCAPULAR PUs:
QUADRUPED INTERNAL SHOULDER ROTATION TO SCAPULAR ROTATION:
SHOULDER AND SCAPULAR ROTATIONS:
SPINAL ROLLS:
THORACIC ROTATION TO THREAD THE NEEDLE:
STANDING THORACIC ROTATIONS:
WORLD'S GREATEST STRETCH TO CAT COW:
As you can see, we place a lot of attention on thoracic mobility. Poor thoracic rotation mobility often leads to discomfort in the rhomboids. That coupled with poor scapular mobility and stability can wreak havoc on the body. So, the stretches above will really help with that.
If mobility is an area where you need to improve, check out these Best Thoracic Mobility Exercises.
When to do these rhomboid stretches
These dynamic stretches for the rhomboids are great before and after a workout. They can also be done any time during the day if you need to release some tension and stress in your back.
RHOMBOID REHABILITATION
The rhomboids can become injured from various activities, such as sports, regularly carrying heavy object with improper posture (i.e. slouching with a backpack), or any other kind of overuse or overstretching of the rhomboids.
Strains of the rhomboid muscle are often caused by overuse, bad form, bad posture, or even bad sleeping positions. You should be able to tell you have a strain in your rhomboid muscle when you take a deep breath, as it will cause pain in the upper-middle back area. Signs may also include tightness and tenderness in the area even when you haven’t had a tough back workout recently.
If your rhomboids are injured, the best rehabilitation begins with icing the area multiple times per day for around 20 minutes each time. Aside from that, you need to let your rhomboid muscles rest, which means avoiding loaded pulling exercises. Always maintain good posture during recovery.
While most rhomboid strains heal fast, if your rhomboid injury takes a significant amount of time to heal or it feels weak, you will need to do rehabilitation exercises and physical therapy to re-strengthen your rhomboid muscles.
Pain in your rhomboids?
If you have pain in your rhomboids but it doesn’t seem to be too serious, foam rolling and stretching is a great way to alleviate the pain. That said, if the pain is serious, we recommend checking with a doctor or physical therapist.
Rhomboid Rehabilitation Exercises
The best rhomboid rehabilitation exercises involve bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, and light weight dumbbells. When performing any of the below exercises, go light for rehab purposes.
Perform bodyweight rhomboid exercises like:
- Scapular Push Ups
- Prone IYT Raises
Perform resistance band rhomboid exercises like:
- Banded A
- Banded Y
- Banded W
- Banded Diagonals
Perform light dumbbell rhomboid exercises like:
- Rear Flys
- Side Lying Lateral Raises
- Light Dumbbell Rows
Isometric Exercises
Don’t overlook isometric training for strengthening the rhomboid muscles (or any muscles for that matter), especially for rehabilitation purposes.
Isometric exercises involve squeeze/contracting your muscles in a static position. This means there is no motion during the exercise (shortening or lengthening of the muscle), just contraction in one single position. An example of this for the rhomboids would be holding scapular retraction for 10-30 seconds.
Note: To give you a better idea of what isometric exercises are, a plank is an isometric exercise. You are simply holding a position. This concept can be applied to all muscle groups using various exercises.
Isometric training is a highly effective manner of strengthening an injured muscle as it increases blood flow to the muscle, which helps kickstart the healing process. And because you are training in a static position, it should not irritate or cause more pain to the rhomboid muscle. If it does, of course, stop.
Almost any exercise can be done isometrically, and you can hold the position at any point in the normal range of motion for any given exercise. For example, you could do an isometric hold at the top, middle, or bottom of a row, or you could do an isometric hold during a lat pull down at the top, middle, or bottom of the pull down. This applies to all exercises really. So long as the weight is not too heavy. If it is too heavy, you won’t be able to maintain the position for an adequate amount of time, which is around 10-30 seconds for isometric exercises.
For the rhomboids, we like to do the following isometric exercises:
- Bent Over Dumbbell Holds (Starting Position - maintain scapular retraction)
- Seated Resistance Band Row (Hold the row at peak contraction)
- Prone Y Raises with Thumbs Up (bodyweight only)
Do 3-5 sets of 10-30 seconds.
You can get creative and try various other isometric holds with the 24 strengthening exercises above. Just be sure to use an appropriate weight.
Bodyweight holds are very effective, as long as you really focus on squeezing the muscle.
Rhomboid Foam Rolling
Foam rolling is effective for treating pain and tightness in the rhomboids. Foam rolling is a painful process, but after you finish, it will have relaxed your muscles.
For strained, painful, or tight rhomboid muscles, a 3-Way Thoracic Spine Foam Rolling series is the best bet. Roll with your arms at your side, crossed over your body and straight back over your head.
What exercises work the rhomboids specifically?
Rows and pulldowns target the rhomboids effectively so long as you squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the concentric phase of the motion. However, this is not the only way to target your rhomboids.
Many exercises will isolate the rhomboids so you can ensure they are being worked sufficiently. This is particularly important if your rhomboids are lagging behind other back muscles. Creating a well-balanced back is essential to good posture and performance.
Rhomboid Exercises: Final Tips & Takeaways
The rhomboids may be small muscles, but they are extremely important for achieving the best possible physique and fitness level.
Strengthening and maintaining healthy rhomboids will lead to better posture, more scapular control, improved strength during weightlifting, and a beautifully toned back. Neglecting your rhomboids causes the opposite effect, which includes making you more injury prone.
So, don’t neglect your rhomboid muscles. Treat them like you would your lats, traps, chest, and glutes. You will notice the positive effects in no time.
Fitness is all about longevity, and the rhomboids are key to a healthy back.
Searching for a routine that will target each of your back muscles effectively? Take your back training to a whole new level by following one of these 5 Best Back Workouts!
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Garett Reid
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