The 10 Best Back Exercise Machines for Building Strong Muscles
Get a gym-worthy workout in the comfort of your own home.
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While muscle groups like the chest, biceps, and glutes tend to get an abundance of attention, no strong physique is complete without a well-developed back. All too often, however, we overlook back workouts in favor of endless bench presses, bicep curls, and squats, especially when working out at home.
You can always stick to bodyweight exercises to keep your back healthy, but many of us require—or simply prefer—a more targeted workout to efficiently strengthen back muscles, whether that means taking an instructor-led class or using a purpose-built exercise machine.
Back exercise machines are helpful because they let you progressively add more and more weight as your muscles grow, helping you achieve a truly muscular back right from home. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up the best back exercise machines on the market to help you tone up, improve your posture, and maybe even relieve some of that nagging back pain.
The Best Back Exercise Machines
What to Consider
Before you buy a back machine, it’s important to consider factors like the space you have available, your fitness goals, and your current physical condition. Here’s what to keep in mind:
Product Footprint
Back exercise machines can be quite large, eating up a lot of your living space. While this might not matter if you have a garage, spare room, or large apartment, opt for a more compact option like a curl bench or a boxing trainer, or one of our selections that can fold up when not in use.
Fitness Goals
While all of the suggestions below can deliver a solid back workout, some machines are tailored to specific goals. If you’re simply looking to maintain or improve back mobility as part of your normal workout, a machine with a variety of on-demand classes might be your best bet. For a bit of back toning, a straightforward rower will suffice. To bulk up your back, opt for a machine that offers plenty of opportunities to pump iron.
Physical Condition
How’s your back doing? If you're new to back workouts, you probably don’t want to jump straight to lifting weights—it can make your back pain even worse to overdo it. Instead, start by improving your mobility and strength with low-impact workouts like yoga classes or rowing machines. Once you've established some baseline back strength, weighted workouts are typically the fastest way to grow your muscles.
How We Selected
To find the best back exercise machines on the market, we researched the most popular models available and took into account price, versatility, accessories, and additional features. We also consulted thousands of customer reviews to settle on the 10 you'll find below.
Marcy MWM-988 Multifunction Steel Home Gym for Back Exercises
Pros
- Wide range of workouts
- Decent heavy weight training
- Moderate footprint
Cons
- Some buyers report difficult assembly
While this home gym isn't cheap, the wealth of back workout options it provides makes it well worth the price. With this model, you can do upper-body exercises like flys, curls, chest presses, and lat pulldowns, as well as lower-body exercises like leg extensions.
Its weight stack goes up to 150 pounds, and it even has a workout chart built in to show you which exercises you can use this machine for and how to do them properly.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 68 x 42 x 78 in. |
| Type | Weight machine |
Pros
- Super engaging
- All-around upper-body training
- Solid build quality
Cons
- Not a targeted back workout
Looking for a more interactive way to strengthen and tone your back? This boxing trainer is not only super effective at training and strengthening your arms and back, but it's also super engaging and feels more like a game than a workout.
It has live training, including a leaderboard and on-demand classes, and it keeps track of stats like power, accuracy, speed, and strike count. It's also adjustable, so it can easily be used by multiple people of different heights and sizes.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 50 x 72 in. |
| Type | Boxing machine |
Sunny Health & Fitness Hyperextension Roman with Dip Station for Back Muscles
Pros
- Lower back targeting
- Dip handles
- Stable build quality
Cons
- Fairly specific workout options
Okay, so it’s not exactly a machine, but few pieces of back workout equipment deliver the lower back targeting power of a hyperextension Roman chair, and this option from Sunny Health & Fitness is a great choice for a number of reasons.
Its solid build quality means that it won’t wobble unsteadily like cheaper competitors, and it’s fully adjustable to suit any body size. It also has integrated dip handles for an added bonus workout, and it's easy to lay flat for storage.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 24 x 45.7 x 29.9 in. |
| Type | Roman chair |
Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym
Pros
- Wide range of motions
- Low impact plus resistance training
- Great build quality
Cons
- Not ideal for heavy strength training
Bowflex is a trusted name in the home gym game, and its PR1000 home gym is ideal for those looking to strengthen their back muscles. This model has everything you need for a complete upper-body workout, including multiple pulley positions that allow you to target different muscle groups.
The bench even converts into a rowing machine, which is great for engaging your entire upper body, including your chest and core, while providing you a solid cardio workout.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 103 x 80 x 82 in. |
| Type | Pulley system |
Major Lutie Multifunction Power Cage with Smith Bar for Back Workouts
Pros
- Comprehensive workout options
- Great for heavy lifting
- Excellent build quality
Cons
- Large footprint
If you’re a serious lifter looking to bring the whole gym home, this is a great option. Major Lutie has put together a power cage that includes everything you need to get an awesome workout—well beyond just your back.
Target your chest, arms, legs, shoulders, and abs—all with this one machine. It’s big and pricey, but if you have the space and budget, it’s worth the investment and has excellent build quality.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 56.6 x 65.8 x 84.8 in. |
| Type | Power cage |
Pros
- Back workout plus solid cardio
- Relatively small footprint
- Affordable
Cons
- No digital classes like more expensive rowers
This rowing machine is great for knocking out your cardio and upper-body workouts in one fell swoop. At under $300, it's on the more affordable end of the spectrum, and it's a great option for both newbies and dedicated workout enthusiasts alike.
It works to strengthen your core and back, and the seat and stirrups are adjustable, making it a great option for home gyms used by multiple roommates or family members.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 21.5 x 88.5 x 21.5 in. |
| Type | Rowing machine |
Pros
- Total core workout
- Fully adjustable
- Thick padding for comfort
Cons
- May be unstable under high weight
If you’re looking for a way to workout your core from every angle—back, abs, obliques, and all the little connectors in between—this adjustable bench from Vanswe is a great option. Not only does it give you the full range of core motions, but it has solid build quality and thick, comfortable padding.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 57 x 23.6 x 33.5 in. |
| Type | Bench |
Pros
- Ensures solid deadlift form
- Super heavy weight capacity
- Outstanding construction
Cons
- Fairly narrow workout options
If your goal is to build an uber strong deadlift above all else, this Bells of Steel machine delivers. While it’s technically designed for squats, it also doubles for deadlifts, and ensures that you maintain the proper, safe form with every lift.
It also has a massive 700-pound weight capacity, so you’ll definitely give up before it does. While it is pretty pricey, the craftsmanship is outstanding and it lasts for years.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 75.43 x 50.67 x 41.73 in. |
| Type | Squat machine |
Pros
- Vast array of classes for any fitness goal
- Tiny footprint
- One-on-one training option
Cons
- Must purchase membership
If you don't have a ton of space to dedicate to a large back exercise machine, the Mirror could be a great option for you. This one comes with a yoga mat and accessories, dumbbells, and resistance bands, which can be used along with their 10,000-plus on-demand classes.
In addition to training your back using Mirror's dedicated upper-body exercises, you can also strengthen and tone it with workouts like boxing and yoga.
Key Specs
| Dimensions | 56.0, 22.4, 1.4 in. |
| Type | Smart mirror |
Nick Hilden is a writer, globetrotter, and jack-of-many-talents who has written gear reviews for the likes of Runner’s World, Popular Science, Men’s Health, Thrillist, the Daily Beast, the Los Angeles Times, Greatist, and the Manual, and his lifestyle, culture, and tech writing has also appeared in Scientific American, Afar, Salon, Vice, Healthline, and many others. Before entering journalism some 15 years ago, he worked as a bartender, brewery manager, sound engineer, recording and touring musician, cook, teacher, and in a variety of other trades. These days, he lives all over the world, performs music sporadically, and spends a lot of time thinking how to best improve his Honda Element conversion.
Before joining Runner's World, Gabrielle Hondorp spent 6 years in running retail (she has tested top gear from shoes, to watches, to rain jackets which has expanded her expertise—and her closets); she specializes in health and wellness, and is an expert on running gear from head-to-toe. Gabi began her journalism career as a Digital Editorial Fellow for Runner’s World and Bicycling Magazine, and has since advanced to a Runner's World Editor specializing in commerce. She has a double degree in English and Media and Communication from Muhlenberg College where she also ran cross country and track.
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