Top 4 back exercises that make your waist slimmer

Author: Mikhail Ziborov - author of the site makefitness.pro.
2026-05-21

The dumbbell row is a unilateral exercise: first we train one side of the torso (one arm), then the other. Thanks to this, the result will be slightly faster compared to biomechanically similar exercises.

Rest one knee and one hand on a bench, and pick up the weight with the other hand. Your task is to bend the arm with the dumbbell and bring it to the bottom of your side.

Note: you should pull not so much with the arm muscles as with the back muscles. Therefore, while rowing the dumbbell, bring the working shoulder blade toward the torso (simply put, retract your shoulder blades).

What the bent-over dumbbell row provides:

a denser and stronger back;

a more pronounced silhouette;

better posture control.

When training at home, instead of a dumbbell, you can use either improvised means (a weighted backpack, a filled multi-liter plastic bottle) or purchase a resistance band.

Exercise #3

This exercise is also called horizontal shoulder abduction in a machine or Peck Deck. Everything here is simple: sit in the machine, grab the handles in front of you, and spread your arms to the sides. It is important not to shrug your shoulders toward your ears; i.e., do not raise your shoulders during the performance.

Just spread your arms to the sides and squeeze your shoulder blades. Nothing else.

What horizontal arm flys provide:

straighter posture;

more "open" shoulders;

a visually toned back.

Training at home and have no access to a machine? No problem at all. Here are two options on how to do this with bands:

Exercise #4

The exercise is very similar to the lat pulldown, but with a different handle. Overall, the technique is similar: bend your arms and bring the handle to the bottom of your chest muscles. At the same time, try to pull the weight not with your arms, but more with your back.

What the close-grip cable row provides:

a wider and more pronounced back;

a visually narrower waist;

improved posture and a confident silhouette.

When training at home, you can replace it with low rows on TRX loops or a close-grip overhead pull with a resistance band.

But seriously speaking, exercises alone are not enough. It is also important how and what you eat (and whether it will be enough for muscle growth or weight loss), and how you train (is there a system, or do you exercise only when you feel like it). In general, there are many variables affecting the result.

A narrow waist is achieved through a comprehensive approach: both exercises (ideally a training program) and a diet plan.