Dumbells for working the back?

Hi all.

I have a simple bench at home with serveral sets of dumbells and a stack of plates. I'm trying to come up with some exercises that will really work my back, particularly my traps, delts, rhomboids, and especilly latissimus.

I've been doing seated shoulder presses (I know this doesn't focus on the back), single arm rows, and lying bent over rows.

When I do these exercises with heavy weight, I feel them most in my biceps and triceps. I never, ever feel a burn in my back, and the muscle in my back never seem to get 'pumped' like the rest of my body does when I lift.

I'd really like to buy a chin up bar, but I live in a rental so I am hesitant to screw mounts into the doorway.

I'm thinking its probably my technique, and I am going to try to focus more on doing the exercises the right way to see if it helps. In the meantime, can anyone recommend any killer dumbell exercises for the back, or share a way to mount a chin up bar without gnarly holes in the doorway?

This one doesn't require screws - don't know how sturdy it is, but the website says it'll hold 300 lbs... http://www.easychin.com/ I live in a rental too, I'm thinking about trying this.

: rental too, I'm thinking about trying this.

Sweet, hadn't seen this. Thanks. Its twice as expensive as the screw type from bigfitness, hmmm... Might be worth it tho.

I bought a Door Gym - works well, as advertised. I use it when I travel by car.

It's important with the one-arm dumbbell rows to use your back more than your arms. I know, that sounds easier said than done, but with some concentration you should have better results. In addition, you have to use fairly heavy weights for the one-arm DB rows. I've only been weightlifting for about five months, and doing the rows for maybe half that time, yet I'm already using a 75-pound DB and probably will use an 80 for at least one set in my next workout. I've seen people at the gym, and not terribly large people either, using DB's weighing over 100 pounds for that exercise.

You can also do pull overs. Try doing the bent over rows standing not lying on the bench.

You seem to be pulling with your biceps and not your back. The biceps should be involved but it shouldn't be the main puller.

Make sure to pull with your back on the rows. Thinking of pulling the elbow up will help with this. This applies to pull ups and chin ups too.

Good luck.

Jeff out ...