Efficient programming and exercise choice can drastically improve the quality of your back workouts. Follow these steps to learn how to perform the reverse-grip bent-over row, and how you should incorporate it into your routine to make the most out of your back day.

• How to Do the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row
• Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row Mistakes to Avoid
• How to Progress the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row
• Benefits of the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row
• Muscles Worked by the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row
• How to Program the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row
• Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row Variations 
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row Step By Step

Approaching the reverse-grip bent-over row for the first time doesn’t need to be an intimidating experience. Follow these steps for a picture-perfect lift. 

Step 1 — Setting Up

When you initially approach the bar, setting up for the reverse-grip bent-over row feels a bit like setting up for a deadlift. With the barbell over your midfoot, grab the bar slightly outside shoulder-width, using a double-underhand (supinated) grip — this is the “reverse grip” compared to the double-overhand (pronated) grip of the standard barbell row.

Brace your core, keep your spine neutral (not rounded or excessively arched), and drive through your feet to lift the weight off the floor. 

Form Tip: Experiment with your grip width to see what results in feeling the highest degree of lat (back) activation. Most likely, setting up with your grip just past shoulder width apart will yield the best results. But depending on your limb and torso length, you may feel more comfortable slightly closer or wider.

Step 2 — Find Your Trunk Angle and Brace Your Core

Hinge forward at your hips and stop when your trunk is pitched at roughly a 45-degree angle. Bend your knees slightly and maintain that angle throughout the movement. Keep your arms straight and allow the barbell to shift slightly forward. Take a deep breath and brace your core as you prepare to perform the row.

Form Tip: Consistency is key. Keep your arms at a dead-hang while you set up. This will reinforce the position you want to hold at the beginning and end of each rep.

Step 3 — Pull From Your Elbows

Squeeze and depress your scapula (pull your shoulder blades together and “down” toward your tailbone), then pull your elbows back. As you lift the weight, consciously engage your back muscles before you contract your biceps.

Continue pulling the weight toward your trunk until the barbell makes contact with your torso. To specifically target your lats rather than your upper back muscles, make the bar contact closer to your belly button than your sternum.

Form Tip: Don’t be concerned if your bar path isn’t a perfectly straight line. Pulling towards your belly button may feel awkward at first, but you should quickly notice increased lat activation when lifting this way.

Step 4 — Lower the Weight

Squeeze your back muscles at the top of the lift and consider holding the weight there for a moment. Keeping your back flat and your core tight, lower the weight back to the stretched position until your arms are fully extended.

Maintain the forward hinge position throughout the entire set. To perform the next repetition, pull the barbell toward your belly button again.

Form Tip: Keep the movement relatively slow and controlled. This helps to avoid using momentum from one repetition to another to lift the weight.

Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row Mistakes to Avoid

If you have a passing familiarity with the traditional bent-over row, or hinge movements as a whole, you could probably jump right into using the reverse-grip bent-over row to build your back and biceps without thinking too hard about form. Nevertheless, slipshod technique could mean you’re leaving gains on the table, or even putting yourself at an increased risk of injury.

Setting Up With a High Torso Angle

Either tight hips and hamstrings, a weak core, or a combination of the two could make it difficult for you to hold your trunk at a 45-degree angle across an entire set of rows. As a result, you could end up performing more of an upright row than you intend.

Setting up with a higher torso angle can result in increased muscular activation in your trapezius and your rhomboids, which means less isolation for your lats. 

Avoid it: When you setup to perform the row, be sure to hinge forward and shoot your hips back to create a strong pulling position. Add hinge movements like the deadlift, Romanian deadlift, and the good morning into your training plan to develop greater levels of strength, balance, and mobility. This will help you build the strength needed to maintain the angle in your torso for your entire set. 

Lower Back Rounding

For your spinal health and your longevity in the gym, for goodness sake, keep a flat back whenever you perform hinge movements like the row. While lower back rounding may be the result of a lack of mobility, you could also experience this just by going too heavy.

Avoid it: If you find your lower back rounding while you perform the reverse-grip bent-over row, set your ego aside. Either practice hinge movements until you’re capable of maintaining an isometric hinge or reduce the weights significantly and start over.

Engaging Your Biceps First

Since your biceps are a wrist supinator — responsible for turning your hand into a palm-up position — they engage the moment you “reverse” your grip on a bent-over row. In addition to being a secondary mover to perform the exercise, they also stabilize your elbow.

But your biceps should not be the primary mover in the reverse-grip bent-over row. That job falls to your lats, and trying to use your biceps to lift heavy loads meant for your lats might not end well for the much smaller biceps muscle.

Avoid it: Consciously think about pulling your shoulders back to engage your back muscles before pulling with your elbows. Don’t try to curl the bar to move the weight.

Utilizing Momentum From Rep to Rep

If you fail to maintain a consistent angle in your torso across each repetition, you might be generating momentum with your hips that decreases the load on your lats and biceps. This can be a sign of going too heavy, but you might also be doing this for ego lifting or simply because you’re not paying attention.

Avoid it: If the weight is too heavy for you to keep under control, lower it. Otherwise, consider focusing on the eccentric (lowering) portion of the lift to guarantee you keep the weight moving in a slow and controlled fashion to prevent momentum from building.

How to Progress the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row

If you have trouble performing the reverse-grip bent-over row right off the bat, here’s how you can approach it as a beginner and how to increase the difficulty as you continue to get stronger and progress in the gym.

Yates Row

The Yates row is the cousin of the reverse-grip bent-over row, the difference between the two being the angle of your torso. While you perform a reverse-grip bent-over row with your torso at roughly a 45-degree angle, the Yates row is performed from a more upright position.

The resulting lift targets your rhomboids and your traps in addition to your lats and biceps. It may not be as good of a lat builder, but it makes up for it by hitting your entire back. What was a “mistake” for the reverse-grip row can be used deliberately for a strategic purpose.

As you develop strength performing the Yates Row, you can slowly transition towards the reverse-grip bent-over row by experimenting with your torso angle. Sinking deeper into the hinge position will let you feel your lats working harder as you get closer to the 45-degree angle. 

Add Isometric Holds or Timed Eccentrics

At a certain point, implementing basic linear progression — adding more repetitions or more weight — stops being as useful for lifts like the reverse-grip bent-over row. Rather than continuously increasing the load on the bar, which can eventually create a higher risk than reward and may decrease stress on the target muscle, you can add isometric holds or timed eccentrics.

With isometrics, squeeze your back and shoulders at the top of each repetition for one, two, or even three seconds while the bar is in contact with your abdomen. For timed eccentrics, focus on making the negative (lowering) phase of each rep take two, three, or four full seconds. This can help to maximize your gains and develop your mind-muscle connection. 

Reverse-Grip Pendlay Row

If you’re looking to add an extra level of difficulty, swap out the reverse-grip bent-over row for a reverse-grip pendlay row. Since each rep starts and finishes on the ground, there’s no way for you to build momentum from rep to rep, which makes it a great lift to isolate your muscles and focus on pure pulling strength.

The reverse-grip pendlay row requires more hamstring flexibility than the reverse-grip bent-over row, because you’re in a steep forward-leaning position. However, it’s relatively easier on your core and lower back since you don’t have to hold an isometric hinge for the duration of your set.

Benefits of the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row

When you step into the gym, you come face-to-face with a wide range of tools and movements that you can use to sculpt your biceps and your lats. Here are some of the unique benefits of the reverse-grip bent-over row that make it worth adding to your routine.

Increased Lat Activation

Switching from a pronated grip to a supinated grip puts your arms and shoulders into a different position and changes the pulling angle, which is why it’s easier to draw the weight closer to your belly button than your sternum. This results in increased lat activation when compared to the traditional bent-over row.

Additionally, your rhomboids and traps play much less of a role in the reverse-grip bent-over row than they do when you perform the lift with an overhand grip. 

Improved Balance and Core Strength

Holding an isometric hinge isn’t easy. Your core muscles work overtime to maintain a consistent angle under heavy loads. Simultaneously, your hamstrings stay active and engaged at a lengthened position, which can help build strength in your posterior chain while also improving your overall mobility. 

Unparalleled Rowing Strength

The reverse-grip bent-over row cuts down on a number of variables and limiting factors posed by many other row variations. Generally speaking, you can lift heavier loads with a barbell than you can with a dumbbell.

Flipping your grip from overhand to underhand means your grip strength won’t hold you back as you increase loads over time because your wrists and forearms are in a stronger position. Finally, range of motion tends to be more efficient than with a traditional bent-over row, since you have improved leverage when tracking the bar closer to your center of gravity.

When you put all these factors together, what you get is a lift that lets you lift heavy weights with your lats, without so many of the variables that get in the way when performing other types of rows.

Muscles Worked by the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row

As a compound exercise, the reverse-grip bent-over row targets muscles across numerous joints. Here’s a list of the largest muscle groups worked by the lift. 

Latissimus Dorsi

With some back exercises, you feel “your back” working. That’s not the case with the reverse-grip bent-over row. When performed correctly, you should be able to feel and, later specifically target, your lats in particular.

Your lats are the biggest muscle group in your upper body — running along each side of the back half of your torso. Your lats are also the primary muscle group working in the reverse-grip bent-over row. A rock-solid pair of lats make your upper body and shoulders appear broader and your waist look more narrow in comparison, which makes them an important part of developing an aesthetic physique.

Biceps

As secondary movers — muscles which assist the primary target muscles during a given exercise — your biceps and your brachialis muscles play two separate roles during the reverse-grip bent-over row. Since your biceps are a wrist supinator, they get direct stimulation to maintain the palm-up position during the lift. More importantly, they’re responsible for stabilizing your elbow during flexion to support the joint as the muscle contracts. 

Abdominals

With a barbell held out in front of you and your torso held in an isometric hinge, your abs provide the strength and stability necessary to keep you from buckling over while performing the reverse-grip bent-over row. Especially as you get to heavier loads, you’ll find that your core plays a crucial role — keeping your torso held at the desired angle and stabilizing your spine to prevent rounding.

Hamstrings

As with any hinge movement, the reverse-grip bent-over row provides stimulus to your hamstrings. By developing strength in the fully lengthened (stretched) position, the exercise promotes muscular balance and flexibility in your hamstrings.

How to Program the Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row

Building an effective training routine can be challenging. When you’re in the gym, you want to make the most of your time and energy to maximize your gains. If you’re not sure how to incorporate the reverse-grip bent-over row into your workout plan, here are a few options that you might consider. 

As an Accessory for the Deadlift

For powerlifters, who specialize in performing the squat, bench press, and deadlift, finding efficient compound (multi-joint) exercises that complement your primary lifts can be a bit of a chore or simply confusing. The reverse-grip bent-over row builds strong lats while performing an isometric hinge, which can improve both strength and mobility across your posterior chain.

Following the deadlift, consider incorporating three to five sets of six reps, using a weight that lets you keep your torso angle solid across the length of the set.

As a Main Movement For Bodybuilders

In the interest of both exercise economy, and the hormonal response that compound movements provide, many bodybuilders prefer to start their workouts with heavy compound exercises before they get to their isolation movements. (1)(2) When you’re carving a statue from stone, use the dynamite before you get started with the hammer and chisel. 

If your training split has a back and biceps day, the reverse-grip bent-over row lets you isolate your lats and warm-up your biceps, while also stimulating a hormonal response which may support muscle growth. Early in your workout, hit at least three sets of eight, focusing on the eccentric portion of the lift to maximize your hypertrophy gains. (3)

As a High Volume Accessory Lift

If you spend a significant amount of time in a squat rack or on a weight platform, adding the reverse-grip bent-over row as an accessory after the classic bent-over row can be as much about convenience as anything else. All you have to do is flip your wrists around and you have a lift that lets you engage and isolate your lats while also dialing in your rowing technique after the related muscles are thoroughly warmed up and pre-trained.

If you want to implement the reverse-grip bent-over row as a high volume accessory movement, consider performing three sets of 15 following other row variations. 

Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row Variations

Maybe you don’t have access to a barbell. Maybe you’re dealing with nagging shoulder or back pain. Maybe you just want to mix things up. Regardless of your reasons, here are a few different lifts that let you target your back like the reverse-grip bent-over row.

Seal Row

As with all chest-supported rows, the seal row provides unique stimulus by preventing you from developing momentum or engaging your hips. Unlike other chest-supported rows, you perform the seal row by lying face down on a flat bench.

The resulting lift can target your lats and your rhomboids without having to concern yourself with keeping a flat back. The full bench support also removes strain from the lower back and makes it virtually impossible to move the weight using momentum.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

Single-arm dumbbell rows are a relatively easy-to-learn introductory lift that keeps paying dividends as you grow in the gym. To get started, just kneel on a bench and row.

The single-arm row provides some advantages over barbell rows. Kneeling on a bench limits the amount of stress on your spine. Since the lift is performed one side at a time, you can isolate your lats and correct any muscular imbalances that may develop if you tend to exclusively use barbell row variations.

Inverted Row

Advanced pull-ups aren’t the only way to utilize your body weight for back-building. Inverted rows can be performed in a number of different ways — whether that be with suspension straps, on a Smith machine, a barbell set in a power rack, or any other stable surface that lets you get under it, and keeping your body in a straight line, pulling upwards.

To modulate the level of difficulty, simply increase or decrease the angle of your body relative to the floor. Either elevate your feet (for increased difficulty) or create a steep angle with an elevated upper body (to decrease the challenge).

FAQs

References

Vingren JL, Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA, Anderson JM, Volek JS, Maresh CM. Testosterone physiology in resistance exercise and training: the up-stream regulatory elements. Sports Med. 2010 Dec 1;40(12):1037-53. doi: 10.2165/11536910-000000000-00000. PMID: 21058750.

Shaner AA, Vingren JL, Hatfield DL, Budnar RG Jr, Duplanty AA, Hill DW. The acute hormonal response to free weight and machine weight resistance exercise. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Apr;28(4):1032-40. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000317. PMID: 24276305.

Hody S, Croisier JL, Bury T, Rogister B, Leprince P. Eccentric Muscle Contractions: Risks and Benefits. Front Physiol. 2019 May 3;10:536. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00536. PMID: 31130877; PMCID: PMC6510035.

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Well-developed lats enhance the breadth of your physique by filling the space between your rib cage and arms. The lats support your low back and transmit energy between your hips and shoulders during athletic endeavors.

Finally, the lats are massive contributors to upper body pulling strength. Whether hoisting yourself over a wall at an obstacle course race or drawing in an opponent during a grappling sport, the lats are as useful as they are aesthetic.

We all need a strong, substantial set of lats. You might already train them with pull-ups and pulldowns. Sure, those are great, but there’s an assortment of effective lat exercises that only require a few dumbbells. Here are the best dumbbell exercises to hit your lats.

10 Best Dumbbell Exercises for Lats

• Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Dead-Stop Dumbbell Row
• Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullover
• Kroc Row
• Three-Point Dumbbell Row
• Bird Dog Row
• Bench-Supported Dumbbell Row
• Dumbbell Prone Bench Pull
• Dumbbell Pull-Up Drop Set

Bent-Over Dumbbell Row

Sometimes the simplest exercise is the most effective. The bent-over dumbbell row delivers a heavy training stimulus to the lats and other muscles of the back while reinforcing hip hinge mechanics. In fact, the bent-over row shows comparable low back extensor muscle activity to the Romanian deadlift (RDL). (1)

Unlike the barbell row, which is traditionally performed with an overhand grip on a straight bar, the dumbbell version allows an elbow-friendly neutral forearm rotation. To better target the lats, pull your elbows straight back out to the side. (2)

How to Do the Bent-Over Dumbbell Row

Stand upright while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Bend forward at the hips and keep a slight bend in your knees. Allow the dumbbells to hang from your straight arms, slight in front of your knees.

Row both dumbbells toward the bottom of your ribcage by pulling the elbows and shoulders back. Keep your trunk at a constant angle to the floor. Don’t jerk your upper body up and down to move the weight.

Benefits of the Bent-Over Dumbbell Row

• Maintaining the hip hinge (bent forward) position trains your glutes and spinal erectors while you row. (1)(3)
• Rowing from the bent-over position requires greater spinal stiffness, which may make the bent-over dumbbell row a great accessory exercise for those training to improve their deadlift. (3)
• Depending on your flexibility, the bent-over dumbbell row may also provide the bonus effect of a mild hamstring stretch.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

Closely related to the bent-over dumbbell row, the single-arm dumbbell row allows you to adopt a large stance and brace your off-side arm on your leg.

Tasked with managing only one dumbbell at a time, you can focus attention on the target muscles including the lats, teres major, rhomboids, middle trapezius, and posterior deltoids (upper back muscles). Focusing on the mind-muscle connection has been shown to be helpful for engaging the lats. (4)

How to Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

Begin with one dumbbell on the floor. Take a staggered stance with your front foot next to the dumbbell. Your working arm will be opposite your front foot — left foot forward with your right arm working, and vice versa.

Lean forward and brace your non-working forearm on your front thigh. Grab the dumbbell with your working arm and row the dumbbell toward your back hip. Maintain a neutral grip with your palm facing your front leg. Lower the weight to a full stretch, nearly reaching ankle-level.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

• Rowing one arm at a time with your off-side forearm supported on your thigh helps lock in good form by discouraging hip extension.
• Unilateral (single-arm) rowing with off-side support is easier on the low back. It reduces lumbar erector muscle activity and likely decreases extension forces and shear forces experienced by the low back. (5)

Dead-Stop Dumbbell Row

Think of the dead-stop dumbbell row as a relative of the barbell-based Pendlay row. Like its more popular sibling, each repetition is performed from the floor, which builds raw strength at long muscle lengths.

And like the Pendlay row and the bent-over dumbbell row, discussed above, the exercise requires deep hip flexion and adequate hamstring flexibility. But unlike the bent-over dumbbell row, which can tax the lumbar region, the dead-stop dumbbell row offloads the low back between each repetition while the weight is reset on the ground.

How to Do the Dead-Stop Dumbbell Row

Stand with two dumbbells slightly outside of your toes. Assume a deep hip hinge position, bent at the waist, with your back as straight as possible.

Grab the dumbbells and row them alongside your thighs toward your ribs. Lower both weights to the ground and allow a “dead-stop” on the floor between repetitions. Pause momentarily to unload the weights, without loosening your grip, before initiating the next rep.

Benefits of the Dead-Stop Dumbbell Row

• Because the dead-stop dumbbell row begins and ends in a stationary position on the floor, it interrupts the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) and eliminates the stretch reflex. This decreases momentum and increases muscle recruitment.
• The dead-stop makes the movement more strict by dissuading the use of passive recoil from muscles and other connective tissues. This makes the exercise more challenging and will help you to build starting strength, or strength off the floor.
• As a bonus, dead-stop exercises are often extremely joint- and tendon- friendly, likely due to more gradual loading rates and lower absolute loads required for a training effect.

Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullover

A hallmark of the “Golden era” of bodybuilding, the pullover has seen cycles of popularity and disuse. Along with straight-arm cable pulldowns, the pullover is a rare “isolation exercise” targeting the latissimus dorsi.

The lats are capable of moving the shoulder through a very long range of movement. (6) While rows train the lats through a significant part of the extension range of motion, the cross-bench dumbbell pullover trains shoulder extension from end-range (overhead position).

Peak resistance in the pullover is encountered when your arms are fully overhead, parallel to the ground. That’s when the latissimus dorsi muscle fibers are at their longest length. Training the lats at long muscle lengths is beneficial for building muscle mass. (7)

How to Do the Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullover

Support your shoulder blades on a flat bench and bridge your hips to keep a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Begin with one dumbbell in both hands supported above your face. Lower the weight “overhead” behind you until you feel a strong stretch across your lats and chest.

Pull the weight back over your forehead. Stop before your arms are vertical to maintain tension, and repeat. Keep your elbows in a fixed, slightly bent position and turned slightly outward throughout the exercise.

Benefits of the Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullover

• By keeping your elbows slightly bent and flared outwards throughout, you’ve locked yourself into a position where the dumbbell applies resistance to shoulder extension and internal rotation. Both are actions of latissimus dorsi, leading to increased muscle recruitment.
• The cross-bench dumbbell pullover requires isometric contraction of the gluteus maximus. Not only will you get bonus “glute work,” but contraction of the glutes may actually enhance tension on the lats. Force transmission occurs between the glutes and lats via the thoracodorsal fascia, a sheet of connective tissue in the small of the back to which both muscles attach. (8)(9)

Kroc Row

Some exercises are good for going heavy and others are great for high repetition sets. The Kroc row is designed for both. Dust off the biggest dumbbell you can find and consider using a lifting strap. Aim for no less than 15 reps per set.

Although the Kroc row encourages a small amount of body English to move the weight and get the reps, be disciplined here. Excessive trunk extension or rotation recruits more muscles that are not the target of the exercise. To keep the focus on the lats, the majority of work must be done by the shoulder.

How to Do the Kroc Row

Setup similar to a single-arm dumbbell row, in a split stance with a dumbbell near your front foot. Brace your off-hand on a sturdy bench or on the end of a dumbbell rack — don’t be the person blocking a row of dumbbells, set up to the side of the rack.

Strap in to the dumbbell, brace hard with your off-hand, and accelerate the dumbbell up toward the outside of your lower lower ribs. A small amount of leg drive is acceptable. Lower under control and repeat for high reps.

Benefits of the Kroc Row

• Although the Kroc row is decidedly a lat-building exercise, it allows hearty contribution from the upper traps. The recruitment of this powerful muscle allows you to move more weight for higher reps.
• The Kroc row provides a unique opportunity for heavy loading and “controlled aggression” during your training. It’s the kind of exercise that makes you want to crank up the volume on your favorite lifting music.

Three-Point Dumbbell Row

The lats act primarily on the shoulder with minor contributions to trunk extension and rotation. (10) Emphasis on the word “minor.” If you are struggling with keeping true form or experiencing low back fatigue during the bent-over dumbbell row or other standing variations, then it’s time for a different variation. The three-point dumbbell row may be ideal.

It’s sometimes considered the “default” method of performing a dumbbell row. It’s more supportive than either the single-arm dumbbell row or Kroc row because it requires a large, stable base for moving serious weight with clean form.

How to Do the Three-Point Dumbbell Row

Begin with a dumbbell on the floor next to a flat bench. Place your off-side knee, shin, and palm on the flat bench. Set your other foot a comfortable distance from your hips and keep the foot flat on the floor.

Maintain a neutral spine position as you grab the dumbbell. Keep a neutral grip (palm facing your body) as you row the dumbbell toward the outside of your hip. Lower to a full stretch without touching the floor, and repeat for reps.

Benefits of the Three-Point Dumbbell Row

• Compared to standing variations, the three-point dumbbell row takes significant tension off the low back and hamstrings.
• You’ve unofficially claimed the bench as your designated recovery zone between hard sets. Push your sets hard enough and you’ll need it.

Bird Dog Row

The bird dog exercise is a common rehab and performance exercise that trains “rotary stability,” or the ability to recover from challenges that would tend to rotate your shoulder girdle, spine, or hips. (11) It’s performed on the ground in an “all fours” position with support from only one hand and the opposite leg.

Take this challenging position, move it on top of a flat bench, and add a row. Now, you have a dynamite exercise that integrates the lats and core.

How to Do the Bird Dog Row

Start with a light dumbbell (roughly 20-30% of what you’d use for a single-arm row) placed on top of a flat bench.

Setup with your working-side knee and off-side hand on the bench, and your off-side leg extended behind you. Brace your midsection and stabilize your entire body. Row the dumbbell with a neutral-grip to the outside of your lower ribs. Focus on preventing any rotation of your hips, pelvis, or spine as the weight moves.

Benefits of the Bird Dog Row

• Unilateral dumbbell rows have shown greater muscle activity in the obliques than bilateral rows, cable rows, and machine rows. (5) This variation will hit the obliques even harder than other single-arm rows due to the narrow base of support. (11)
• The bird dog row requires the lowest weight dumbbell to be challenging and effective, making it an appealing exercise for “light” or recovery workouts or periods of injury rehabilitation.

Bench-Supported Dumbbell Row

Although standing dumbbell row variations may look simple, they are notoriously subject to sloppy form. The bench-supported dumbbell row, sometimes called the chest-supported row, restricts the work to only your shoulders to better target the lats. (2) (10)

Because your lower body is essentially removed from the equation and the bench provides rock-solid stability, this is one of the most strict and muscle-focused row variations.

How to Do the Bench-Supported Dumbbell Row

Set an adjustable bench to 45-degrees. If you have long arms, you may need to elevate the bench to maintain the same angle. Using a higher incline will shift focus off the lats and onto the traps and upper back musculature.

Hold two dumbbells and lie chest-down on the bench. The weights should not reach the floor when hanging down straight. Row both dumbbells by pulling your elbows up and alongside the bench. Keep a neutral forearm orientation throughout the exercise.

Benefits of the Bench-Supported Dumbbell Row

• The bench-supported dumbbell row eliminates the use of “body English” in the hips or trunk to cheat the weights up.
• Bench-supported rowing has been shown to result in reduced low back muscle activity, which may be beneficial for those looking to spare the low back in training— say, to prepare for an imminent deadlift session — or to offload the low back in the case of injury. (2)

Dumbbell Prone Bench Pull

Although it often takes a backseat to the bench press, the bench pull is a hallmark of athletic training and testing. The reason? It’s a pure expression of horizontal pulling strength.

The dumbbell version of the bench pull, sometimes called a seal row, alleviates some of the difficulties associated with the barbell version. Most notably, the potential for a shortened range of motion when the barbell hits the underside of the bench.

If you do not have a dedicated bench pull/seal row station, you can easily assemble one with a flat bench and several plates or aerobic steps. However, make sure your setup is secure and at an appropriate height. To ensure a full range of motion, the bench must be high enough to avoid reaching the floor in the stretched position.

How to Do the Dumbbell Prone Bench Pull

Lie on your belly on top of the bench with a folded towel under your forehead to maintain proper neck alignment. Retrieve the dumbbells from beneath the bench by carefully leaning to each side and grabbing them.

Row both weights toward your lower ribs with your palms facing each other. Keep your arms and the dumbbells close to the bench, not angled away.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Prone Bench Pull

• The prone position dissuades compensatory actions such as “shrugging” during the row, which could otherwise rob tension from the lats.
• The setup provides support to the entire spine and head, significantly reducing strain on the spine. You might even find the stretched position comfortable for a moment.

Dumbbell Pull-Up Drop Set

The pull-up is not technically a dumbbell exercise, but I am including it here under the pretense that it can be loaded with a dumbbell. A cop-out? Probably, but the pull-up is too effective as a lat-builder to neglect.

It’s likely the latissimus dorsi is best trained at long muscle lengths. (7) Aside from the dumbbell pullover, which has a very small effective range of motion, no exercise on this list compares to the pull-up for the purpose of training the lats at long muscle lengths.

If you’re strong and can perform several bodyweight pull-ups with good technique, you can load the pull-up heavier by locking a dumbbell between your legs. If you’re up for a serious challenge, perform your dumbbell pull-ups with the drop set technique.

How to Do the Dumbbell Pull-Up Drop Set

Hold a relatively light dumbbell between your ankles, begin performing pull-ups with a neutral or, if available, rotating grip.

When you approach muscular fatigue and cannot perform another full repetition with good form, release the dumbbell on the floor and immediately continue to perform pull-ups until you approach muscular failure again.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Pull-Up Drop Set

• Compared to hanging weights from a dip belt for your pull-ups, using a dumbbell is easier to quickly jettison during a drop set.
• Pull-ups can be used to train shoulder extension by using a shoulder-width grip or adduction when using a wide grip. Both are actions of the latissimus dorsi, leading to increased muscle recruitment and growth stimulus.

The Latissimus Dorsi Muscles

All ten exercises on the list are effective for training the lats because they load or provide resistance to one or more of the actions of latissimus dorsi. The latissimus dorsi primarily acts to extend the shoulder, drawing your arm back toward your body as during rowing. (10)

The latissimus dorsi also adducts the shoulder, drawing your arm toward your midsection as during performance of a wide-grip pull-up or pullover. (10) Secondarily, the lats contribute to internal rotation of the shoulder. The lat muscles even contribute to low back extension and rotation, albeit, these contributions are small. (10)

Average gym-goers can simply plug one or more of the exercises into their training plan, perform their sets, then rest assured they’ve “hit their lats.” Bodybuilders and physique-minded lifters typically divide their back workouts upper body pulling into horizontal pulling and vertical pulling. Think of all the row variations on this list as horizontal pulls, while the pull-up and pullover are vertical pulling.

Due to the biomechanical differences between these movement patterns, it may be prudent to include at least one from each category during your weekly lifting routine.

How Often and How Much Should You Train Lats?

Start training your lats regularly and you’ll notice remarkable things. Clothes begin to fit better, your major compound lifts (like the squat, bench press, and deadlift) start feeling more secure, and you develop mind-muscle connection to the growing slabs of muscle on your flanks. But how often should you hit lats for optimal results? And how much attention should the lats receive?

While there is plenty of nuance to programming, a simple method to plan training frequency is to determine the target weekly total set volume for the muscle or muscle group. Then, work backwards by allocating those sets into your weekly workout split.

For already-fit individuals who want to build more muscle, experts recommend a minimum of 10 sets per muscle group per week is best. (12) More weekly sets (i.e. 20 or more) may offer additional benefits provided the lifter gradually builds to that volume over time. (12) If you are dead-set on improving your lats, a higher volume “specialization” program can be very effective, but again, that volume must be built gradually over time.

Next, take your favorite lat exercises and allocate your target number of weekly sets to each exercise. For example, a moderately experienced lifter might aim for 14 sets per week targeting the lats. If this lifter prefers bent-over dumbbell rows, dumbbell prone bench pulls, and pull-ups, the allocation may be four sets of dumbbell rows, four sets on the prone bench, and six sets of pull-ups.

Now, if this lifter uses a push/pull/legs split and trains six days per week, those exercises can be distributed across the two separate pulling sessions. If the lifter trains with a whole body routine three days per week, the exercises can be distributed across all three workouts, one exercise per session.

Be thoughtful when you plan your lat training. For example, four sets of bent-over dumbbell rows might not be the best choice the day before or the day after a heavy deadlift session due to cumulative lower back strain.

How to Progress Your Lat Training

Intensity (weight) and volume (sets and reps) must be progressed for long-term gains. A simple strategy for progressing intensity is the “two- for two- rule.” Once you can hit two or more repetitions more than your repetition target in the final set for two consecutive workouts, it’s time to use a heavier dumbbell. (13) To progress volume, add one or two sets for each exercise each month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: How to Do the Chin-Up for Bigger Arms and a Stronger Back]

However, these progression methods will not remain effective forever. After two or three months, or when your progress stalls, take a deload. Come back stronger and to a new program with subtle variations. Change up some of the lat exercises and start with a slightly lower set volume and higher intensity than your previous baseline.

How to Warm-up Your Lats

Complete a warm-up to prime your body for the dumbbell lat workout. Organize the warm-up in two parts: the general warm-up and the specific warm-up. Five minutes of cardio will suffice for the general warm-up. This activity serves to increase body temperature and promote general movement.

Although any form of light aerobic exercise works, an exercise that involves the upper body is preferable. Ideas include the rowing ergometer, ski ergometer, air bike, elliptical, or jump rope.

For the specific warm-up, start with the exercise that gives you the best connection with your lats — the movement that allows you to “feel” them most. This will vary from person to person based on your leverages, your experience, and your mind-muscle connection.

Complete two or three sets of eight to 12 repetitions using dumbbells lighter than your working weight. Incrementally increase the resistance as you work through your warm-up. Depending on your level of strength, the pull-up might not be the best exercise to start with unless you have access to a pull-up assist machine or resistance bands to counterbalance your bodyweight.

Dumbbells Give You Wings

By surface area, the latissimus dorsi is the largest muscle of the body. (6) It’s not surprising that well-developed lats give your back the appearance of more size. Train them regularly and progressively, ideally while eating a slight calorie surplus, and you’ll notice wings of muscle filling in beside your ribcage. These “wings” won’t allow you to fly, but I suspect walking around with them will make you feel almost as good.

References

1. Lane, C. L., et al. (2019). Comparison of the firefighter candidate physical ability test to weight lifting exercises using electromyography. Work, 62(3), 459-467.
2. García-Jaén, M., et al. (2021). Electromyographical responses of the lumbar, dorsal and shoulder musculature during the bent-over row exercise: a comparison between standing and bench postures (a preliminary study). Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 21(4), 1871-1877.
3. Fenwick, C. M., et al. (2009). Comparison of different rowing exercises: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(5), 1408-1417.
4. Snyder, B. J., & Leech, J. R. (2009). Voluntary increase in latissimus dorsi muscle activity during the lat pull-down following expert instruction. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(8), 2204-2209.
5. Saeterbakken, A., et al. (2015). The effect of performing bi-and unilateral row exercises on core muscle activation. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 94(11), 900-905.
6. Gerling, M. E., & Brown, S. H. (2013). Architectural analysis and predicted functional capability of the human latissimus dorsi muscle. Journal of Anatomy, 223(2), 112-122.
7. Ottinger, C. R., et al. (2022). Muscle Hypertrophy Response to Range of Motion in Strength Training: A Novel Approach to Understanding the Findings. Strength & Conditioning Journal, Advance online publication. doi: 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000737
8. Santana, J. C., et al. (2015). Anterior and posterior serape: The rotational core. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 37(5), 8-13.
9. do Carmo Carvalhais, V. O., et al. (2013). Myofascial force transmission between the latissimus dorsi and gluteus maximus muscles: an in vivo experiment. Journal of Biomechanics, 46(5), 1003-1007.
10. Bogduk, N., et al. (1998). The morphology and biomechanics of latissimus dorsi. Clinical Biomechanics, 13(6), 377-385.
11. Clemente, P. C., et al. (2022). Perceived exertion, postural control, and muscle recruitment in three different quadruped exercises performed by healthy women. Frontiers in Physiology, 1630.
12. Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1), 1-30.
13. Sheppard, J.M., & Triplett, N. (2016). Program design for resistance training. In: Haff, G., & Triplett N., (Eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (4th ed., pp. 459). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Featured Image: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

The post The 10 Best Dumbbell Exercises to Hit Your Lats appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The barbell row is often considered one of the most fundamental exercises, right up there with the Big Three powerlifts — squat, bench press, and deadlift — because it’s a comprehensive movement for building a base of size and strength. It helps you build a thicker, wider, stronger back while also developing a bigger, stronger set of arms. Here’s how to get the most from this back-training staple.

• How to Do the Barbell Row
• Barbell Row Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Barbell Row
• Muscles Worked by the Barbell Row
• Who Should Do the Barbell Row
• How to Program the Barbell Row
• Barbell Row Variations
• Barbell Row Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Barbell Row

The bent-over barbell row can be a very simple exercise to set up and perform. All you need is a barbell, some weight plates, and a floor. Accessories like lifting straps to support your grip strength or a lifting belt to provide additional lower back support aren’t always required.

Master the exercise itself, and then consider adding equipment depending on your specific needs and requirements.

Step 1 — Get Into the Starting Position

Walk up to a loaded barbell and position your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly inside hip-width. The bar should be generally over the middle of your feet. If you are quite tall, you may be more comfortable with the bar positioned against your shins.

Push your hips back and bend at the waist. Keep your back straight and your knees slightly bent. Hold the barbell with an overhand (palms down) grip just outside of your shins. Pull your shoulders back and feel tension in your lats (back muscles) as you prepare to take control over the weight. Keep your head in a neutral position — not looking at the ceiling or tucking your chin down.

Straighten your legs and stand up straight, much like you would in a deadlift. From the locked out position, bend your legs slightly and hinge at your hips until your upper body is slightly above parallel to the ground. Allow the barbell to hang near your legs with your arms extended.

Form Tip: Keep your eyes fixed on a spot roughly one to two meters (three to six feet) in front of you. This will help you maintain a stable body position, encourage consistent bar position between each rep, and reduce the risk of injury due to technical failure.

Step 2 — Pull the Weight Up 

With the bar in a dead-hang position, drive your elbows up towards your hips. The barbell should reach your belly button. Once you get into the top position, focus on your shoulder blades squeezing together and feeling a hard contraction in your back musculature.

Your upper body should remain mostly horizontal throughout the rep. Avoid using your legs to “jumpstart” the weight and don’t allow your torso to drop down to meet the barbell.

Form Tip: It is important to recognize when you begin sacrificing technique for heavier weight. Key indicators that you’ve gone too heavy include: your elbows flaring out to the sides, the bar no longer reaching your belly button, or feeling extra pressure through your lower back which prevents you from holding a strong, stable torso position.

Step 3 — Lower the Weight to Stretch

Once you have completed the concentric (lifting) portion of the movement, remain in a strong and stable position while lowering the barbell under control. Don’t allow the bar to free fall into the bottom position.

Straighten your arms and allow your shoulder blades to release from the retracted position. Feel your back musculature lengthening until your arms are fully extended.

Form Tip: Some lifters will lower the barbell too quickly and not pay attention to the bar path or muscular control. Focus on lowering the barbell in the exact same bar path as you did when lifting it. This will make sure each rep is the same and allow you to maintain tension on the back muscles while reducing the risk of injury.

Barbell Row Mistakes to Avoid

The barbell row may seem simple on paper, but you can still very easily make mistakes that may hinder your progress and training. Below are two of the most common mistakes to avoid.

Lifting with Your Arms

Many beginner lifters quickly form the habit of pulling the barbell up using their arms more than their back muscles. Sure, you can’t perform a row without using your arms at all, but proper muscle contractions should emphasize the larger back muscles more significantly than the relatively smaller muscles of the arms.

If you continue activating your arms first, as the weight increases, your arms will take over the movement and your back will be under-recruited simply because you will not have spent time focusing on feeling the back muscles contracting.

Avoid It: It is important to focus on feeling your back muscles stretch and contract. This can boost the mind-muscle connection, which has been shown to improve results. (1) If you actively drive your elbows into your hips, instead of focusing on your hands pulling the weight up, you can emphasize the lats.

Standing Too Upright 

The barbell row requires you to be set in a bent-over position, or what is referred to as a “hinged position.” While your body doesn’t need to form a strict 90-degree angle, it’s imperative that you maintain some sort of stable and predominantly horizontal angle to perform the barbell row effectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On top of this, some trainees will use a weight that far exceeds their good-form lifting capabilities. This can lead to remaining too upright in order to counterbalance the weight, and the movement becomes more of a shrug than a row. These two factors often work hand in hand, since excessive weight and a lack of hinge stability will lead to being too upright.

Avoid It: If you have trouble maintaining a hinged position, perform the exercise near a wall and get into a hinged position with your glutes firmly against the wall. This will allow you to better leverage yourself as you improve the coordination and strength required to remain hinged while contracting your back musculature. 

Benefits of the Barbell Row

The bent-over barbell row is considered a foundational exercise because it delivers several benefits for multiple muscles in the upper and lower body.

Below are some key reasons to include the barbell row into your workout regimen, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced lifter.

Improved Spinal Stability and Posture 

A common weakness for lifters in the ability to maintain a neutral spine (flat back) during many movements. The barbell row helps to improve postural control in basic positions, which can carry over to strength and stability in other movements. It also strengthens postural muscles like the spinal erectors, which are a key muscle group for lower back health and stability.

Building a Stronger Back 

As your back gets stronger, your ability to brace your upper body will improve. This allows greater overall stability during movements like the overhead press, bench press, and squat.

The barbell row is one of the most efficient ways to build upper-body strength because it coordinates strength through the lats, upper back, lower back, shoulders, arms, and grip. Compared to other variations of rowing exercises, the barbell row allows you to potentially use more weight, which also makes it a more effective strength-builder.

Increased Back Size

Building a wider, thicker back is one of the most efficient ways to improve your physique. The lats are one of the largest muscles on the body and a well-developed upper back can’t often be hidden under clothes, unlike well-developed arms or legs. Making the barbell row a mainstay in your back workout is a time-tested way to pack on size.

Muscles Worked by the Barbell Row

The barbell row is a compound exercise, which means it involves multiple muscles moving across multiple joints to perform the movement.

The primary muscles recruited are throughout the back, while secondary muscles, such as the biceps and forearms, are also called upon.

Latissimus Dorsi

The lats form the majority of your back musculature and are the primary muscle you will be stimulating during the bent-over row. Your lats work to bring your upper arm from in front of your body, or above it, to along your side. This function is why the cue of “pulling your elbows toward your body” helps to recruit the lats.

Spinal Erectors

The spinal erectors run the length of your spinal column, including the section most commonly called “the lower back.” During the bent-over barbell row, your spinal erectors are recruited to stabilize your spine and prevent rounding while you maintain the hinged position.

Because your spinal erectors are required to hold a stable position for the duration of each set, lifters with pre-existing lower back issues often have trouble performing barbell rows and typically choose an alternate exercise.

Scapular Stabilizers 

The scapular stabilizers found across the upper back include multiple muscles working in related roles. Your trapezius, rhomboids, rear deltoids, and teres control actions such as bringing your shoulder blades together and apart, as well as moving them up and down.

This occurs while rowing the bar up and squeezing your shoulder blades together (retraction) and when lowering the barbell back to the start position, releasing (protracting) your shoulder blades.

Glutes and Hamstrings

In a hinged position, your glutes and hamstrings support your body isometrically, much like your spinal erectors work to maintain a stable upper body posture. Many lifters feel a significant stretch in their hamstrings or glutes during a set of barbell rows because the muscles are being worked in a stretched position without a full contraction.

Biceps

The biceps are recruited any time the arm flexes (bends). During the barbell row, your biceps play an assistance role to lift the weight. Your biceps can be more significantly recruited by using an underhand (palms-up) grip, which places them in a more advantageous position to be activated.

Forearms

The wrist extensors along the top of the forearm and the wrist flexors on the bottom are both highly activated during barbell rows to support a strong grip on the bar. Your flexors, in particular, are recruited to stabilize the weight as it is lifted.

For many experienced lifters lifting heavier weights, the gripping strength of the forearm muscles can be a limiting factor during rows, which is why lifting straps may be used to provide additional support.

Who Should Do the Barbell Row

Whether you are training for strength, power, or aesthetics, the barbell row can benefit your training goals. Here are more convincing reasons to include the barbell row in your back workout.

Physique-Focused Lifters 

Bodybuilders, physique athletes, and any lifter wanting to look more muscular can benefit from the barbell row. It applies muscular tension to all muscles of the back and has the potential for moving heavy loads, which can be an effective way of triggering muscle growth. The barbell row has been an essential back exercise for some of the best-built physiques.

Strength Athletes 

Strength athletes can benefit from using the barbell row to build pulling strength as well as total-body stability. The barbell row builds strength that supports upper body pressing and pulling. The lower back and postural stability can also help to improve strength during squats and deadlifts.

How to Program the Barbell Row

The barbell row is a foundational movement which can accommodate a variety of rep ranges, suitable to all lifters, goals, and programs. Below are two common and effective recommendations based on your specific training goal.

Heavy Weight, Low to Moderate Repetitions

If maximizing strength is your goal, three to five sets in the four to eight rep range is a good place to start. Use a weight that allows you to leave at least two reps left “in the tank” to ensure optimal technique. Rowing extremely heavy weights to muscular failure can add stress to the spinal erectors and increase the risk of injury.

Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetitions 

If maximizing muscle growth is your goal, three to four sets in the six to 12 rep range is the ideal rep spread you should be targeting. This will provide you with a bump in training volume, which is beneficial for building muscle. (2) The increased volume with relatively lighter weight also allows you to develop better muscle coordination, and can eventually lead to better recruitment of the back musculature.

Barbell Row Variations

The bent-over barbell row is a versatile and fundamental exercise, but not all lifters are prepared for the challenge. Below you will find related variations that deliver comparable results with slightly varied muscle recruitment or technique.

Yates Row

The Yates row was popularized by one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates. The idea behind this exercise variation was to have a slightly more upright posture while also flipping your grip to a supinated position (underhand). These adjustments better recruit the upper back, traps, and biceps.

The key to this exercise is the bar path and torso stability needed to maximally recruit the muscles being targeted. You want to focus on the barbell being as close to your thighs as possible as you pull up through your elbows.

T-Bar Row

For this exercise, you will either need a dedicated T-bar row machine or you can take a close-grip handle from the cable station and use it with a barbell set inside a landmine attachment.

The T-bar row is less demanding on the lower back, which makes it a great exercise to emphasize the rest of the back muscles. It’s ideal at the tail-end of your workouts to fully exhaust all remaining muscle fibers that were recruited during your workout.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row 

One of the most common variations of the barbell row is its dumbbell counterpart. The single-arm dumbbell row allows you to work one side of the body at time and provides stability, which reduces lower back stress. The increased stability also allows you to focus on achieving a longer range of motion to more thoroughly work the target muscles.

This is an effective movement to strengthen muscular imbalances by targeting one side of the back at a time.

Barbell Row Alternatives

Feeling like you have fully exhausted your ability to continue progressing the barbell row or just need a change of pace? Here are some of the most effective alternatives to continue building back size and strength.

Inverted Row 

The inverted row is an ideal bodyweight exercise alternative for the barbell row since you can train the same muscle groups in the same movement pattern. It also only requires your body weight to provide a stimulus for muscle growth and strength-building.

This can be useful as a primary exercise if you are first starting out on learning to coordinate your muscle recruitment in the barbell row or, for more experienced lifters, at the end of your workouts as a finisher after completing your heavier weight training earlier in the workout. 

Seal Row

The seal row, sometimes called a bench pull, is a chest-supported row variation that entirely removes the need to hinge. Because you’re lying prone on an elevated bench, you can more effectively isolate the larger back muscles without recruiting your lower back or lower body.

This alternative provides less stress and tension on the lower back and hamstrings, but it also means the amount of weight lifted may be  less than what you could use with a conventional barbell row. 

Pendlay Row 

The Pendlay row is often confused with the basic barbell row for good reason. The technique, muscle recruitment, and general movement pattern is nearly identical. The key difference is that each repetition of the Pendlay row begins from complete dead-stop on the floor.

This pause between reps assists in maintaining proper positioning, minimizes any momentum, and helps to develop explosive power. This can be a great alternative if you find it difficult to remain set in a proper hinged-position, because you can reset your position between each rep.

Meadows Row

The Meadows row was popularized by legendary bodybuilding coach John Meadows. In this exercise, you are able to increase your range of motion by adjusting your hip and torso position.

The unique body positioning and leverage from the landmine will work the back musculature from a slightly different angle, reduce stress on the lower back, and minimize momentum.

FAQs

I feel my upper back working more than any other muscle, what am I doing wrong?

There are two possibilities. The first is that you may be using too much weight, causing you to stand more upright and shift muscular stress away from your lats and onto your upper back and traps. The second potential issue is that you are not properly set in a strong and stable hinged position.

Reduce the weight and focus on feeling your lats contract during the exercise. Also spend some time focusing on getting into a good hinge position — push your hips back and maintain a more horizontal upper body position for the duration of the set. Slowly increase weight over time once you are strong enough to maintain a stable torso in a hinged position.

Can beginners perform the barbell row?

Absolutely. Beginners can benefit greatly by including the barbell row in their programming. However, it is important to note that if you are a beginner, remember to prioritize technique over added weight and do not hesitate to seek assistance with your technique from a qualified staff member in your local gym. 

Row Until You Can’t Row No More

Many of the all-time great bodybuilders, powerlifters, and strength athletes have built admirable backs by prioritizing the barbell row. It trains every muscle in your back, and builds strength and stability which carries over to other big lifts. It can also be a satisfying exercise to master once you’re able to walk up to an imposing barbell and pull it off the ground.

References

1. Calatayud, J., Vinstrup, J., Jakobsen, M. D., Sundstrup, E., Brandt, M., Jay, K., Colado, J. C., & Andersen, L. L. (2016). Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. European journal of applied physiology, 116(3), 527–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7
2. Schoenfeld, B. J., Contreras, B., Krieger, J., Grgic, J., Delcastillo, K., Belliard, R., & Alto, A. (2019). Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 51(1), 94–103. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764

Featured Image: MilanMarkovic78 / Shutterstock

The post How to Do the Bent-Over Barbell Row for a Bigger, Stronger Back appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The single-arm dumbbell row is a unilateral (single-side) exercise that builds the strength and size of the latissimus dorsi (large back muscle) and improves the overall function of the shoulder joint. Here’s what you need to know about one of the most simple and effective back exercises.

• How to Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Muscles Worked by the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Who Should Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• How to Program the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Variations
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

There are several similar variations of the single-arm row, which will be addressed in a separate section of the article, using a variety of arm positions and paths of motion to emphasize different muscles. The most basic single-arm row technique will emphasize the lat muscle.

Step 1 — Support Yourself on a Flat Bench

Put one hand and the same-side knee on a flat bench with a dumbbell resting on the bench between them. Your back should remain flat and your shoulder blades should be pulled down and back, towards the back pocket of your pants. Keep your head and neck neutral, not pointed up to the ceiling or down towards the ground. Your eyes can look at the ground in front of the bench.

Grab the dumbbell with the hand that isn’t on the bench. With your palm facing the bench, allow the weight to reach to the ground without pulling your shoulder joint down. Your elbow should be relatively straight, but not locked, in the stretched position.

Form Tip: The dumbbell will try to pull your body down to one side, but keep your core muscles engaged throughout the exercise to keep your hips level and maintain a straight line from your hips to your neck.

Step 2 — Lift the Weight Towards Your Hip

Bend your elbow to slide the weight towards the hip on the same side. Maintain a neutral hand position, with your palm facing the bench and your body. Keep your elbow close to the body to maximally engage the lat muscle.

Keep your hand in line with your forearm, directly beneath your elbow. In the top position, your forearm should be near your ribs and the weight should almost touch your hip.

Form Tip: As you pull the weight up, don’t over-rotate your shoulders or twist your trunk. Avoid jerking the weight or heaving your upper body to create momentum.

Step 3 — Lower to the Stretched Position

Slowly reverse direction to lower the weight back to the starting point. Be sure the weight moves in a slight arc away from your hip until your arm is nearly straight with the weight directly under your shoulder.

Form Tip: Don’t lose your shoulder placement as you lower the weight. Keep your shoulder locked into your shoulder girdle and pulled away from the ear, not shrugged up towards your ear or towards the ceiling.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Mistakes to Avoid

Most form problems with the single-arm row have to do with losing proper position of the torso, shoulder, or arm. Maintaining focus on body awareness and simple technique cues can help you to avoid these issues.

Sagging Lower Back

Losing core engagement can cause the lower back to start to drop toward the bench. This can cause back pain or injury by increasing strain on the vertebrae.

Avoid It: Imagine lengthening your spine in both directions, from your tailbone to your neck. Keep your abs tense. Don’t allow your hips to rotate, which can encourage your lower back to drop out of position.

Curving the Spine Upward

Just like a sagging spine, the opposite is possible and equally problematic. You want to maintain a neutral torso, neither rounded or curved excessively, in order to keep your joints aligned for optimal power output and muscle recruitment.

Losing a neutral-spine position and curving too far up will prevent the shoulder from achieving a full range of motion. This will make the exercise less effective and can strain the shoulder joint.

Avoid it: Think of keeping your upper body flat with strong abs and steady, stable hips.

Dropping Out of the Shoulder Joint

Especially in the eccentric (lowering) portion of the exercise, the shoulder placement can get lost as the weight “pulls” the arm downward.

If the shoulder drops out of the shoulder girdle and the shoulder blades come forward, you can be exposed to shoulder pain or injury.

Avoid it: Keep your shoulder blade pressed towards your back pocket throughout the exercise, especially while lowering the weight into the stretched position.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

The single-arm row is one of the most efficient ways to build size and strength in the back, shoulders, and arms.

The movement works a majority of muscles in the upper body and can be used to emphasize muscular size or strength.

Training for a V-Taper Physique

The single-arm row can add muscular size to the shoulders, upper back, and lats to create an ideal v-taper, or inverted triangle, physique. This gives the appearance of an athletic, well-developed body.

Training for Strength

Building strength in the muscles of the back can carry over to improved stability when supporting the weight during heavy bench presses, overhead presses, and countless other exercises.

Improved Shoulder Health

Because the single-arm row activates upper back muscles including the trapezius and rhomboids, it can be beneficial for overall scapular health and shoulder function.

Muscles Worked by Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

The single-arm row is a thorough upper body exercise because it incorporates several muscles in one movement.

Like many multi-joint (compound) exercises, it’s an efficient choice for a variety of workout programs.

Latissimus Dorsi

The largest back muscle, the latissimus dorsi or “lat,” is the primary muscle being recruited during single-arm rows. The lats are found on both sides of your back, running from the shoulder blades to below the ribs. They primarily work to draw the upper arm towards the centerline of your body.

Upper Back

The upper back consists of several relatively more minor muscles running across the shoulder blades, including the rhomboids, rear deltoids (shoulders), and teres major and minor. These muscles share similar roles for scapular (shoulder blade) mobility and stability.

Biceps Brachii

The biceps, found on the front part of the upper arm, work to bend and flex the elbow. They are recruited secondarily, not as primary movers, during the row.

Who Should Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

The single-arm row is compatible with most lifters. It’s a useful addition to a beginner’s upper body training and it can be trained long-term as you progress in form and weight as you go along.

Lifters Training for Muscle Size

The single-arm row has been a bodybuilding staple for decades because it focuses the muscle-building stimulus on one side of the body at a time, which allows for more focused training and symmetrical growth and development.

Beginning Lifters

The support of the bench will help to focus on form. It’s an excellent way to train multiple muscles while increasing back strength. The single-arm row is a foundational exercise which helps to build a base of general strength.

Frequent Sitters

If you sit for work, stare at a computer screen for a big part of your day, or find that you are starting to get a forward roll in your upper back, the single-arm row can help to counteract alignment issues and postural problems by strengthening the upper back.

How to Program the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

The single-arm row is versatile and can be used in a range of programming for all complete back and shoulder development.

Single-Arm Row for Size Gains

If you are working on gaining size in the lats, use the single-arm row on a low-rep, high-weight upper body day. Perform three to four sets of six to eight reps using a weight that makes the last two reps very difficult to complete. Never lose stability in the shoulder or core, even when lifting heavy.

Single-Arm Row for Mobility

The single-arm row can be programmed to improve shoulder and upper back mobility. This approach will focus on good alignment in the spine, stability in the shoulder, and a slow eccentric (lowering) motion. Take one second to raise the weight and three seconds to lower it — think “up, down, down, down.” This type of training uses a moderate weight for two to three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions, with the last two reps being relatively difficult to complete at the slow tempo.

Single-Arm Row for Recovery

If you are recovering from a shoulder overuse injury, consider performing the exercise without weights or with one to five pounds, for one or two sets of 20 to 25 reps. The purpose here is just to keep the joint mobile and increase the flexibility of the muscles around the joint.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Variations

Minor adjustments to hand or body position, or range of motion, can challenge your muscles in a new way and alter muscle recruitment for more variety.

Floor Single-Arm Row

No bench? No problem. Use the floor. Get down on your hands and knees. Mimic the same positioning of your back and shoulders. Place the dumbbell weight under your hand and pull from there. The weight can touch the floor at the bottom of the exercise.

This can be an ideal option for lifters with shoulder issues because the range of motion is reduced and the floor supports the bottom of the exercise, rather than the weight hanging freely by your side.

Self-Supported Single-Arm Row

Stand with slightly bent legs while bent forward at the waist in a hinge position. Support yourself with your non-working hand on your thigh. Perform the row the same way as you would with a bench. Make sure you don’t raise your torso and turn the exercise into a shrug.

If balance is an issue, you can stand in a lunge-type position with your feet staggered while resting your free hand on the forward leg.

Supinated Single-Arm Row

Instead of the palm facing the side of the body, turn your palm towards the front (supinated) and maintain this hand position during the exercise. This significantly recruits the biceps while also involving the lats.

This grip adjustment also allows you to pull the weight higher into your hip, which changes the feel of the peak contraction.

Elbow-Out Single-Arm Row

This variation emphasizes the upper back much more than the lats, making it a more effective exercise for targeting upper back size and/or shoulder health. (1)

Face your palm towards your feet throughout the set and row with your elbow to the side in line with your shoulder, rather than close to your ribs. In the top position, your shoulder, elbow, and hand should form a 90-degree angle from your body.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Alternatives

Lots of exercises are great for the upper back, and it’s great to change them up or add some to your regular routine.

Seated Row

The seated row can be performed at a cable station or with a resistance band around the feet, sitting on the floor.

Keep a tall upper body posture and stable body position, and work through a full range of motion using a thumbs-up grip for optimal back and shoulder recruitment.

Lat Pulldown

The pulldown is a fundamental vertical pulling exercise for strengthening the lats. Keep your shoulders down and back during the exercise in order to also recruit your upper back.

Keep your core engaged and don’t allow your spine to round. In the bottom position, your elbows should be slightly behind you for a complete muscular contraction.

FAQs

Why do I feel the single-arm dumbbell row mostly in my biceps?

Double-check your form. Make sure you have good spinal alignment and an engaged core. Don’t allow your shoulder to reach out of the shoulder girdle. most importantly, focus on pulling the weight back toward your hip, instead of towards your shoulder, to engage more lat muscle and less biceps.

Why does my neck hurt during the exercise?

You’re likely trying to look forward, which is cranking your neck in an awkward position. Keep your gaze down to the floor slightly in front of the bench, not up towards the wall or mirror and not down towards your hand on the bench.

One Arm, All the Gains

The single-arm dumbbell row is a key player in long-term training. Mastering this fundamental exercise as a beginner can pay off with wider lats, a stronger upper back, and healthier shoulders in the long-run. Grab your bench and start rowing.

References

1. Fennell, J., Phadke, C. P., Mochizuki, G., Ismail, F., & Boulias, C. (2016). Shoulder Retractor Strengthening Exercise to Minimize Rhomboid Muscle Activity and Subacromial Impingement. Physiotherapy Canada. Physiotherapie Canada, 68(1), 24–28. https://doi.org/10.3138/ptc.2014-83

Featured Image: antoniodiaz / Shutterstock

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It’s easy to walk into the gym, plop down on any back machine, and haphazardly rep out on some hastily made piecemeal program. But if your goal is to get the absolute best out of your back training, then take a look at these four back workouts tailored to specific needs.

The Best Back Workouts

• Best Back Workout for More Muscle
• Best Back Workout With Dumbbells
• Best Back Workout for Beginners
• Best Back Workout for Strength

Best Back Workout for More Muscle

Adding muscle to your back will take plenty of volume and a rep range you’re most likely not used to. Hypertrophy training (growing muscle) requires recruiting the most muscle fibers, and then fatiguing those fibers so they’ll recover and adapt by growing larger in size.

While strength-focused training centers on using only a few compound exercises, training for more muscle size requires a variety of exercise angles so you can develop a complete back.

The Back-Building Workout

This plan is designed to add a maximum amount of muscle to your back. It’s not designed to move the maximum amount of weight. Using strict form during exercises is crucial.

To stimulate the most muscle fibers and to shift the stress from your biceps onto your back, make sure you’re performing every rep with textbook form. Concentrate on squeezing your back by pulling with your elbows as opposed to pulling with your arms.

Wide-Grip Pull-up

• How to Do It: Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip just outside of shoulder-width. Start the movement with slightly bent arms and take a big breath in. Pull your chest to the bar by arching your back slightly. Avoid swinging your legs. Lower under control.
• Sets and Reps: 30 total reps. Do as many sets as necessary.
• Rest Time: Two minutes between any sets.

Straight-Arm Cable Pulldown

• How to Do It: Stand in front of a high cable with a straight bar attached to the pulley. Take an overhand grip that’s slightly wider than your shoulders. Begin by pulling the handle down towards your pelvis. Do not bend your arms at any time. When the bar reaches your thighs, hold the contraction and squeeze for one second, and then slowly return to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 15
• Rest Time: One minute between sets.

Bent-Over Barbell Row

• How to Do It: Stand in front of the barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend at your hips, without rounding your back, until your upper body is nearly parallel with the floor. Grasp the bar with a palms-down, shoulder-width grip. Pull the weight up until the bar reaches near your belt-line. Keep a flat, not rounded, back through the entire rep. Return the weight down in a slow and controlled manner.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest Time: One to two minutes between sets.

Close-Grip Pulldown

• How to Do It: Attach a narrow, parallel-grip handle to an overhead pulldown cable machine. With your hands facing each other, pull the weight straight down toward your chest. Keep your torso upright while slightly arching your back. Squeeze your shoulder blades together in the bottom position, and then return to the starting position with your arms overhead.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest Time: One minute between sets.

Best Back Workout With Dumbbells

Not everyone has access to a fully stocked gym. Or some lifters just prefer to workout from home.They may also gravitate towards more dumbbell work for several reasons, including shoring up weaknesses on one side of the body.

If you fit into one of these categories, all you need to develop a great back is several pairs of dumbbells  — or one adjustable pair — and a bench. With a little creativity and fortitude, you can easily build an effective back routine with minimal equipment.

The Dumbbell Back Workout

Don’t be fooled into thinking you “need” a heavy barbell, pulldown station, row machine, and chin-up bar to train your back. Done correctly, an all-dumbbell workout can still be just as effective as any multi-equipment program. As long as you pay especially close attention to form and function, you’ll get all the results.

Cross-Bench Dumbbell Pullover

• How to Do It: Lie perpendicular on a flat bench, with only your upper back touching the pad. Your abdomen and head should be hanging over either side of the bench. Plant your feet and bend your legs to hold a straight line from your head to your knees. Grasp a dumbbell with interlocked hands flat against the weight, supporting the weight above your chest. Keep a slight bend in your arms throughout the entire rep. Lower the weight in an arc backwards behind your head while taking a deep breath. Feel your lats stretch as you near the bottom of the movement. Reverse the motion to pull the weight upwards along the same arc while exhaling.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12
• Rest Time: One minute between sets.

Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row

• How to Do It: Set an adjustable bench to a low angle (roughly 30 degrees). Lie face down on the bench with your chest resting on the pad. Take a pair of dumbbells with your hands facing each other. Row both weights to your waist without raising your upper body off the bench. Squeeze at the top before returning to the stretched position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest Time: One minute between sets.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

• How to Do It: Grab a dumbbell with one hand and bend at the hips, keeping your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Place your free hand on a solid surface, like a flat bench, for support. Avoid rounding your back. Pull the dumbbell towards your waistline without twisting your back. Maintain a stable spine position throughout the movement. Squeeze your back at the top and lower the weight under control.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-10
• Rest Time: No rest between sides.

Best Back Workout for Beginners

If you’re new to the iron game, you’ll need to perfect your form from the beginning. Overcomplicated programs will only leave you frustrated, and potentially injured, if you don’t have the basics covered.

This routine prioritizes basic movements for the back and builds an initial foundation of strength.

The Back to Basics Workout

Working with your bodyweight and making each side of the body work in unison will ensure you develop a base of strength without needing an assortment of machines or advanced techniques. Perform this workout twice per week for at least eight weeks before incorporating more advanced exercises.

Chin-up

• How to Do It: Grasp a pull-up bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Pull your body upwards, leading with your chest. Your elbows should trail past your sides as you move up. Lower yourself slowly. Keep a slight bend in your elbows in the bottom position.
• Sets and Reps: 30 reps total. Do as many sets as necessary.
• Rest Time: Two minutes between any sets.

Two-Arm Dumbbell Row

• How to Do It: Bend at your hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Grasp a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Pull both weights up to the sides of your abs. Focus on feeling your lats contract during the movement. Lower both weights under control.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12
• Rest Time: One minute between sets.

Close-Grip Pulley Row

• How to Do It: Attach a close-grip parallel handle on a pulley row machine. Sit with your knees slightly bent. Begin with your torso leaning slightly forward and feel a stretch in your lats. Pull the handle towards your stomach as you straighten your spine and sit upright. In the contracted position, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Reverse the motion and return the weight forward under control.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12
• Rest Time: One minute between sets.

Best Back Workout for Strength

Training to build sheer strength is a different animal. Being performance-based, as opposed to being visually based, pure strength training is all about pushing more weight for more reps. However, you still need to execute good form. Heaving, swaying, and cheating the weight up just for the sake of extra reps or more weight will only lead to injury.

The Workout for a Strong Back

This workout can be performed once or twice per week. Because it is strength-focused, it utilizes big, multi-joint lifts enabling you to lift heavier loads. That’s not an excuse to let your ego call the shots — lift only what you can with solid form within the prescribed rep range.

Increase only when you’re comfortably handling the current load for the target reps. Add weight in small increments and always practice good form.

Weighted Wide-Grip Pull-up

• How to Do It: Perform the basic wide-grip pull-up as explained earlier, only this time you’ll be hanging a weight belt around your waist. Perform controlled reps without swinging your body. The added weight can strain your shoulders if you allow your form to get loose, so focus on staying tight throughout the rep.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 4-6
• Rest Time: Two to three minutes between sets.

Deadlift

• How to Do It: Place a loaded barbell on the floor. Keep a flat back and squat down to reach the bar. Take an overhand grip just outside your knees. Begin the lift by pulling the bar up along your shins while keeping your back straight and your head up. Keep the bar in contact with your thighs as you stand up. Keep your spine straight throughout the motion. Avoid locking your knees at the top. Return the bar to the floor by reversing the motion.
• Sets and Reps: 5 x 4-6
• Rest Time: Three to five minutes between sets.

Pendlay Row

• How to Do It: The Pendlay row is performed much like the traditional bent-over barbell row (explained earlier) with one distinct difference. Every time you lower the weight, allow the bar to completely rest on the floor for a second before starting your next rep. This enables you to regroup your strength with a very short rest in between each individual rep.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 6-8
• Rest Time: Three minutes between sets.

Muscles of the Back

The back is, overall, one of the largest muscle groups on the body. This is why building a more muscular back can dramatically change your overall appearance and strength.

The multiple muscles that cover the back are the reason why multiple exercises and multiple angles are necessary for complete development.

Latissimus Dorsi

The latissimus are the “wing-like” muscles on both sides of your back that give a wide appearance. Your lats function to extend and rotate your upper arm, during pulldowns, pull-ups, and rows.

Additionally, they stabilize the lower back when your arm is in a fixed position, such as during a deadlift.

Trapezius

The trapezius are the meaty muscles on either side of your neck. They also run from shoulder to shoulder on your back and partially cover your shoulder blades.

Your traps not only elevate your shoulders (in the classic shrug motion), they also function to retract your shoulders by pulling them back. When your shoulder blades are “pinched” together, the lower portion of the traps are highly activated.

Rhomboids

The rhomboids are relatively smaller, but no less important, muscles found on your upper back. They connect to the scapulae (shoulder blades) and primarily function to retract and stabilize your shoulder blades when your arms move.

Erector Spinae

The erector spinae, or spinal erectors, are a pair of symmetrical muscles running in a long column along the length of your spine.

They work to extend your spine (bending backwards) and they resist spinal flexion (bending forward). This is a major reason why rounding your back during weighted exercises can cause injury — when the load is beyond the erectors’ ability to prevent flexion. The erectors also laterally flex your trunk when acting on one side only, seen when holding a heavy weight in one hand.

How to Warm-Up Your Back

The back is a large muscle group requiring a comprehensive warm-up prior to your primary training routine. Warming up not only prepares each muscle for the work to come, it also increases blood flow to the overall area.

A good warm-up also primes your nervous system to stimulate muscle fiber contractions more efficiently, leading to more power and strength.

A Top to Bottom Back Warm-Up

• Lat Pulldown: Take a wide-grip at a basic pulldown station. Perform reps with a full range of motion, contracting the back in the bottom position and achieving a full stretch at the top. Perform two sets of 15 reps.
• Band Pull-Apart: Stand with your arms extended in front of your chest, with a palms-down grip on a resistance band. Keep a slight bend in your arms while pulling the band apart until it touches your chest. Hold for one second before reversing the motion under control. Perform two sets of 15 reps.
• Hyperextension: Lie face down on a back hyperextension machine with the pads on your hips. Lean forward and lower your upper body into a stretched position. Return upright to hold a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders. Perform two sets of 8 reps.
• Bent-Over Lateral Raise: Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width, while holding a pair of light dumbbells. Bend forward at the waist, allowing the weights to extend down. Keep your back straight and maintain a slight bend in your arms. Raise both weights until your elbows are in line with your shoulders and then lower both under control. Perform two sets of 8 reps.

Attack the Back

There are several ways to build muscle and strength in your back whether it’s for building muscle, developing more strength, a dumbbell only workout, or even if you’re a beginner. No matter your goal, a comprehensive plan is a must when it comes to the complexities of the back. Try some of the workouts above and watch your back grow stronger, bigger, and more muscular than ever before.

Featured Image: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock

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The seated cable row offers distinct advantages over barbells, dumbbells, or other machines. The combination of body position, leverage, and unique resistance from cable pulleys make the exercise an excellent muscle-builder when using proper form to target the multiple back muscles.

Here’s a detailed guide to performing the highly effective seated cable row and programming tips to build a muscular, powerful back.

• How to Do the Seated Cable Row 
• Seated Cable Row Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Seated Cable Row
• Muscles Worked by the Seated Cable Row
• Who Should Do the Seated Cable Row
• How to Program the Seated Cable Row
• Seated Cable Row Variations
• Seated Cable Row Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Seated Cable Row

The seated cable row may, at first, appear daunting. Typically the machine consists of a long bench with a handle attachment on one side, an imposing weight stack, and not much in the way of reliable guidance.

More so than many other exercises in the gym, the seated cable row can’t often be learned by standing non-creepily in the corner of the gym watching another lifter do their set. The variety of handle options, versatile pulling angles, and prevalence of plain old bad form make it hard to know who to replicate to get the results you’re after.

Here’s a straightforward plan to learn basic and effective technique for the seated cable row.

Step 1 — Take a Seat

Find a “V”-shaped attachment with vertical grips which allow your hands to face each other. Clip the bar to the cable hook and sit on the bench with your legs bent and both feet on the platform.

Grab the handles, tighten your core, straighten your back, and extend your arms until they’re nearly locked out. Press against the foot platform to very slightly raise your glutes off the bench. Straighten your legs, feeling muscular tension through your entire body. When the weight lifts off the stack and your body moves backwards slightly, lower your glutes to the bench and ensure a tense, vertical upper body.

Your legs should be stiff with a slight bend. Your straight arms should be supporting the weight through the cable attachment. If your arms are nearly straight but the weight is not yet lifted from the stack, you’re too close. Repeat the process to reposition your body slightly farther back.

Form Tip: Some lifters may take a quicker setup by simply grabbing the handle, placing one foot on the platform while standing, and then “plopping” their body down onto the bench to raise the weight.

This no-frills process increases stress on the hips, low back, and shoulder joints due to the impact of dropping from a standing position while supporting additional weight (via the cable attachment). It also doesn’t allow the torso to remain in a well-supported position, which exposes the low back to more potential stress.

Step 2 — Row Your Elbows In

Press your feet into the platform without straightening your legs. Pull the bar into your mid-ab area until it touches slightly above your belly button. Throughout the movement, your upper arms should aim towards the ground, not towards the walls to either side.

Your shoulder blades should come together as your upper back contracts to help pull the weight. To reinforce your upper back engagement, imagine puffing your chest out. When you’ve reached peak contraction, your elbows should be slightly behind your body and your forearms should be near your ribs.

During the rep, focus on gripping the handle tightly while driving your elbows past your body. Keep your torso upright. Your upper body shouldn’t lean back to “reel in” the weight like a swordfish on a charter boat. Pulling only with your arms while keeping your upper body vertical ensures the large back muscles, not the smaller shoulders muscles or lumbar spine, are receiving the training stimulus.

Form Tip: The focus for this foundational movement is to keep the bar at roughly belly-button height to put the majority of the back under optimal muscular stress. A number of seated cable row variations manipulate the pulling angle to focus stress onto different parts of the back — pulling to the hips, above chest-level, etc. Those will be addressed below.

Step 3 — Extend Your Arms

After completing the range of motion (with the bar touching your abs), reverse the movement by pushing your elbows and lower arms forward. Continue gripping the handles tightly to ensure control of the weight. Your shoulder blades should naturally extend as you reach the end range of motion. Do not deliberately “reach” your shoulders forward, which would expose the shoulder joint to excessive strain.

Maintaining an upright torso is even more critical during the lowering phase due to the pulling force of the weight stack and potential instability of the lower back. Resist the urge to lean forward. Keep steady pressure through your feet to engage the hamstrings and glutes for added lower back support. Once your arms are nearly locked out and your back muscles are stretched, pause briefly before pulling the next rep.

Form Tip: Your legs and upper body should make a general “L” shape during the entire rep. If your upper body moves and the angle changes to more of a “V”, your lower back is being recruited to move and lower the weight, which increases strain.

Changing your upper body angle also changes the cable angle relative to your muscles because your arms are closer to an overhead position. This alters muscle recruitment and changes the exercise’s effectiveness.

Seated Cable Row Mistakes to Avoid

Because your upper body is unsupported during each rep of the seated cable row, you may run into common mistakes that can reduce muscle activation and increase the risk of injury.

Short Range of Motion

For maximum muscle recruitment and development, perform the seated cable row by pulling the bar until it touches your abs and extending until your arms are nearly locked out (because the target muscle is the back, which can be fully stretched before your arms are extended).

Lifters often avoid the end-range of motion, on either the stretch or the contraction, in an effort to “keep tension on the muscle.” However, when using proper form, the muscle is always under tension.

Using a full range of motion not only allows optimal development, but also allows the shoulder and elbow joints to function using their full mobility. Lifting with a full range of motion can help to improve overall joint mobility and flexibility. (1)

Avoid it: Individual limb lengths may sometimes require adjusting the seated cable row range of motion. For example, a lifter with very long arms may not be able to pull far enough to touch the bar to their abs while a lifter with short arms may have trouble getting into position while raising the weight off the stack.

Unless you’re exceptionally tall or exceptionally short (which will require adapting a number of exercises to your frame), maintain the reference point of using full stretch and full contraction on each rep.

Forward Leaning Torso

Wanting to move the torso forwards and backwards during a rep may seem intuitive and may even feel like a natural movement, but it’s counterproductive and exposes the lower back to added stress without adding significant muscular benefit.

Leaning forward while lowering the weight may appear to increase the exercises range of motion, and a longer range of motion can sometimes lead to increased muscle recruitment. However, with the seated cable row, that added range of motion is not coming from the target muscle (the large muscles of the back).

The increased range of motion is achieved because additional muscles, particularly the shoulders and upper back, have been recruited. The target muscle isn’t receiving any added benefit. You may have seen photos or videos of massive bodybuilders nearly touching their toes with the bar in an extreme stretch. Don’t do that. It’s unnecessary, high risk, and low reward.

Avoid it: Pretend there’s a padded backstop jutting up from the seated row bench. Imagine keeping your hips and lower back against the seat when lifting and lowering the weight. Your head, shoulders, and chest should remain roughly above your hips throughout each rep.

Lifting Too Heavy

The majority of seated cable row stations are designed with the weight stack facing the lifter. This can create a mind game for anyone who over-focuses on moving the most weight possible rather than moving an appropriate weight to achieve the right training stimulus.

Even though the entire weight stack is staring back at you during the exercise, never feel as though you’re “only” lifting a certain amount of weight. If you’re achieving muscular fatigue in the programmed rep range, you’re on the right track.

Trying to use too much weight is often an underlying cause in the two previous mistakes. When the weight is too heavy, you’ll be unable to achieve a full peak contraction, so your range of motion is shortened. An excessive load can also pull you forward out of position, and require swinging the upper body to use momentum, not muscle, to lift the weight.

Avoid it: As with most exercises, avoid letting your ego dictate your actions. The seated cable row should never be an exercise to attempt extreme weights because the body isn’t aligned for a major display of strength without risking injury. Follow the sets and reps in your routine and maintain consistent technique to target the intended body parts.

Benefits of the Seated Cable Row

The seated cable row can play a significant role in building a muscular back with minimal joint strain. It’s often one of the first exercises lifters in a home gym attempt to replicate, since its unique cable setup requires a dedicated workstation. Here’s why this exercise is a high priority movement.

Back Size

Seated cable rows are a staple in nearly every back-building workout, and for very good reason. The constant resistance provided by the cable makes it a highly effective way to place your back muscles under extended time under tension, which is the catalyst for more muscle growth stimulus. (2)

Reduce Lower Back Stress

The seated cable row delivers constant tension from the cable pulley along with a stable, lower-back saving body position (assuming your form is tight). This combination makes it an ideal exercise for lifters unable to perform other row variations — like the barbell row — which may increase strain on the lower back due to a less-supported body position.

The cable’s constant tension also allows lifters to achieve a significant muscle-building stimulus while using relatively lighter weights. This reduces the cumulative stress on the joints without compromising hypertrophy (muscle size).

Muscles Worked by the Seated Cable Row

The seated cable row, and all rowing variations, will target multiple muscles in the back.

Lats

The latissimus dorsi, or lats, are what most people think of when they think of “a big, muscular back.” The muscle runs from under the shoulders down to the waist, with the developed muscle being visible under the arms near the ribs. The lats are worked during the seated cable row when your elbows pull the weight towards your body, causing a powerful contraction on both sides of the body.

Upper Back

The upper back is a collective term for the part of the back running from shoulder to shoulder between the neck and shoulder blades. It’s composed of several separate muscles including the rear deltoids, teres, rhomboids, and trapezius. These muscles are recruited during the seated cable row as the scapulae (shoulder blades) pull inwards while raising the weight.

Biceps

The biceps aren’t, and shouldn’t be, the primary muscle moving the weight in a seated cable row, but they are significantly recruited during the exercise. When your arm is bent to pull the handle towards your body, your biceps assist in the movement. The smaller forearm and gripping muscles also support the movement, as they do during any type of “pulling” exercise.

Who Should Do the Seated Cable Row

The seated cable row builds muscle size with reduced wear and tear on the lower back and shoulders. This makes the exercise valuable for a number of lifters.

Lifting for Muscle

When a lifters’ goal is to build a muscular back, the seated cable row can be invaluable. The cable provides constant tension which puts the muscle under greater overall stress compared to free weight (barbell or dumbbell) rows, which can decrease stress due to gravity affecting leverage in different positions.

Lifters with Back Pain

Because the seated cable row allows a lifter to train effectively without needing significant weight, it’s an effective option for lifters dealing with lower back pain. The cable also allows more adaptable joint positioning compared to a rowing machine, making it a better option for lifters with shoulder or elbow pain.

How to Program the Seated Cable Row

The seated cable row can be programmed with several effective methods to suit a lifter’s goal and individual needs. Due to body position and necessary technique, the exercise is not well-suited to extremely heavy, low-rep programming.

Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetition

Using a classic bodybuilding-style approach, reaching muscular failure in the 8 to 12 rep range for three or four sets, is one of the most common and most effective ways to program this exercise.

Light-to-Moderate Weight, High Repetition

The constant tension of the cables allows lifters to get a significant muscle-building effect without heavy, low-rep loading. Using two to three sets of 12 to 20 reps can be an excellent workout to “burn out” the back, particularly as the last exercise of a back workout when the muscles are fatigued from previous work.

Seated Cable Row Variations

The seated cable row is extremely versatile and a number of simple, effective variations can be implemented by simply attaching a different handle and/or pulling the bar to a different point of your body.

Long Bar Attachment

Using a straight pulldown bar, or long bar, allows either a palms-up (supinated) grip or a palms-down (pronated) grip. A supinated grip will activate the biceps to a greater degree while a pronated grip may be more comfortable on your shoulders, especially if you use a wider grip (outside shoulder-width).

A supinated grip also allows the user to pull the bar more efficiently to the lower abs or waist, which reduces upper back recruitment and can increase lat activation. A pronated grip allows you to pull the bar much higher, to chest or neck-level, which decreases lat recruitment and increases muscular stress on the entire upper back.

Rope Attachment

Attaching a rope handle, more commonly used for triceps exercises, allow the wrists to rotate during the movement. This freedom reduces joint stress. The flexible nature of the rope, compared to a solid metal handle, also allows a slightly longer range of motion at peak contraction.

Similar to the long bar, rope rows can be performed low to the hips for increased lat stress. The rope attachment is often used for pulls to neck or eye-level, appropriately called “face pulls”. This exercise prioritizes the upper back and shoulder stabilizer muscles

Single-Arm Cable Row

Attaching a single handle and rowing with one arm at a time offers several benefits. Like all unilateral upper body exercises, the overall core activation is increased, specifically the obliques and rotational stabilizers.

A single-handle, similar to the rope attachment, also allows your wrist to freely rotate during the exercise. This can decrease stress on the joints by encouraging the elbow to more with less restriction.

The single-arm cable row can also be performed while standing, instead of braced on the bench seat. This specific variation can have more athletic carryover, due to increased total-body recruitment. It has also been shown to build significant core strength. (3)

Seated Cable Row Alternatives

The seated cable row is highly effective and offers unique benefits, but other row variations can also provide specific training effects separate from the seated cable.

Barbell Row

The barbell row is considered one of the “big basics” — fundamental exercises like the squat, deadlift, bench press, and shoulder press which help to establish a base of head-to-toe strength.

The barbell row allows lifters to potentially move significant weight, which can have great carryover to building muscle size and raw power. However, due to the body’s position, the lower back is put under much more direct stress

Dumbbell Row

The dumbbell row is most commonly performed supporting the body on a flat bench while moving one dumbbell. However, using two dumbbells from a standing position can be another effective variation.

The dumbbell row is an effective balance of lower back support while also providing a full stretch and contraction for a strong muscle-building stimulus.

Chest-Supported Row

The chest-supported row is one of the most effective back exercises to drastically reduce lower back involvement, because the torso is fully supported on a bench and movement is unavoidably strict with no swinging.

This variation can be done on a specific chest-supported row bench or using a pair of dumbbells while lying chest-down on a bench set to a high angle.

FAQs

Why does my grip fail before my back muscles?

It’s not uncommon for grip to fatigue during many back exercises, because the hands and forearms are much smaller than the larger, stronger muscles of the back. Fortunately, grip strength improves relatively quickly from consistent lifting. Adding one or two grip-focused exercises (such as a farmer’s walk or pull-up hold) to your training week should yield noticeable results in a short time.

However, if grip strength continues to interrupt your back workout, use a pair of lifting straps to secure your grip to the handle. Be sure to use straps only when necessary, on the most challenging sets. Over-relying on lifting straps can end up being counterproductive by reducing grip development.

Why does my lower back hurt after a set?

Even though one benefit of the seated cable row is reduced lower back strain, some lifters may not feel totally comfortable with the exercise depending on their underlying condition.

Placing the feet in a wider stance on the platform, driving through the heels, and more actively engaging the glutes and hamstrings can all help to provide maximal support to the lower back. Ensuring a strict upright torso and tense abdomen during every rep will also reduce strain.

Should I do seated cable rows if I have a different row in my workout?

The majority of back-focused workouts will include at least one “overhead pull”, like a pulldown or pull-up, and at least one type of rowing exercise. The seated cable row provides specific benefits compared to rowing with barbells, dumbbells, or machines.

To ensure optimal progress, avoid performing exercises which are too similar to one another. However, depending on your overall workout plan, a session which includes seated cable rows for moderate reps and, for example, barbell rows for lower reps, could be an excellent approach to build size and strength. Performing seated cable rows with a long bar, followed by seated cable rows with a single-handle, would be redundant and much less effective.

Sit, Row, and Grow

Targeting the larger back muscles without aggravating the lumbar spine requires an attention to detail, both in exercise selection and performance. The seated cable row checks all boxes and allows you to train intensely without excessive strain. Practice the form tips and add the exercise to your back routine.

References

1. Afonso J, Ramirez-Campillo R, Moscão J, et al. Strength Training versus Stretching for Improving Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare (Basel). 2021;9(4):427. Published 2021 Apr 7. doi:10.3390/healthcare9040427
2. Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, et al. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012;590(2):351-362. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
3. Fenwick CM, Brown SH, McGill SM. Comparison of different rowing exercises: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Mar;23(2):350-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181942019. PMID: 19197209.

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