BIP.

Exercise library · Back

Barbell row

Horizontal pull for the back with a barbell.

How to do it

1 of 3

Hinge with soft knees

  1. Starting position

    Stand hip-width, grip the bar just wider than your shoulders, and hinge forward with soft knees and straight arms.

  2. The movement

    Pull the bar toward your lower stomach and lower it until your arms are straight without resting it on the floor.

Most common mistake

Don't jerk your torso up to move the bar, keep your body still and drive your elbows back.

Watch the video larger →

Muscle group
Back
Equipment
Barbell
Where
Gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The barbell row mainly trains your lats and the muscles between your shoulder blades. The back of your shoulders and your biceps help, and your forearms hold the grip. Your lower back, glutes and hamstrings hold you still in the bent-over position for the whole set. Grip changes the emphasis: an underhand grip gives your biceps more to do, while a wider overhand grip, with your elbows out, shifts more of the work to your upper back and the back of your shoulders.

Common mistakes

  • Your back rounds in the bent-over position. Hold the same position from the first rep to the last, with your abs braced, chest up and back straight. If you cannot, lower the weight or choose a row with your chest on a bench.
  • Your neck bends back. Looking up at the mirror cranks your neck. Keep your head in line with your back, eyes on the floor a little ahead of your feet.
  • Your shoulders creep up towards your ears. Your neck then takes over and your back does less. Drive your elbows back towards your hips rather than up, and keep your shoulders away from your ears.

Variations and alternatives

  • The Pendlay row starts from the floor every rep with your torso almost horizontal, for an explosive pull.
  • The dumbbell row, supported on a bench, takes load off your lower back and trains one side at a time.
  • The seal row, with your chest on a high bench, removes the chance to cheat because your torso cannot move.
  • The close grip seated cable row is a simpler option if your lower back tires before your back muscles do.

Sets and reps

Rows get sloppy when the weight is too heavy, so most people use more reps than for squats and deadlifts. For strength, 4 to 6 reps works as long as your torso stays still. To build muscle, 6 to 12 reps over 3 to 4 sets is the norm, and for endurance 12 to 15 reps with a lighter weight. Long sets are often limited by your lower back rather than your back muscles, and then a cable row fits better. The guide to sets and reps has more.

Add reps first. When you hit the top of your range on every set with a still torso, add 2.5 kg. That is progressive overload, and it only works if every rep you count looks the same.

Also called

  • bent over row
  • bb row

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

Want it in a programme?

Tell BIP your goal and your equipment, and BIP builds a week with sets, reps and rest worked out. You log your weights as you train and watch yourself get stronger. The first week is free.

Create a programme →