Barbell Row
The barbell bent-over row is a free-weight horizontal pull: hinged forward with a flat back, you row a barbell from straight arms to your upper abdomen. It works the lats, the mid-back (middle traps and rhomboids) and the rear delts, with the biceps assisting and the back extensors holding the hinge.
Also called: Bent Over Row, BB Row, Barbell Bent Over Row, BB Bent Over Row · Equipment: barbell · Pattern: pull
Step by step
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and the bar over the middle of your feet. Grip it overhand, hands slightly wider than shoulder width, thumbs wrapped around the bar.
- Lift the bar to standing as you would a deadlift, or take it from a rack set at mid-thigh height.
- Unlock your knees, push your hips back and hinge until your torso is about 45° to the floor. Let the bar hang at arm's length below your shoulders, with your back flat and your neck in line with it.
- Take a breath, brace your trunk and set your shoulder blades before the first rep.
- Row the bar to your upper abdomen, just below your ribcage, driving your elbows back past your torso. Keep your torso angle fixed.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together for a moment with the bar touching your abdomen.
- Let the bar travel back down under control until your arms are straight, keeping the same hinge and brace. Breathe and re-brace before the next rep.
- After the last rep, drive your hips forward to stand up with the bar, then set it down or return it to the rack.
- Hold your torso angle, only your arms and shoulder blades move
- Drive your elbows back past your hips
- Bar to your upper abdomen
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top
- Flat back, neck in line
- Big breath and brace before every rep
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Latissimus dorsi | Prime mover | C |
| Trapezius: middle | Prime mover | C |
| Rhomboids | Prime mover | C |
| Posterior deltoid | Secondary | C |
| Biceps brachii | Secondary | C |
| Brachialis | Secondary | C |
| Trapezius: lower | Secondary | D |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | B |
| Forearm flexors | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Torso rising to heave the bar
Fix: Hold your torso at about 45° and use a load you can row without standing up.
Back rounding as the set goes on
Fix: Brace before every rep and end the set when your back can no longer stay flat.
Bar drifting away from the legs
Fix: Keep the bar close so it travels just in front of your thighs and knees.
Cutting the range short
Fix: Let your arms straighten fully at the bottom of every rep before the next pull.
Shrugging at the top
Fix: Pull your shoulder blades back towards each other, not up towards your ears.
Jerking the bar off the bottom
Fix: Start each rep from a still hang and pull smoothly to your abdomen.
What the research says
Strength · first choiceMuscle growth · first choiceGeneral fitness · first choiceSport performanceEnduranceFat loss & conditioning
- Load by goal — Research comparing loads finds maximal strength favours heavier loads, while muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure.
- Effort — Studies show sets that finish a few reps short of failure capture most of the size and strength benefit. Many lifters keep true failure for occasional use, because the hinge position gets harder to hold as a set nears failure.
- Volume and frequency — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns. Training a muscle about twice a week is a common way to spread that volume.
- Rest — In trained lifters, rests of about 3 minutes between sets have produced greater strength and size gains than 1-minute rests, largely because each set can carry more load.
- Variation choice — Research comparing free-weight and machine training finds similar muscle growth, with strength gains specific to the version trained. Chest-supported, cable and machine rows are common alternatives for back volume.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the barbell row in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.