Pendlay Row
The Pendlay row is a strict barbell row: with your torso parallel to the floor, you pull the bar explosively from the floor to your torso and let it settle fully on the floor between every rep. It works the lats, mid-back and rear shoulders hard, with the spinal erectors holding the bent-over position.
Also called: Pendlay Rows, Dead Stop Row, Strict Barbell Row, Dead-Stop Barbell Row · Equipment: barbell · Pattern: pull
Step by step
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and the bar over your mid-foot. Take an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees slightly until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor and your arms hang straight to the bar.
- Take a breath, brace your trunk and set a flat back from hips to head.
- Pull the bar explosively from the floor to the bottom of your breastbone or upper stomach, driving your elbows up and back.
- Keep your torso still so it does not rise to help the bar up, and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top.
- Return the bar to the floor under control and let it settle completely.
- Reset your breath, brace and flat back before every rep.
- Torso parallel, back flat
- Bar settles, re-brace every rep
- Pull fast to the bottom of your ribs
- Torso stays still
- Shoulder blades together at the top
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 |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | C |
| Gluteus maximus | Stabiliser | D |
| 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 lift the bar
Fix: Keep your torso parallel and use a weight you can pull without it rising.
Rounding the back
Fix: Set a flat back and brace before each rep; raise the bar on blocks if you need to.
Bouncing off the floor
Fix: Let the bar settle completely on the floor before the next pull.
Pulling with the arms only
Fix: Drive your elbows up and back and finish with your shoulder blades squeezed.
Bar too far forward
Fix: Start with the bar over your mid-foot, directly under your shoulders.
What the research says
Strength · first choiceSport performance · first choicePowerMuscle growthGeneral fitnessFat loss & conditioning
- Load by goal — Research comparing loads finds maximal strength favours heavier loads (about 8 reps or fewer per set), while muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure.
- Sets and reps — A common approach is 3–5 sets of 3–6 reps with a full reset on the floor each rep. No study has compared rows reset on the floor with touch-and-go rows.
- Effort — Studies find strength gains are largely insensitive to how close to failure sets are taken, so heavy Pendlay rows are commonly kept a rep or two short of failure.
- Intent — Research on velocity-specific training finds adaptations follow the intent to move fast, which is why the bar is typically pulled explosively from the floor.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the pendlay 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.