Wide Row
The wide row is a bodyweight row under a bar or rings taken with a wide grip and the elbows flared out to the sides. It works the upper back and rear shoulders more than a standard row, and it is the rung after the horizontal inverted row in a common row progression.
Also called: Wide Rows, Wide Grip Inverted Row, Wide-Grip Bodyweight Row, Wide Ring Row · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: pull
Step by step
- Set a bar or rings at about waist height and lie underneath with your body straight and close to horizontal.
- On a bar, grip about one and a half times shoulder width; on rings, hold them wide with palms facing down.
- Hang with straight arms and your heels on the floor, body in one line.
- Pull your chest to the bar or rings, letting your elbows travel out to the sides at about 90°.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top, keeping your shoulders down.
- Return under control to fully straight arms without letting your hips sag.
- Wide grip, elbows out
- Chest to the bar
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together
- Body straight, hips up
- Shoulders down, away from your ears
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Posterior deltoid: posterior | Prime mover | D |
| Trapezius: middle | Prime mover | D |
| Rhomboids | Prime mover | D |
| Latissimus dorsi | Secondary | C |
| Biceps brachii | Secondary | D |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Hips sagging
Fix: Squeeze your glutes and keep a straight line from head to heels.
Elbows tucking in
Fix: Let your elbows travel out to the sides at about 90° as you pull.
Shoulders rolling forward at the top
Fix: Finish with your shoulders pulled back and down, chest up to the bar.
Half reps
Fix: Bring your chest all the way to the bar or rings on every rep.
What the research says
Muscle growthGeneral fitnessEndurance
- Effort — Research finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets finish close to failure. With light loads, one trial found sets to failure produced more growth than sets ended well short.
- Volume — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns.
- Sets and reps — The Recommended Routine uses 3 sets of 5–8 reps. Past this rung, many lifters raise the feet or wear a weight vest. There is no research on wide-row programming.
Log the wide 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.