How to Perform the Bent Over Row: Form and Technique
Master the barbell bent over row with our expert guide. Build back thickness, improve posture, and learn proper form to avoid injury.
How to Perform
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip the barbell slightly wider than your legs using an overhand grip.
- Hinge at your hips while keeping your back flat until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor.
- Allow the bar to hang at arm's length while maintaining a slight bend in your knees and a neutral spine.
- Pull the barbell toward your lower ribs by driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause briefly at the top of the movement to ensure maximum muscle contraction.
- Lower the barbell under control back to the starting position without letting it touch the ground.
Common Mistakes
- Using momentum or swinging the torso to lift the weight.
- Rounding the lower back which increases the risk of lumbar injury.
- Pulling the bar too high toward the chest rather than the belly button.
Muscles Worked
Primary movers
- Lats
Stabilizers
- Rhomboids
- Trapezius
- Rear Deltoids
- Biceps
Related Guides
- 1-Arm Half-Kneeling Lat Pulldown — Back
- Alternating High Cable Row — Back
- Alternative DB Gorilla rows — Back
Lats · Back