How to Perform the Barbell Row: Form and Benefits
Master the barbell row with our expert guide. Learn proper form, avoid common mistakes, and build a stronger back with this essential compound lift.
How to Perform
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your mid-foot positioned directly under the barbell.
- Hinge at the hips and bend your knees slightly to grasp the bar with an overhand grip just wider than your legs.
- Maintain a flat back and a braced core while lifting the bar slightly off the ground to find your starting position.
- Pull the barbell toward your lower ribs by driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Hold the contraction for a brief second at the top of the movement while keeping your torso stationary.
- Lower the weight under control until your arms are fully extended toward the floor.
- Exhale as you pull the weight and inhale as you return to the starting position.
Common Mistakes
- Rounding the lower back during the lift
- Using momentum or 'jerking' the torso to move the weight
- Pulling the bar too high toward the chest rather than the abdomen
- Flaring the elbows excessively away from the body
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