The bent over row is commonly done with a barbell or with 2 dumbbells.
The bent over row is a good…
- pulling exercise
- back exercise
- developer of stabilizing strength through the core
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About the Bent Over Row
Proper form for barbell bent over rows
- Start with your feet hip width apart.
- Your hands will be on the outside of the thighs with a palms facing you grip.
- Bend forward at the waist with the knees slightly bent, keeping the back straight until the torso is about parallel to the floor.
- Pull the barbell toward the waist, keeping the elbows close to the body while using a full range of motion (all the way down, all the way up).
Common Bent Over Row Mistakes
- Rounding the back - When starting the lift you want to make sure you have good spinal alignment. This means that your back is straight, your shoulders are back, your head is up and your eyes are forward. This will help to prevent rounding the back.
- Pulling the barbell to the chest instead of to the waist - this violates the natural path of movement and results in an inefficient lift.
- Not using full range of motion - the barbell should be touching the body just above the waist at the top of the movement and the elbows should be fully extended at the bottom of the motion.
Muscles used during a Bent over Row
- Lats
- Delts
- Teres Major
- Biceps
Where do I start if I'm a beginner? (weights, reps, sets)
Learning proper technique is the primary goal of a beginner. Start with the bar only, or even something lighter like a broom stick until you are comfortable with the movement. Add weight slowly, paying particular attention to any strain you may feel in your lower back.
- Weight: barbell (45 lbs) or something lighter such as a broom stick.
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 12
Thanks, the video was great. I’m impressed with the editing.
Nice job! Great info! I especially like the common errors & how to correct!
Thanks Dale! Glad you like the site…
my initial reaction to the video was that i thought you did the movement very quickly. shouldn’t you contract your shoulderblades at the end for contact? and i thought the barbell should be at kneeposition throughout the movement
I used to do the T-bar row with great back size and strength results but years later switched to the safer (for me) one-arm dumbell row. Not as satisfyng as the T-bar row, but good. The bent- over barbell row always scared me since I have a “glass” low back, but I am inspired by your video and reccomendation to try this basic, original back exercise once again, with care taken to make sure I do it perfectly of course!
Thanks for all your how-to vids vic! They have been really helpful.
Thanks Patrick! Train hard!