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Barbell row
It's the back exercise that moves the most muscle at once, and the one that turns into something else the fastest. As soon as the weight is too much, your torso starts going up and down and it stops being a row and becomes half a bad deadlift.
Barbell row with Nora. Nora and Hugo are our models, created with artificial intelligence, on a competition floor.
What it works
- Lats and the middle of your back, between your shoulder blades
- Biceps and forearms, which help throughout the pull
- Lower back and glutes, which work without moving to hold the bent-over position
How to do it
- 1Stand over the bar
Feet hip-width apart, bar over the middle of your foot. Grip a little wider than your shoulders, palms facing back.
- 2Lean over and stay there
Knees slightly bent and hips back until you're somewhere between forty-five degrees and almost horizontal. That angle doesn't change during the set: it's your sign that the weight is right.
- 3Brace before you pull
Chest up, eyes on the floor about a yard ahead, abs tight. Your back keeps its natural curve, neither rounded nor with your butt stuck out too far.
- 4Pull the bar to your belly button
Pull with your elbows, not your hands, and bring it toward your lower abs. At the top, squeeze your shoulder blades together for a moment.
- 5Lower under control
Straighten fully at the bottom without letting your shoulders roll forward or the bar just drop.
The mistakes you see most
- Lifting your torso on every rep. If your back goes up and down along with the pull, you're using momentum. The angle is set at the start and held.
- Pulling the bar to your chest. The higher you pull it, the more your shoulders work and the less your lats do. The benchmark is your belly button or just below.
- Rounding your lower back. Same as the deadlift: when your position changes, the set is over. Take weight off before it happens.
- Pulling only with your arms. If your elbows barely go past your body, your biceps are doing the work. Think about driving your elbows back and toward your pocket.
Variations
- Underhand grip. Palms facing you. More biceps, and many people find it easier to keep their elbows close.
- One-arm dumbbell row. With your knee and hand resting on a bench. Your lower back gets a rest and each side works on its own.
- Pendlay row. Each rep starts and ends with the bar on the floor, with your torso almost horizontal. More explosive, without building up fatigue in your lower back.
- Chest-supported machine row. The pad holds your torso, so there's no way to cheat or load your lower back. A very good option for going close to failure.
Frequently asked questions
How far should I lean over?
The more horizontal, the more your back works and the more tiring the position is. Forty-five degrees is a comfortable spot for most people; what matters is that the angle you choose doesn't change during the set.
My lower back hurts when I do it
It's usually too much weight or a lean you can't hold. Try the dumbbell variation supported on a bench or the chest-supported machine, which take that work away completely.
Rows or pull-ups?
They don't replace the same thing. The pull-up pulls from top to bottom and the row pulls from front to back. A complete back usually includes both movements.
Can I use straps?
Yes, when your grip tires before your back. With straps you can really train your back; without them, you also train your grip. Both work, depending on what you're after that day.
And to keep track of what you lift
In the Reverfit Workout app every exercise comes with its animation, and you log the weight and reps set by set, with what you did last time right in front of you. Free and with no ads.
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