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Barbell Bent-Over Row
How to do the Barbell Bent-Over Row with good form: step-by-step technique, the muscles it works (upper back), coaching cues and the mistakes to avoid.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Upper back
- Secondary
- Lower back, Biceps, Hamstrings
How to do it
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with a pronated grip slightly wider than your shoulders.
- Hinge at the hips, keeping a slight bend in your knees, until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor.
- Brace your core fiercely to lock your lumbar spine in a neutral position.
- Pull the barbell forcefully toward your lower chest or upper abdomen by driving your elbows up and back.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades tightly together at the top of the contraction.
- Lower the barbell slowly back to the starting position with your arms fully extended, keeping your torso perfectly stationary.
Coaching cues
- Pull to the belly button
- Keep the back flat and rigid
- Squeeze a pencil between your shoulder blades
Common mistakes
- Standing up too vertically during the set, turning it into an upright row
- Jerking the weight up using the lower back
- Rounding the lower spine, risking disc injury
Equipment and setup
Barbell, weight plates
Barbell loaded on the floor.
Also known as: Bent-Over Row, BB Row
Track your Barbell Bent-Over Row in ROAN
ROAN fills in last session’s weight and reps, estimates your 1RM and keeps your best sets.
