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Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
How to do the Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row with good form: step-by-step technique, the muscles it works (upper back and traps), coaching cues and the mistakes to avoid.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Upper back, Traps
- Secondary
- Biceps
How to do it
- Set an incline bench to roughly 45 degrees and grab a dumbbell in each hand.
- Lie face down on the bench with your chest supported by the pad and your feet planted firmly on the floor or the bench base.
- Let your arms hang straight down toward the floor with a neutral grip.
- Initiate the row by retracting your shoulder blades and driving your elbows straight up toward the ceiling.
- Pull the dumbbells until they reach the sides of your ribcage, squeezing your upper back tightly.
- Lower the dumbbells under control until your arms are fully extended, feeling a stretch between your shoulder blades.
Coaching cues
- Squeeze a pencil between your shoulder blades
- Keep your chest glued to the pad
- Pull with the elbows
Common mistakes
- Lifting the chest off the pad to cheat the weight up
- Pulling the dumbbells too high towards the armpits, emphasizing traps over lats
- Dropping the weights rapidly on the eccentric phase
Equipment and setup
Adjustable bench, dumbbells
Adjustable bench set to a 30 to 45-degree incline.
Also known as: Incline Dumbbell Row
Track your Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row in ROAN
ROAN fills in last session’s weight and reps, estimates your 1RM and keeps your best sets.
