Back · Barbell · Compound · Intermediate
Barbell Bent-Over Row
You hinge forward with a flat back and row a barbell from arm's length to your lower ribs. The target is the lats, mid-traps, rhomboids and rear delts, while your lower back works the whole set just to hold the hinge.
- Main muscles
- Upper Back, Lats
- Also working
- Biceps, Rear Delts, Lower Back, Forearms
How to do it
- Stand with feet about hip-width, mid-foot under the bar, and take an overhand grip just outside your knees.
- Push your hips back and lower your torso with a neutral spine. Anywhere from roughly parallel to the floor (Pendlay) to about 45 degrees above it is normal; Yates rows stand more upright still.
- Brace your trunk and pull the shoulders down and back before the bar moves.
- Row the bar toward your lower ribs or upper abdomen by driving the elbows back. Your hip angle should not change.
- Touch the bar lightly to your body with the shoulder blades squeezed together.
- Lower it under control to full arm extension, or to the floor if you are doing Pendlay rows, and re-brace.
Cues
Short phrases to think during a set.
- “Hip angle stays put”
- “Elbows back, not up”
- “Bar to the lower ribs”
- “Brace before every rep”
Common mistakes
- Standing up to heave the bar. If your torso rises on each rep, the hips are doing the rowing. Take weight off until the angle holds.
- Lower back rounding under load. Brace harder, raise the torso angle a little, or lighten the bar. This is the error that hurts people.
- Shrugging and curling instead of rowing. Start each rep by pulling the shoulder blades back, then drive the elbows behind you.
- Pulling to the collarbone with elbows flared out to the sides. That usually means the torso has come up too. Aim lower.
- Bouncing the bar off the floor or off your body to start the next rep. Control both directions.
The short version
Coaches use the barbell row as a main back exercise because it takes more load than most rows and trains the hinge position at the same time. The cost is that your lower back has to hold that position for every rep. Chest-supported and machine rows remove that demand, which is why many programs pair the two.
Torso angle is the main disagreement, and there is no single correct answer. A flatter torso shifts work toward the upper back and rear delts. A more upright torso with a lower pull point brings in more lat and lets you use more weight, along with more temptation to swing it. If your lower back is the limit, a Pendlay reset or a chest-supported row on volume days are the usual fixes.
Why people do it
- Takes heavier loads than most rowing variations, so it works well as a main strength lift
- Trains the mid-back, lats and rear delts in one movement
- Holding the hinge builds the spinal erectors and bracing that the deadlift needs
- Needs only a barbell and plates; no bench, rack or machine
Drawbacks
- Your lower back works isometrically the whole set and often tires before your upper back does
- Lifters with a history of low-back pain may need a chest-supported row instead
- Holding the bar becomes the limit on heavy sets, so straps come into it sooner than on supported rows
- Torso angle and rep quality are hard to judge on yourself without video
Sources
- Barbell Row Help · Barbell Medicine
- RP Strength: Maximizing Back Muscle Growth: Comprehensive Training Strategies · RP Strength
- Bent BB Rows? · Barbell Medicine
Questions
What torso angle should I use for barbell rows?+
Anything from about parallel to the floor up to roughly 45 degrees is a normal working range. Flatter biases the upper back and rear delts; more upright lets you lift more and gets more lat. Pick the angle you can hold for every rep of the set.
What is the difference between a Pendlay row and a Yates row?+
A Pendlay row starts each rep from the floor with the torso about parallel to it, so every rep begins dead and strict. A Yates row is done more upright, often with an underhand grip, with continuous reps and a little body English to handle more weight.
Why does my lower back hurt after barbell rows?+
Usually the load is more than you can hold the hinge with, so the back rounds or the torso rocks. Lighten the bar, raise the torso slightly, or use a Pendlay reset. A chest-supported row trains the same muscles with no hinge to hold while the back settles.
Overhand or underhand grip for barbell rows?+
Both work. Underhand keeps the elbows tucked and brings in more lat and biceps, and it usually allows a little more weight. Overhand is the more common default and lets the elbows travel a little wider for upper back.
Are barbell rows or dumbbell rows better?+
Barbell rows load heavier and train bracing; supported single-arm dumbbell rows give a longer range and take the lower back out of it. Plenty of programs use both.
Swaps on other equipment
Each has the upper back as its main muscle and is also a pull, on a different piece of equipment.
Variations
Pendlay Row · Yates Row · Dumbbell Bent-Over Row · Seal Row · Chest-Supported Row
Other upper back exercises
- Alternating Kettlebell Row · Kettlebell
- Alternating Renegade Row · Kettlebell
- Bent Over Barbell Row · Barbell
- Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row · Barbell
- Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row · Barbell
- Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row · Dumbbell
Written for this site from the sources listed above. Last reviewed October 20, 2026. How this site is put together · Report a mistake