Shoulders·Barbell·Compound

Barbell Rear Delt Row

Shoulders · Barbell

Beginner

Body Part

Shoulders

Equipment

Barbell

Level

Beginner

Type

Compound

Force

Pull

The Barbell Rear Delt Row is a beginner barbell exercise that primarily targets the Shoulders.

Muscles Worked

Shoulders primaryBiceps secondaryLats secondaryUpper Back secondary

How to Do the Barbell Rear Delt Row

  1. 1Stand up straight while holding a barbell using a wide (higher than shoulder width) and overhand (palms facing your body) grip.
  2. 2Bend knees slightly and bend over as you keep the natural arch of your back. Let the arms hang in front of you as they hold the bar. Once your torso is parallel to the floor, flare the elbows out and away from your body. Tip: Your torso and your arms should resemble the letter "T". Now you are ready to begin the exercise.
  3. 3While keeping the upper arms perpendicular to the torso, pull the barbell up towards your upper chest as you squeeze the rear delts and you breathe out. Tip: When performed correctly, this exercise should resemble a bench press in reverse. Also, refrain from using your biceps to do the work. Focus on targeting the rear delts; the arms should only act as hooks.
  4. 4Slowly go back to the initial position as you breathe in.
  5. 5Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Related Exercises

Exercise data from the open-source Free Exercise DB.