Back · Dumbbells

Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

The dumbbell bent-over row is a compound free-weight exercise designed to build upper-body pulling strength and back thickness. It targets the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, middle trapezius, and rear deltoids, fitting best in the early or middle part of a back workout.

Muscles: Back
Equipment: Dumbbells
Type: Strength
Animation: Men

How to do it

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward from your hips, keeping your back straight and almost parallel to the floor.
Let your arms hang down, with palms facing each other.
Inhale and brace your core. Exhale as you lift the dumbbells towards your waist, keeping your elbows close to your body.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
Keep your neck in a neutral position, aligned with your spine.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

Common mistakes

Rounding the lower back places excessive shear stress on the spine and increases injury risk.
Using torso momentum to swing the weights up removes continuous tension from the back muscles.
Flaring the elbows wide shifts the work away from the lats and stresses the shoulder joints.
Pulling primarily with the biceps instead of initiating with scapular retraction minimizes back involvement.

Tips

Initiate each repetition by retracting your shoulder blades and driving your elbows backward close to your sides.
Keep a soft bend in your knees and brace your core throughout the movement to protect your lower back.
Hold a brief pause at the peak of the row to maximize contraction in the upper back.

Sets and reps

For muscle growth and strength, aim for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps with 90 to 120 seconds of rest. For muscular endurance, use lighter weights for 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps with 60 seconds of rest.

Muscles worked

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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Questions

Is the dumbbell bent-over row safe for the lower back?

It is safe if you maintain a neutral spine and brace your abdominal wall throughout the set. If you experience lower back pain, stop the exercise and consult a specialist.

What can replace this exercise if holding the bent-over position is uncomfortable?

You can perform chest-supported dumbbell rows on an incline bench or single-arm dumbbell rows with a bench support to remove lower-back fatigue.

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