Upper back exercise
Barbell Bent-Over RowHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Upper back, Lats
- Also works
- Biceps, Rear delts, Lower back
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the Barbell Bent-Over Row?
- Hold the bar overhand, hands just wider than your shoulders.
- Soften your knees and push your hips back until your chest leans well forward.
- Brace, keep your back flat and let the bar hang under your shoulders.
- Pull the bar to your lower ribs, elbows driving back.
- Lower it slowly until your arms are straight.
Cues
- Flat back, chest stays down.
- Pull to the lower ribs.
- Keep your neck long.
Common mistakes
- Standing up as you pull: lighten the bar and keep your trunk angle fixed.
- Rounding your back: brace before each rep and hinge from the hips.
- Pulling to your chest with flared elbows: aim the bar at your lower ribs.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
Feet hip-width apart, toes forward to slightly out. Overhand grip (palms facing the body), hands a little wider than the shoulders: about 1.2 × shoulder width, thumbs wrapped, wrists straight. Knees soft (about 20° flexion). Push the hips back until the trunk is about 50° from vertical (40° above horizontal). Back flat from pelvis to head, stomach braced, gaze at the floor about 1.5 m ahead.
The movement
Only the arms and shoulder blades move. Hips, knees and trunk angle do not change during the rep; the trunk does not rise to help the bar up.
End position
Bar touching the body at the lower ribs / upper abdomen. Elbows behind the trunk and pointing up and back, about 30–45° out from the sides (front view). Elbow flexion about 115°, upper arm about 45° behind the trunk line. Shoulder blades squeezed together. Trunk angle unchanged. Pause 0.5 s.
Tempo
Pull 1 s / pause 0.5 s / lower 2 s, then 0.3 s at arm's length.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grip width | 1.2 × shoulder width | 1.0–1.5 × | |
| Trunk angle from vertical | 50° | 45–60° (30–45° above horizontal) | |
| Trunk angle change during the rep | 0° | under 5° | |
| Elbow flexion at the start | 0° | 0–5° | |
| Bar contact point at the end | lower ribs | bottom of the sternum to the navel |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Barbell Bent-Over Row is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
