Upper back exercise
Chest-Supported Dumbbell RowHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Upper back, Lats
- Also works
- Rear delts, Biceps
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row?
- Set the bench to a low incline and lie face down, chest on the pad.
- Let the dumbbells hang straight down, palms facing each other.
- Pull the dumbbells up beside your ribs, elbows driving back.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades for a second.
- Lower slowly until your arms are straight.
Cues
- Chest stays glued to the pad.
- Elbows to your hips.
- Shoulders down, away from your ears.
Common mistakes
- Lifting your chest off the pad: use lighter dumbbells and keep contact.
- Shrugging: set your shoulders down before each rep.
- Stopping short: pull until your elbows pass your body.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
Bench back pad set to 35° above horizontal (accept 30–45°). Lie face down with the chest and stomach on the pad, the top of the sternum at the top edge, chin just over the edge, neck in line with the spine. Feet on the floor behind the bench, hip-width, on the balls of the feet, knees slightly bent (about 20°). One dumbbell in each hand, neutral grip (palms facing each other).
The movement
Both arms move together and mirror each other. The dumbbells rise in a near-vertical line beside the pad. Only the arms and shoulder blades move. The chest, hips, legs and head stay still; the chest does not lift off the pad.
End position
Dumbbells beside the lower ribs, forearms close to vertical. Elbows driven back past the torso, close to the sides: elbow flexion about 90°, upper arm about 35° past the trunk line. Shoulder blades squeezed together and down. Chest still on the pad. Pause 1 s.
Tempo
Pull 1 s / squeeze 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench angle above horizontal | 35° | 30–45° | |
| Trunk angle from vertical | 55° | 45–60° (90° minus bench angle) | |
| Elbow flexion at the start | 0° | 0–5° | |
| Elbow out from the side at the end (front view) | 15° | 0–30° | |
| Dumbbells at the end | beside the lower ribs | lower ribs to waist |
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 Chest-Supported Dumbbell 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.
