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pullcompoundintermediatebarbell

Barbell Row

A heavy hinge-position row that thickens the whole upper back while training your trunk to hold a strong position.

Muscle activation

  • Lats30%
  • Rhomboids20%
  • Traps15%
  • Rear delts10%
  • Biceps10%
  • Lower back10%
  • Forearms5%

Approximate share of work; varies with grip, stance and tempo.

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Step by step

  1. 1. Start position

    Stand with feet hip width, bar over your mid-foot.

  2. 2. Mid-rep

    Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top.

  3. 3. End of the movement

    Keep your torso angle fixed — the back shouldn't rise to help the weight up.

  4. 4. Common mistake

    Standing up with each rep to heave the bar

Ways to do it

Row on 8 different setups — pick whatever is free in your gym. Progress is tracked separately for each.

How to do it

Setup

  1. 1Stand with feet hip width, bar over your mid-foot.
  2. 2Grip the bar just outside your legs, overhand.
  3. 3Hinge at the hips with soft knees until your torso is about 30–45° above parallel, back flat.
  4. 4Let the bar hang at arm's length below your shoulders and brace your trunk.

Execution

  1. 1Pull the bar toward your lower ribs or upper stomach, driving the elbows back.
  2. 2Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top.
  3. 3Keep your torso angle fixed — the back shouldn't rise to help the weight up.
  4. 4Lower under control to full arm extension.

Breathing

Breathe in and brace before each rep, breathe out after the bar touches your torso, then re-brace before the next.

Tempo

2-0-1-1 (eccentric-pause-concentric-pause)

Muscles worked

Primary

Lats, Rhomboids, Traps

Secondary

Rear delts, Biceps, Lower back, Forearms

Key form cues

  • Flat back, proud chest
  • Elbows to the ceiling behind you
  • Bar to belly button
  • Torso stays still

Common mistakes

  • Standing up with each rep to heave the bar

    Reduce the weight and keep your torso angle locked from the first rep to the last.

  • Rounding the lower back

    Brace before each rep and hinge only as far as you can keep a flat back.

  • Pulling mostly with the arms

    Think about driving the elbows back and squeezing the shoulder blades, hands are just hooks.

Range of motion

From arms fully extended below the shoulders to the bar touching the lower ribs or upper stomach.

Variations

  • Easier

    Chest-supported dumbbell row

  • Harder

    Pendlay row (dead stop on the floor each rep)

  • At home

    Inverted row under a sturdy table, or backpack row

  • Machine / cable

    Seated cable row or T-bar row machine

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