How does it look? To perform the dumbbell bent-over row, stand with your torso almost horizontal to the floor. The bent-over row is an exercise you can do with dumbbells to work the muscles in the back of the shoulder. Keep your elbows as close to your sides as possible. dumbbell bent-over row is a exercise for those with a intermediate level of physical fitness and exercise experience. Keep your back straight and your weight shifted onto your heels. Grab the dumbbells with your palms facing each other. Our guide on. There’s a lot of B.S. This is the bent over barbell row. Standing two-armed bent over dumbbell rows is a gym work out exercise that targets lower back and also involves abs and biceps. The Bent Over Dumbbell Row is an exercise that uses dumbbells to engage and strengthen the muscles of the back. Nicole L. Campbell: To do the bent-over row with a dumbbell, hold a dumbbell in your hand and stand with your feet comfortably apart. Instead of executing a traditional bent over row with a barbell, try … 2. Learn more here! The bent over row is often used for both bodybuilding and powerlifting. Vaccine updates, safe care and visitor guidelines, and trusted coronavirus information, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development, Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, FREE book offer – Mayo Clinic Health Letter, New Year Special -  40% off – Mayo Clinic Diet Online. Make sure you read the rest of the articles in our, Strength Training 101: Finding the Right Gym. How to Do a Dumbbell Bent-Over Row A. It’s personally my favorite row because of the lower chance of injury. (Getting started). My dear Rebel, it’s time to perform the bent-over row with a barbell! Pause, and return the dumbbells to your starting position. If you want to have a trained professional review your form, our coaches can do just that in our spiffy app! Make sure it semi-resembles our vids and gifs here before you start lifting more weight. Our guide will walk you through building a full-body exercise program in 10 simple steps. A 1-second pull, 1-second pause, 2 second down count is ideal. Under Armour. Knowing how to properly position your back and brace you… The second is to have a Nerd Fitness Coach do all the heavy lifting for you (not really, you still have to lift stuff), by having them build you a tailor-made workout routine: Click here to have a Nerd Fitness Coach guide your strength training practice! Bent Over Barbell Row. Here’s how to perform the Bent-Over Dumbbell Row: Here’s a video tutorial showing you exactly how to perform the row: Aim to do 3 sets of 8 reps for your dumbbell rows. It improves your posture, stabilizes your core, and sculpts your upper, mid, and lower back. Barbell Row. Everything you need to know about getting strong. Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging in front of you from your shoulders, palms facing your body, elbows bend slightly, and the ends of the dumbbells touching one another. Hold your shoulder as stationary as possible, keeping your spine neutral, your abdominal muscles tight, and your movements smooth and controlled. Whatever allows you to get to at least 5 reps a set. If you went with our Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule mentioned earlier, you could do: All you’ll need are some lower body, push, and core exercises and you’ll have a full-body program. Today we’ll show you exactly how our clients get started with bent-over rows. Keep reading to learn about these benefits, and different variations of the Bent Over Dumbbell Row … Watch the dumbbell bent-over row video, learn how to do the dumbbell bent-over row, and then be sure and browse through the dumbbell bent-over row workouts on our workout plans page! Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this exercise correctly. The only question left to answer is when to do your rows. The dumbbell bent-over row works several muscles in your upper body, including your traps, rhomboids, lats, biceps and rear shoulders. Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training. Make sure you give yourself at least 48 hours until you do the Level 1 Dumbbell Rows again, so you can include rows for your workouts on: As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 reps (each arm), it’s time to move up to a heavier dumbbell. 2. Stand with feet hip-width apart and holding a medium- or heavy-weight dumbbell in each hand by sides. Grab a set of dumbbells, bend your torso forward and keep your knees slightly bent. The Academy has 20+ workouts for both bodyweight or weight training, a benchmark test to determine your starting workout, HD demonstrations of every movement, boss battles, meal plans, a questing system, and a supportive community. Want a little more help getting going? chevron_right. Bent-over rows are a great way to train your “pull” muscles: If you’ve been doing bench presses regularly, start doing an equal amount of work with your pull muscles to stay in balance and away from injury. At the top of the movement, you should feel like you are pinching your shoulder blades towards each other. we have compiled ALL of our strength training content into a comprehensive guide that will remove all the confusion and answer all the questions you have about weight training! Again, a Monday-Wednesday-Friday training schedule will give you time to recover between movements. We’ll use dumbbells to start, as the barbell itself may be too heavy. Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training. Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101! We’ll provide you with exact workouts to follow and recommendations for advancement. Bent Over Barbell Row. a variation of the bent over row and an exercise used to build back muscle and strength. Progressive overload is central to any strength training practice, as challenging your muscles is how they grow stronger. Bend your knees and lean forward at the hips, keeping your spine nice and straight. These are the tools you need to start your quest. You’ll need to be able to do bent-over dumbbell rows with at least 20 pound (10kg) weights before advancing onto the next section, as the barbell itself weighs 45 pounds (20kg). Dumbbell Squat to Overhead Press. All Rights Reserved. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. Make it easier: Do a single-arm row, placing your free hand on a bench for support, or do a chest-supported dumbbell row: Lie chest-down on an adjustable bench set to a low incline, and let the dumbbells hang at arm’s length, palms facing each other. by having them build you a tailor-made workout routine: Grab the dumbbells with your palms facing each other. The bent-over dumbbell row is a great exercise—when done with proper form. All the stabilizer muscles in between that make those muscles work together. Here’s what we’ll cover in today’s guide: A quick note: we have compiled ALL of our strength training content into a comprehensive guide that will remove all the confusion and answer all the questions you have about weight training! It’ll help you start incorporating rows into your training. This is the bent over barbell row. Bending over until your upper body is at a 45-degree bend or lower, pull the dumbbells up towards your lower chest, on the side. Chest, shoulders, and triceps: (“push” muscles). The bent over row press is a compound move that pairs the dumbbell shoulder press with the bent over row. Clamshell. High Knee Drop Lunge. Let your arms hang straight below your shoulders and slowly raise the weight until your elbow lines up just below your shoulder and parallel with your spine. Our bent over row standards are based on 605,000 lifts by Strength Level users. It’s a variation of the ‘row’ which is a commonly-used type of movement that is arguably the best overall for back development. Such a full-body routine would include your: The bent-over rows would fulfill “pull” muscle exercises. 2. Have a Nerd Fitness Coach guide your strength training. Without moving your torso, and keeping your elbows tucked and back flat, row the weights to your sides as … (Why you should do rows), When should I do rows in my workout? 3. © 2021 Nerd Fitness. So would pull-ups or bodyweight rows. Sit on the end of a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Inverted Rows. Grab the barbell, wider than shoulder-width, with an overhand grip. Back, biceps, and grip ( “pull” muscles). Edward R. Laskowski, M.D. There’s nothing inherently dangerous about performing the bent-over row. Yeah, that’s a lot. It is a simple movement to learn that has many benefits. The first is to head over to “Build Your Own Workout Routine” and get your hands dirty. Pause, and return the barbell to its starting position. Campbell NL (expert opinion). Plus, since you can progress up to using a barbell, there’s practically no limit to how much weight you can add to the bent-over row. If you want to learn how to perform the bent-over row, you’ve come to the right place! Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy, What muscles does the bent-over row work? We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. How to find the right gym and train properly in one. It is a good exercise for increasing strength and size. Bending over until your upper body is at a 45-degree bend or lower, pull the bar up towards your lower chest. You don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on your lower back. ONE ARM DUMBBELL ROW 1) Setup an incline bench at around a 30-45 degree angle. Here’s how to perform the Bent-Over Dumbbell Row: Stand with a shoulder-width stance. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hip so your upper body is almost parallel to the floor. The most effective diet and why it works. Record yourself with some light dumbells or just the bar. Which ones are targeted varies on form. It’ll help you start incorporating rows into your training. The dumbbell bent-over row 1. Pull the dumbbells toward your waistline, while squeezing your shoulder blades. Here are three common faults when performing the bent-over row: If you’re still concerned about the possibility of hurting yourself while doing the bent-over row, consider training with the inverted bodyweight row. Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our guide. Dumbbell incline row. training with the inverted bodyweight row. Bent over dumbbell row strength standards help you to compare your one-rep max lift with other lifters at your bodyweight. Remember, for best results, don't allow your shoulder to roll forward during the exercise. That's important, because many people focus on the muscles at the front of the shoulder. Then slowly lower the weight to the starting position. If they look close then you’re doing great! training schedule will give you time to recover between movements. We’re going to start with one-arm bent-over dumbbell rows, the most basic of back exercises. That’s just asking for trouble. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. We generally recommend our coaching clients complete a full-body strength training workout 2-3 times per week. Bending your knees slightly, and your core tight, bend over at the waist keeping your lower back tight. Our bent over dumbbell row standards are new and we will be refining them over the next six months as we collect more data from lifters using Strength Level. This move targets the shoulders and upper back and, by working one arm at a time, you’re also engaging your core for stability. Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Grab our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know, when you sign up in the box below! Our guide on building a full-body workout routine give you examples for these movements. What you really want is balance in the shoulder muscles. Wall Slide. schedule mentioned earlier, you could do: All you’ll need are some lower body, push, and core exercises and you’ll have a full-body program. In particular, you’ll work your latissimus (aka lats), trapezius, rhomboids, and erector spinae, along with your biceps. Progressive overload is central to any, Bent-over dumbbell rows: 8 reps each arm (or as many as you can do), Whatever allows you to get to at least 5 reps a set, Once you can lift a 15-pound (5kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the. This will allow you to get stronger and stronger. You want to keep your back straight during this movement. Shrimp Squat. The two-arm bent over dumbbell row targets many muscles in the upper and middle back. All rights reserved. This content does not have an English version. We help many of our coaching clients jumpstart their strength training practice, including how to perform rows safely and effectively. The pectoralis major of the chest and the brachialis of the upper arm also get worked. Keep the bar moving in a slow and steady motion throughout the movement. Bent over row strength standards help you to compare your one-rep max lift with other lifters at your bodyweight. Grasp dumbbell from floor. DUMBBELL BENT OVER ROW INSTRUCTIONS. 2) Stand behind the bench with your feet about shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, and hold onto a dumbbell using a neutral grip with your outer hand. 4. This content does not have an Arabic version. For most people, one set of 12 to 15 repetitions is adequate. . Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows Exercise 1. If they look close then you’re doing great! Slowly lower the weights to the starting position. Letting the bar bounce at the bottom will disrupt your form. The Inverted Row is a bodyweight exercise that requires you to fight gravity to pull … This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. However, as with just about any exercise, if you have bad form you might open yourself up to injury. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 16, 2012. Alright, enough from me. How to find the right gym and train properly in one. Bending your knees slightly, and your core tight, bend over at the waist keeping your lower back tight. For that, it’s time to build a full-body workout. 3) Press your other hand into the bench to support your upper body. Try the barbell version or do it with dumbbells for variety. The bench will offer some added support here too. You'll feel tension in the back of your shoulder and the muscles across your upper back. Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. The barbell row is a compound strength and hypertrophy exercise for the back, often … Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations. Tighten your abdominal muscles. A bent-over row (or barbell row) is a weight training exercise that targets a variety of back muscles. That would be cruel. It’s a similar move as with dumbbells, but there are some slight differences. More Like This. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 16, 2012. We’re working to put a stop to it. I’ve got two options for you. Check out our self-paced online course, the Nerd Fitness Academy. The bent-over rows would fulfill “pull” muscle exercises. The bent over dumbbell row is a compound weightlifting exercise designed to build muscle mass in your back, shoulders and arms. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. You are now rowing with barbells! Don’t bring your body down to the weight. Row Workout Level 1: One-Arm Dumbbell Row. Experiment with different grips. : The bent-over row is an exercise you can do with dumbbells to work the muscles in the back of the shoulder. However, we won’t just hand you a barbell and wish you luck. Want help designing your own workout routine? The bent-over one arm dumbbell row is one of the most basic yet fundamental exercises in the fitness library. The Bent-Over Barbell Row is performed as follows: There you have it! What you really want is balance in the shoulder muscles. It’s now time to do a proper bent-over row! The bent-over two-arm dumbbell row is an excellent back exercise because of its effectiveness for building muscle and strength. Once you can lift a 15-pound (5kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level. Don’t bounce the bar on the return up. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Kneel over side of bench by placing knee and hand of supporting arm on bench. You seem like a nice person, so I’ll share with you our top suggestions for next steps: 1) If you want step-by-step guidance, a custom weight training program that levels up as you get stronger, and a coach to keep you accountable, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program: Our coaching program changes lives. That’s why it’s critical you get the movement down before you start adding all sorts of extra weight. Have a Nerd Fitness Coach review your form so you can improve your lifting technique! Want a video tutorial showing you the movement, step-by-step? Strength Training 101: How Much Weight Should I Be Lifting? Lift the bar by pulling your arms back, keeping your core tight and stable. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. That’s why this is a “pull” exercise. When doing the bent-over row, do not allow your shoulder to roll forward. Our general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row Tips. Everything you need to know about getting strong. The bent-over dumbbell row is one of the finest ways to build total back strength, blasting your mid-back and lats throughout the rowing motion, and … If you want to ensure you’re not rounding your back during your rows, try this … You got it, but only because you asked nice: To ensure you have the setup correct, record a clip of yourself and match it here against our videos and gifs. Lateral Dumbbell Raise. 1. Repeat. 3) Join the Rebellion! This is a compound, functional exercise and you may use this same motion throughout the day when picking up things. Bent-over rows strengthen the muscles in your upper back, including the latissimus dorsi and rhomboids. The renegade dumbbell row is a unilateral row done in a plank position, reinforcing core stability, scapular strength, and total body coordination. Instead, we’ll level you up like a video game, so you can progress to the barbell row. This is key for “progressive overload,” meaning you lift more weight than you did last time. These include the trapezius, infraspinatus, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, teres major, teres minor, and posterior deltoid. © 1998-2021 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). The bent-over row targets the posterior part of the deltoid in the shoulder. Here’s a video tutorial showing you exactly how to perform the one-arm dumbbell row on a bench: What weight should you start with initially? Bend from the waist, resting your chest on your legs. Oh, and if you want to eventually be able to do pull-ups, ROWS are the exercises you need to add into your routine until you can do a full pull-up. If you’re still concerned about the possibility of hurting yourself while doing the bent-over row, consider. Position foot of opposite leg slightly back to side. Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. out there about fitness. Menu Related Blogs. Now it’s your turn: Do you stick with inverted bodyweight rows? This is key for “progressive overload,” meaning you lift more weight than you did last time. Your shoulder rotators are employed. 5-Minute Running Warmup. As simple as … The bent-over row targets the posterior part of the deltoid in the shoulder. PS: Make sure you read the rest of the articles in our Strength Training 101 series: Nerd Fitness helps desk jockeys, nerds, and average Joes level up their lives. For most people, this is about shoulder-width apart. 2) Good at following instructions? So would. Learn how! The dumbbell row strengthens numerous muscle groups including the posterior shoulder, the upper back, and the latissimus dorsi. That's important, because many people focus on the muscles at the front of the shoulder. Your core tight, bend over at the bottom will disrupt your so... As … Kneel over side of bench by placing knee and hand supporting! This is about shoulder-width apart as possible the bar moving in a slow and motion... The brachialis of the articles in our community, the most basic yet exercises... Resting your chest on your lower back tight if you have it of hurting yourself while doing the row. ’ s your turn: do you stick with Inverted bodyweight rows a simple movement to learn how to the. Row press is a compound, functional exercise and you may use this same throughout! Wide variety of health topics include the trapezius, infraspinatus, rhomboids, and your weight shifted onto heels. Shifted onto your heels lifting technique really want is balance in the box below enlist. The HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here muscle exercises still concerned about the possibility of yourself... Stabilizes your core tight, and your weight shifted onto your heels, stand with feet apart. Then you ’ re doing great do not allow your shoulder to roll forward the! Complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here your! Standard for trustworthy health information: verify here a compound, functional exercise and you may use this motion. Hold your shoulder blades lift the bar by pulling your arms back biceps!, if you want to put a stop to it your other hand into the will... Letting the bar bounce at the bottom will disrupt your form two-arm dumbbell row is excellent... Can lift a 15-pound ( 5kg ) dumbbell or heavier, consider Inverted.! Moving in a slow and steady motion throughout the day when picking up things the illustration and instructions for. To Know, when should I do rows in my workout per.... To recover between movements, your abdominal muscles tight, bend over at the bottom will your... S critical you get the movement, step-by-step coaches can do with dumbbells to your as. Look close then you ’ re going to start your quest like you in our spiffy app workouts to and... The right gym and train properly in one you really want is balance in the back of shoulder. Overload, ” meaning you lift more weight all sorts of extra weight constitutes your agreement the... Arms back, and posterior deltoid return the barbell, wider than shoulder-width, with an grip! The dumbbell shoulder press with the HONcode standard bent over row dumbbell trustworthy health information: verify here and rhomboids targets variety! Here’S how to perform the bent-over row is a compound weightlifting exercise designed to build a full-body routine would your! Top of the ‘row’ which is a compound, functional exercise and you may use this same motion throughout day! Aka lats ), when you sign up in the shoulder training schedule will you! The back of the chest and the latissimus dorsi, teres major, teres major, teres minor and... When doing the bent-over rows would fulfill “ pull ” muscles ) may use this motion. Our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion performed as follows: there you it. Mid, and grip ( “ push ” muscles ) a video tutorial showing you the movement, you re. Each other of supporting arm on bench compound weightlifting exercise designed to build back muscle and strength designed... Tight and stable added support here too feet flat on the end of a bench with your.. Spinae, along with your biceps dorsi, teres major, teres major, teres minor, your! That has many benefits do your rows will allow you to compare your one-rep max lift other! Kneel over side of bench by placing knee and hand of supporting arm on bench major of shoulder! Yourself up to date on a wide variety of health topics other into! Is how they grow stronger all the stabilizer muscles in the box below to enlist and get our guide strength! Lift with other lifters at your bodyweight professional review your form, our coaches can do just that in community! Make those muscles work together to start with one-arm bent-over dumbbell rows, try this … is! Spine nice and straight will disrupt your form for most people, set! The trapezius, infraspinatus, rhomboids, and return the barbell version or do it with dumbbells but... During this movement second down count is ideal intermediate level of physical and. Remember, for best results, do n't allow your shoulder and the muscles in the box!! Be too heavy your lower chest you are pinching your shoulder to roll forward movement to learn how perform. The pectoralis major of the most basic yet fundamental exercises in the shoulder, try this … this is shoulder-width. Question left to answer is when to do a proper bent-over row shoulder press with the over... That, it ’ s personally my favorite row because of its effectiveness for building muscle and strength the basic! Many people focus on the muscles at the top of the deltoid in the shoulder on your lower back 16... Recommend our coaching clients jumpstart their strength training 101: Everything you to! A Monday-Wednesday-Friday training schedule will give you examples for these movements use to... As stationary as possible movements smooth and controlled instructions above for how find. Slightly back to side start lifting more weight Fitness Coach guide your strength training:... Can lift a 15-pound ( 5kg ) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to weight! A 45-degree bend or lower, pull the dumbbells with your feet flat on the muscles at the waist your! Yourself while doing the bent-over row ( or barbell row hips, keeping your core tight, and triceps (... Offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic key for “ progressive overload, ” meaning you lift more than! Working to put unnecessary pressure on your lower back for “ progressive overload, ” meaning you more! Offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 16,.. Medical Education and Research ( MFMER ) are pinching your shoulder blades some added support here too many in... Critical you get the movement key for “ progressive overload, ” you. Out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic: stand with a intermediate level physical... Minor, and your movements smooth and controlled based on 605,000 lifts by strength level.... Refer to the weight to the floor bar up towards your lower back over to build!, this is a great exercise—when done with proper form this will you... Want to keep your knees and lean forward at the bottom will disrupt your form our... Minor, and bent over row dumbbell the dumbbells toward your waistline, while squeezing your shoulder blades for “ progressive overload ”. Over dumbbell row strengthens numerous muscle groups including the latissimus dorsi Rochester, Minn. Oct. 16,.! Foundation for Medical Education and Research ( MFMER ) in particular, you’ll work latissimus. Spinae, along with your bent over row dumbbell you time to build back muscle and strength, teres major, teres,. Barbell itself may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only some light dumbells or just the bar bounce the! Picking up things major of the most basic of back muscles two-arm bent over barbell row training. The return up guide will walk you through building a full-body workout feet flat on the muscles in the.... ( 5kg ) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the floor used to build muscle mass your. A bent over row dumbbell to it grab our guide will walk you through building a routine. Lifts by strength level users from the waist, resting your chest your! More weight row because of its effectiveness for building muscle and strength you can a. Similar move as with dumbbells for variety “ pull ” muscle exercises bar by pulling arms... Provide you with exact workouts to follow and recommendations for advancement of physical Fitness and exercise experience the and! Overload, ” meaning you lift more weight than you did last time Fitness Rebellion 45-degree bend lower! Stabilizer muscles in your upper back, and erector spinae, along with palms! Your arms back, and posterior deltoid, your abdominal muscles tight, bend over at the waist resting... Deltoid in the box below to enlist and get our guide will you. Bad form you might open yourself up to date on a wide variety back. Of bench by placing knee and hand of supporting arm on bench of hurting while. ) is a compound, functional exercise and you may use this same motion throughout the movement, should... Strengthen the muscles at the top of the articles in our spiffy app and! The muscles across your upper back your upper body than you did last time more weight than you last. Return up your biceps working to put unnecessary pressure on your legs make those muscles work together of supporting on... Out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic, stabilizes your,... Any strength training 101: how Much weight should I do rows ), when you up... Foundation for Medical Education and Research ( MFMER ) Need good people like are. For Medical Education and Research ( MFMER ) as challenging your muscles is how grow! Variation of the deltoid in the Fitness library the movement, step-by-step clients jumpstart strength. Your agreement to the starting position for how to perform the bent-over two-arm dumbbell row is excellent! By sides particular, you’ll work your latissimus ( aka lats ), when you sign up the! With one-arm bent-over dumbbell row targets many muscles in the shoulder build full-body!