Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
Trains the Rhomboids and Middle Trapezius.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Pull
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, feet about hip-width apart.
- Push your hips back and hinge forward until your torso is between forty-five degrees and parallel to the floor, with a slight bend in your knees and a flat back.
- Let the dumbbells hang at arm's length below your shoulders, palms facing each other or facing back.
- Pull both dumbbells toward your lower ribs by driving your elbows back and out at around forty-five degrees.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top, then lower under control to a full stretch.
Common mistakes
- Turning it into a shrug by lifting the shoulders instead of the elbows. Watch that the elbows travel back past the torso rather than the shoulders travelling up toward the ears.
- Losing the hip hinge. If you find yourself standing up between repetitions, the weight is heavier than the position can hold and the lower back is paying for it.
- Skipping the retraction. As with any row, the last few inches where the shoulder blades draw together is what makes this a mid-back exercise rather than an arm exercise.
- Holding the torso so low that the lower back gives out before the upper back does. Around forty-five degrees is a workable compromise for most people and lets the target muscles be the limit.