Bent Over Barbell Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Bent Over Barbell Row
- Holding a barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing down), bend your knees slightly and bring your torso forward, by bending at the waist, while keeping the back straight until it is almost parallel to the floor. Tip: Make sure that you keep the head up. The barbell should hang directly in front of you as your arms hang perpendicular to the floor and your torso. This is your starting position.
- Now, while keeping the torso stationary, breathe out and lift the barbell to you. Keep the elbows close to the body and only use the forearms to hold the weight. At the top contracted position, squeeze the back muscles and hold for a brief pause.
- Then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Bent Over Barbell Row
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
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2
Smith Machine Bent Over Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a machine.
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3
Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
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4
Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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5
Lying Cambered Barbell Row
A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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6
Dumbbell Incline Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
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7
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
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8
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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9
Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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10
Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do bent over barbell row work?
Bent Over Barbell Row primarily works the upper back. The biceps and shoulders assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for bent over barbell row?
Bent Over Barbell Row uses barbell.
Bent Over Barbell Row: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Bent Over Barbell Row is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of bent over barbell row?
Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row, Smith Machine Bent Over Row, Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my bent over barbell row reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; bent over barbell row can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Bent Over Barbell Row with AI
Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.