Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows
- Stand erect while holding a barbell with a supinated grip (palms facing up).
- 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.
- While keeping the torso stationary, lift the barbell as you breathe out, keeping the elbows close to the body and not doing any force with the forearm other than holding the weights. On the top contracted position, squeeze the back muscles and hold for a second.
- Slowly lower the weight again to the starting position as you inhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows
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-Arm Long Bar Row
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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2
Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
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3
Smith Machine Bent Over Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a machine.
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4
Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
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5
Bent Over Barbell Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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6
Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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7
Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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8
Elevated Cable Rows
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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9
Bent-Arm Barbell Pullover
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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10
Seated Cable Rows
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do reverse grip bent-over rows work?
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows primarily works the upper back. The biceps and shoulders assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for reverse grip bent-over rows?
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows uses barbell.
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows: is it suitable for beginners?
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.
What can I do instead of reverse grip bent-over rows?
Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row, Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row, Smith Machine Bent Over Row train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my reverse grip bent-over rows reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; reverse grip bent-over rows 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 Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows with AI
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