Barbell Bent Over Row

The barbell bent-over row is a horizontal pulling exercise performed with the torso hinged forwards, pulling the bar to the abdomen. It trains the lats, rhomboids, rear deltoids and biceps, and it is the standard counterbalance to bench pressing because it loads the back in the same plane the bench press loads the chest.

Targets
Infraspinatus
Also works
Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Deltoid Posterior
Equipment
Barbell
Level
Intermediate
Start with
4 × 6-8, 90s rest

How to do it

  1. Stand holding the bar with an overhand grip a little wider than shoulder width, feet hip width apart.
  2. Push your hips back and hinge forwards until your torso is somewhere between 45 degrees and parallel to the floor, keeping your back flat.
  3. Let the bar hang at arm's length and set your shoulder blades down.
  4. Pull the bar towards your lower ribs or upper abdomen, leading with the elbows.
  5. Lower it back to straight arms under control without letting your torso rise to meet it.

Form cues

  • Pull your elbows back past your ribs rather than thinking about moving your hands.
  • Hold the torso angle constant — the hinge is a position, not part of the rep.
  • Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top, then let them travel apart at the bottom.

Common mistakes

  • Standing up a little on every rep. It uses the hips to throw the bar and is the most common way this exercise quietly becomes a partial deadlift.
  • Rowing to the chest instead of the abdomen, which turns a lat exercise into a rear-deltoid exercise.
  • Rounding the back as the set gets hard, which is the cue to stop the set rather than to grind out two more.

Where this fits in a week

Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the area holding the score back, and builds the week around it — so a movement like this gets programmed when your infraspinatus is what needs the work, not because it was next on a list.

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More back movements

Demonstration courtesy of Gym Visual. Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.