Avoid using your legs to “jumpstart” the weight and don’t allow your torso to drop down to meet the barbell.įorm Tip: It is important to recognize when you begin sacrificing technique for heavier weight. Your upper body should remain mostly horizontal throughout the rep. Once you get into the top position, focus on your shoulder blades squeezing together and feeling a hard contraction in your back musculature. The barbell should reach your belly button. With the bar in a dead-hang position, drive your elbows up towards your hips. Step 2 - Pull the Weight Up Credit: MilanMarkovic78 / Shutterstock This will help you maintain a stable body position, encourage consistent bar position between each rep, and reduce the risk of injury due to technical failure. Allow the barbell to hang near your legs with your arms extended.įorm Tip: Keep your eyes fixed on a spot roughly one to two meters (three to six feet) in front of you. From the locked out position, bend your legs slightly and hinge at your hips until your upper body is slightly above parallel to the ground. Straighten your legs and stand up straight, much like you would in a deadlift. Keep your head in a neutral position - not looking at the ceiling or tucking your chin down. Pull your shoulders back and feel tension in your lats (back muscles) as you prepare to take control over the weight. Hold the barbell with an overhand (palms down) grip just outside of your shins. Keep your back straight and your knees slightly bent. Push your hips back and bend at the waist. If you are quite tall, you may be more comfortable with the bar positioned against your shins. The bar should be generally over the middle of your feet. Walk up to a loaded barbell and position your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly inside hip-width. Step 1 - Get Into the Starting Position Credit: Dusan Petkovic / Shutterstock Master the exercise itself, and then consider adding equipment depending on your specific needs and requirements. Accessories like lifting straps to support your grip strength or a lifting belt to provide additional lower back support aren’t always required. All you need is a barbell, some weight plates, and a floor. The bent-over barbell row can be a very simple exercise to set up and perform.
Here’s how to get the most from this back-training staple. It helps you build a thicker, wider, stronger back while also developing a bigger, stronger set of arms. The barbell row is often considered one of the most fundamental exercises, right up there with the Big Three powerlifts - squat, bench press, and deadlift - because it’s a comprehensive movement for building a base of size and strength.
The barbell row is one of the most challenging exercises you can you implement into your back workouts. They say, “you gotta row to grow.” And what they’re (almost always) referring to is the big, basic, bent-over barbell row.