How to do the barbell row
The strict overhand barbell row, the heaviest way to train your upper back and lats. How to hold the hinge, where the bar should land and how much to lift.
The Helthy team · Updated · 7 min read
- Works
- Lats, Upper back
- Also works
- Biceps, Rear delts, Lower back
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Intermediate
If you want a thicker upper back and a stronger bench and deadlift, the barbell row is the pull to build around. You can load it heavier than any dumbbell or cable row, and it trains the thing most programs are short on: pulling your shoulder blades back against real weight. This guide covers the strict overhand version, where the torso stays still and every rep starts from straight arms. If you want the underhand-grip, higher-rep take on the same lift, see the bent-over row.
How to do a barbell row
- Take the bar from a rack set at mid-thigh. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and the bar touching your thighs. You can deadlift it off the floor instead, but that tires your lower back before the first row.
- Grip it overhand, just outside shoulder width. Wrap your thumbs around the bar. Your forearms should hang straight down from the bar when you're in position, not angle in or out.
- Hinge to about 45 degrees. Soften your knees and push your hips back until your torso is roughly halfway between standing and parallel to the floor. The bar should hang with straight arms somewhere around your knees, and your back should be flat from your tailbone to the back of your head.
- Brace. Take a breath into your belly and tighten your stomach as if you're about to be poked. Fix your eyes on the floor a few feet in front of you.
- Row the bar to your lower chest or upper abdomen. Drive your elbows back until the bar touches your body around the bottom of your sternum. Your elbows end up behind your torso at roughly 45 degrees from your sides. Your torso angle shouldn't change.
- Squeeze for a moment at the top. Pull your shoulder blades together and hold for about half a second. You should feel it between and just below your shoulder blades, not in your forearms.
- Lower until your arms are straight. Take about two seconds. Let your shoulder blades spread apart at the bottom (that's the stretch you want), then start the next rep without letting your hips rise or drop.
Your lower back should feel like it's working to hold the position. It shouldn't feel like it's doing the lifting.
Cues for the barbell row
"Elbows to the wall behind you." Think about where your elbows go, not your hands. It stops the row turning into a reverse curl and keeps the work in your back.
"Shirt logo faces the floor." If the logo on your chest starts turning toward the mirror, your torso is standing up. Keeping it pointed down holds the 45-degree angle without you having to guess at numbers.
"Pull the bar into your ribs." Picture pulling the bar through your body rather than up to it. This fixes the bar landing too high or too low, because your ribs are right where it should touch.
If none of those land, try "hands are hooks". Thinking of your hands as hooks that just hold the bar takes your grip and biceps out of it, and a lot of people suddenly feel their lats for the first time.
Common mistakes
Heaving the weight with your hips. The torso bobs up with every rep, the bar gets whipped toward your chest, and by rep 6 you're nearly standing. It happens because the weight is too heavy for your back, so your hips and lower back help by turning each rep into a small deadlift. Drop the load until your torso angle stays the same from the first rep to the last. A tiny bit of movement on the final rep of a hard set is fine; a rhythmic bounce on every rep isn't.
Rounding your lower back. From the side, your lower back looks like a hump instead of a flat line, usually halfway through the set as you tire. The common cause is losing your brace, or standing with locked knees so your hamstrings pull your pelvis under. Keep a slight bend in your knees, rebreathe and brace every rep or two, and end the set when you can't hold the position.
Pulling the bar to the wrong spot. Too high, toward your nipples or neck, and your elbows flare out to 90 degrees; the row shifts to your rear delts and upper traps, and you can't use much weight. Too low, toward your belt, and the rep gets short and choppy. Aim for the bottom of your sternum, with the elbows at about 45 degrees.
Cutting the bottom half off. The arms never fully straighten, so each rep travels 4 inches instead of 12. It lets you move more weight and it looks busy, but you skip the stretched position where your lats do a lot of their work. Straight arms at the bottom of every rep.
Breathing and bracing
Breathe in at the bottom with your arms straight, brace, then breathe out as you pull the bar up. On sets of 8 or more you'll want a fresh breath every rep. On heavy sets of 5, many lifters hold one breath for two reps, which keeps the torso stiffer. Either works, as long as you brace again before the bar leaves the bottom.
Sets, reps and how much weight to use
For strength, do 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps. For muscle growth, 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 12. We wouldn't go much below 5 reps on rows: past that point, most people's form falls apart before their back gets any more work. Pick a weight you could row for two or three more reps with the same torso angle, and rest two to three minutes between sets.
Rows fit well after your main press, or first on a pull day. Try not to put heavy rows straight after heavy deadlifts, because your lower back will give out long before your upper back does.
If your working sets are 135 lb (60 kg), a warm-up could look like this:
- Empty bar, 45 lb (20 kg), for 10 reps
- 95 lb (43 kg) for 5
- 115 lb (52 kg) for 3
Beginners can add 5 lb (2.5 kg) a session while every rep still touches the same spot on your body. When that stalls, add reps before weight: get 3 sets of 8, then 3 sets of 10, then go up in weight and drop back to 8. There's more on this in our guide to progressive overload, and if you'd like a heavy single estimated without testing one, the one-rep max calculator will do it from any set.
| Bodyweight | beginner | intermediate | advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 130 lb (59 kg) | 40 lb (18 kg) | 70 lb (32 kg) | 110 lb (50 kg) |
| 160 lb (73 kg) | 50 lb (23 kg) | 90 lb (41 kg) | 135 lb (61 kg) |
| 190 lb (86 kg) | 55 lb (25 kg) | 105 lb (48 kg) | 160 lb (73 kg) |
| 220 lb (100 kg) | 65 lb (29 kg) | 120 lb (54 kg) | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| 250 lb (113 kg) | 75 lb (34 kg) | 140 lb (64 kg) | 215 lb (98 kg) |
Your arm length changes these numbers more than you'd think. Long-armed lifters have further to pull the bar, so a slightly lower number with strict reps beats a higher one with bouncing.
Variations and alternatives
- Seated cable row: the easiest swap when your lower back is sore, because you sit upright and the seat takes the hinge out of it.
- Dumbbell row: one arm at a time with a hand on a bench, so the lower back barely works. Good for evening out a weaker side.
- Bent-over row: the same hinge, often done underhand and for higher reps with a slower lowering. More biceps and lower lats.
- T-bar row: a close grip and a fixed bar path. Many people find the neutral grip friendlier on the wrists and elbows.
- Pendlay row: the torso goes roughly parallel to the floor and the bar returns to the floor for a dead stop every rep. Harder on your hamstrings and hips, but it removes any chance of bouncing, which makes it a good teacher.
Barbell row questions
What's the difference between a barbell row and a bent-over row?
They're the same basic lift, and gyms use the names interchangeably. On our site the barbell row means the strict overhand version for heavier sets, and the bent-over row covers the grip choices, including underhand, and a slower bodybuilding tempo.
Why do I feel barbell rows in my lower back?
Some fatigue there is normal: your lower back holds the hinge for the whole set. A dull, tired feeling that fades by the next day is fine. Sharp pain, or pain that runs down a leg, isn't. If it's still bothering you after a week of lighter rows, get it looked at.
Should I use lifting straps?
Once your grip gives out before your back does, yes. That's common on high-rep sets. Learn the lift without them first so you know what a solid grip feels like, then use straps for your heaviest work if you need them.
How often should I row?
Twice a week is plenty for most people, often once heavy and once lighter with a different row. If you're logging your sets, you'll see exactly what you rowed last time, and beating it by a rep keeps you progressing without guesswork.