How to do the t-bar row
A heavy, close-grip row for a thicker upper back that's easier to keep strict than a barbell row. Works with a landmine, a corner or a T-bar machine.
The Helthy team · Updated · 6 min read
- Works
- Upper back, Lats
- Also works
- Biceps, Rear delts
- Equipment
- Barbell or machine
- Level
- Intermediate
The T-bar row gives you most of what a barbell row does, with two differences people tend to like: the close neutral grip is easy on the wrists and elbows, and because one end of the bar is fixed, the bar can't drift away from you. That makes it simpler to stay strict with heavy weight. You'll find it as a plate-loaded machine in many gyms, but a barbell wedged into a landmine or a corner does the same job.
How to do a T-bar row
- Set up the bar. Put one end of a barbell in a landmine attachment, or wedge it into a corner with a towel to protect the wall. Load plates on the free end. Use 25 lb (10 kg) plates rather than 45s if you can: bigger plates hit your chest before the rep is finished.
- Straddle the bar with a wide stance. Stand over it, facing the plates, with your feet wider than your hips and the bar running between your legs. Your feet should be just behind the plates.
- Slide a close-grip handle under the bar and grab it. A V-handle (the one from the cable row) hooked under the bar just behind the collar works well. Grip it with your palms facing each other.
- Hinge to about 45 degrees and stand the weight up. Bend your knees, push your hips back and set your back flat before you lift, then lift the plates just off the floor with your arms straight. Your torso stays at roughly 45 degrees for the set.
- Row the handle toward your chest. Drive your elbows back close to your sides. At the top, the handle is at your lower chest, and the plates are touching or nearly touching your chest.
- Squeeze for a second at the top. Pull your shoulder blades together and feel your mid back tighten. Your torso angle shouldn't have changed.
- Lower until your arms are straight. Take about two seconds. The plates shouldn't touch the floor between reps; if they do, you've stood up or the bar is set too low.
For a plate-loaded machine, the steps are the same, just with the handles in place of the V-handle. With a chest-supported machine, lie face down on the pad and skip the hinge.
Form cues
"Chest up, hips back." It sets the hinge and keeps your back flat before the first rep. If you start bent over with a rounded back, the set only goes downhill from there.
"Elbows to the ceiling behind you." Think about the elbows traveling up and back past your body, not your hands pulling the handle. It moves the effort into your back.
"Pull the plates into your chest." Giving yourself a target on your body gets a full rep every time. If the plates stop six inches away, you're not getting to the squeeze.
"Hold the photo." Pause at the top as if you're waiting for someone to take a picture. It fixes rushing through the top of the rep, which is where most people short-change this lift.
Common mistakes
Rounding your lower back. From the side, your lower back looks like a hump, often worse as you tire. The common cause is starting the set with a rounded back, or loading more than you can hold the position with. Set your back flat before you lift the weight, and end the set once you can't keep it there.
Using your body to swing the weight up. Your torso bobs up and down with each rep, and your hips extend to throw the bar toward your chest. The T-bar makes this very easy to do with a lot of weight, which is why it's common. Hold your torso angle, drop a plate, and you'll feel your back working again.
Not squeezing at the top. The handle touches the chest for a split second and drops. Or the plates never reach your chest at all. Either way, you miss the part of the rep where your mid back works hardest. Hold for a full second at the top of every rep.
Standing up more and more as the set goes on. By the last few reps, you're nearly upright, so the row becomes a short shrug. It usually means the weight's too heavy for the reps you're doing. Film a set from the side and compare your torso angle on the first and last reps.
Loading 45 lb plates. It looks heavier, but large plates hit your chest early and cut off the top of the rep. Using 25s (10 kg) or even 10s (5 kg) gives you a full range of motion with the same total weight.
Sets, reps and how much weight to use
For muscle growth, do 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 12. For strength, 3 to 5 sets of 6 to 8. We'd avoid going much lower than 6: rows beyond that point tend to turn into partial reps with a lot of body swing. Pick a weight you could do two or three more reps with while pausing at the top, and rest two minutes between sets.
The T-bar row makes a good main row on a back day, or a second row after pull-ups or lat pulldowns. Like any bent-over row, it tires your lower back, so avoid putting it right after heavy deadlifts.
Warm up with one set of 10 with just the bar, then one or two sets of 5 as you add plates. Progress by adding reps up to the top of your range on every set, then adding 10 lb (5 kg). The progressive overload guide covers the details. Logging your sets in Helthy helps here, since the app tracks your records on each exercise automatically and you can see exactly what you did last time.
| Bodyweight | beginner | intermediate | advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| 130 lb (59 kg) | 25 lb (11 kg) | 50 lb (23 kg) | 85 lb (39 kg) |
| 160 lb (73 kg) | 30 lb (14 kg) | 65 lb (29 kg) | 105 lb (48 kg) |
| 190 lb (86 kg) | 40 lb (18 kg) | 75 lb (34 kg) | 125 lb (57 kg) |
| 220 lb (100 kg) | 45 lb (20 kg) | 90 lb (41 kg) | 145 lb (66 kg) |
| 250 lb (113 kg) | 50 lb (23 kg) | 100 lb (45 kg) | 165 lb (75 kg) |
T-bar setups vary a lot. A landmine with a 45 lb (20 kg) bar and a plate-loaded machine with its own lever can feel very different at the same number, and people disagree about whether to count the bar at all. Choose one way of counting and stick to it, and treat the table as a rough guide.
Variations and alternatives
- Chest-supported T-bar row: a machine with a pad for your chest. There's no hinge to hold and no way to swing, so it's the one to pick if your lower back is tired or sore.
- Wide-grip T-bar row: use the wider handles on a machine, or an overhand grip on a straight handle, with elbows further from your body. More upper back and rear delts.
- Single-arm landmine row: stand beside the bar in a split stance and row the end of the bar with one hand. Good for a weaker side and a lighter option.
- Barbell row: a free bar path and an overhand grip, and harder to keep strict.
- Seated cable row: the same close grip with no hinge, for days your lower back needs a break.
T-bar row questions
Is the T-bar row better than the barbell row?
They train the same muscles, and neither is clearly better. We'd pick the T-bar row for most people who struggle to keep barbell rows strict, and for anyone whose wrists or elbows complain with an overhand grip. The barbell row is more portable, since any gym has a barbell.
Can I do a T-bar row without a landmine?
Yes. Wedge one end of a barbell into a corner, with a towel or a plate to protect the wall and stop the bar sliding. If you don't have a V-handle, you can grip the bar directly, one hand in front of the other, just behind the plates.
Why do I feel T-bar rows in my lower back?
Your lower back holds the hinge for the whole set, so a dull, tired feeling is normal. If it's sharp, or it gets worse over several sessions, switch to a chest-supported row and lighten the load. If it still hurts after a week of that, get it looked at.