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Bent-over dumbbell row

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Muscles worked

High load
Lats
Medium load
Upper back · Rhomboids
Low load
Biceps, Delts · Rear, and Forearms · Flexors

Primary muscles

Secondary muscles

How to do it

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, hinge at the hips to roughly 45 degrees and let the arms hang straight down. Keep a flat back and a braced trunk, then row both bells toward the hips, driving the elbows past the ribs. Lower under control to a full stretch. Unlike the single-arm and chest-supported versions this needs no bench, so it is the horizontal pull that works with dumbbells and a floor.

Form cues

  • Hinge to about 45 degrees and hold it
  • Row to the hips, not the chest

Safety

Talk to a professional before this exercise if you have any of the following:

Lower backElbow

This is general exercise reference, not medical advice. Stop and consult a qualified professional if an exercise causes pain, and never work through joint pain.

Easier variants