Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

The dumbbell bent-over row is a popular exercise in gyms worldwide. It is an excellent exercise for back and spine strengthening. This exercise targets multiple muscle groups, most notably those in the posterior chain.

See below for tips on how to execute the dumbbell bent-over row correctly and what muscles it engages. We also cover how to program it and who can benefit from this exercise.

How To Do

  1. Begin with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing together. 
  2. Keep your shoulder blades packed down, push your hips back, and maintain a strong bent-over position. 
  3. Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and draw your elbows back, squeezing the shoulder blades back and down to bring the dumbbells towards you.
  4. Pause for a second at the top position. Inhale and fully extend your arms back to the starting position. 
  5. Maintaining the bent-over position, perform the desired number of repetitions.

Tips From Expert

  • To maximize the bent-over row, take the movement through a full range of motion. This means picking a weight you can correctly use for each of your reps.
  • The angle at which you perform the bent-over row can change the exercise dramatically. Too far upright and you’re targeting your upper traps over your mid and lower traps. Too bent and you’re likely putting too much load through your lower back. 
  • Ensure your core is engaged throughout the movement. This helps keep the correct lifting position and reduce injury risk.

Optimal Sets and Reps

We need to consider how many sets and reps you should be performing based on your individual goal. The table below provides a useful summary.

Training Type Sets Reps
Strength Training 3–5 4–6
Hypertrophy 3–4 8–12
Endurance Training 3–4 12–20
Power Training 3–5 1–3 (Explosive)
Optimal Sets & Reps of Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The dumbbell bent-over row is a foundation-level upper-body pull movement primarily used to work the back muscles. There is a wide range of back and shoulder workouts with dumbbells that complement this exercise. 

Based on your training age, you may choose to split your training in different ways across the week.

  • Beginner — 3 x Full Body Workouts. 
  • Intermediate — Upper, Lower, Upper, Lower.
  • Advanced — Push, Pull, Legs, Push, Pull, Legs. 

Pair it with other dumbbell back exercises or use different splits depending on your preference. 

Full-body workouts are less frequent and focus on fewer movement patterns. An upper-lower split and push-pull-leg split each offer more frequent sessions. They can also further isolate certain muscles.

Programming considerations with the bent-over row will also depend on your intention for the exercise. How much load you use will depend on what training style you desire. Use your one repetition maximum, or how much weight you can lift for one repetition, to determine this.

  • Strength — 80–100% of your 1RM.
  • Hypertrophy — 60%–80% of your 1RM.
  • Endurance — 40%–60% of your 1RM.
  • Power — 80%–100% of your 1RM.

For strength and power training, perform the dumbbell bent-over row as a stand-alone exercise. For hypertrophy, perform it as part of two to​ three exercises back-to-back with no rest. Shoulder and trap workouts may also be included in these.

Primary Muscle Groups

Latissimus Dorsi

Large, triangular shaped muscles located just below your shoulder blades. They extend along your spine down to your pelvis.

Middle Trapezius

Muscles located in the middle of your back between your upper and lower traps.

Lower Trapezius

Small, triangular shaped muscles located below your middle traps and between your lats.

Latissimus Dorsi

The latissimus dorsi, or lats, cover most of the back musculature. Its primary functions include bringing the arms back and into the body's midline.

During the dumbbell bent-over row, the lats draw the shoulder back when rowing the dumbbells. They also help lower the dumbbells as you return to the starting position. The latissimus dorsi shows a high muscle activation rate of 43% when performing the dumbbell bent-over row. 

Middle Trapezius

The middle trapezius sits below the upper trapezius and between the shoulder blades. It helps extend your arms behind you and pull your shoulders together.

The middle trap squeezes the shoulder blades together and draws them toward the spine during the dumbbell bent-over row. It also assists in the controlled lowering of the dumbbells back to the starting position. 

Lower Trapezius

The lower trapezius is below the middle trapezius, extending from the spine to the lowest part of the scapula. It assists in scapula depression, or lowering the shoulder blades. 

The lower traps work with the lats and middle traps. As the arms extend and the shoulder blades squeeze together, the lower traps depress the shoulder blades.

In the same study as above, findings showed a 52% muscle activation rate for the lower trapezius. This was shown during shoulder abduction and extension as the dumbells were rowed toward the chest.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Erector Spinae

Muscles that span the entire length of your spine on either side.

Biceps Long Head

Most outside part of your bicep.The front of your upper arm.

Biceps Short Head

Most inside portion of the biceps. Located at the front of your upper arm closest to your chest.

Brachialis

Muscle which starts at the middle of your upper arm and connects just below the elbow.

Wrist Flexors

Muscles that span the inside of your lower arm, between your elbow and wrist palm side up.

Wrist Extensors

Muscles that make up the back portion of your lower arm, between your elbow and wrist.

Brachioradialis

Muscle located between outside portion of your forearm from the elbow to the wrist.

Posterior Deltoid

Muscles located at the back of your shoulder. Helps with posture.

Posterior Deltoid

The posterior deltoid sits at the back of your shoulder muscles. It is involved in external rotation, horizontal abduction, and extension of the arm. This means rotating the arm outwards, bringing it away from the body, and behind the body. 

During the dumbbell bent-over row, it helps stabilize your shoulder blades as you draw your arms back. It helps to extend the arms as you row the dumbbells.

Biceps Long Head

The biceps long head is one of two heads located on the front of the upper arm. The long head runs from the humerus, or upper arm, to the outer forearm. 

The long head brings the arms in front and above the body and brings the forearm closer. Its main job is to flex the elbow as the weights are pulled back. It also assists in controlling the weights as they are lowered back to the starting position.

Biceps Short Head

The biceps short head starts below the biceps long head at the front of the humerus. It meets with the long head at the forearm. Its primary role is to flex the elbows but it also helps to flex and stabilize the shoulders.

Brachialis

The brachialis originates on the bottom half of the humerus and inserts on the inner forearm. Due to the origin and insertion points, the function of the brachialis is to flex the elbow during the dumbbell bent-over row. Alongside this, it plays a role in maintaining a firm grip.

Brachioradialis

The brachioradialis is considered a forearm muscle that crosses the elbow joint. It attaches to the humerus and inserts on the radius, a forearm bone. 

During the dumbbell bent-over row, the brachioradialis mainly assists by bending the elbow when pulling the dumbbells back. It also plays a key role in maintaining grip strength as you hold both dumbbells during the movement.

Erector Spinae

The erector spinae is a group of muscles that lie parallel to the vertebrae along the entire spine. These muscles do not shorten or lengthen during bent-over dumbbell rows. Instead, they help to stabilize the body position.

Wrist Flexors

The wrist flexors are on the inside of the forearm. They primarily function to flex the wrist and provide grip strength.  Alongside this, they stop the wrists from over-flexing.

Wrist Extensors

The wrist extensors include the muscles on the back of the forearm. The wrist extensors are heavily involved in maintaining a strong isometric grip position during the dumbbell bent-over row.

Equipment

Dumbbells

Dumbbells

You can use these for a wide range of unilateral and bilateral exercises. Avoid using momentum to lift. Ensure a secure grip to prevent drops.

Variations

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the same equipment.

Dumbbell Single-Arm Bent-Over Row

Dumbbell Pullover

Incline Dumbbell Row

Renegade Rows

Alternatives

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the different equipment.

PullUp

Assisted Pull-Up

Weighted Pull-Up

Lat Pulldown

Chair Inverted Rows

Chin-Up

Pulse Rows

Wide-Grip Pull-Up

Barbell Bent-Over Row

Prone Y Raise

Who Should Do?

Athletes

Athletes who engage the lats frequently should perform dumbbell bent-over rows as part of their strength training. 

Depending on the needs of the sport, the rep scheme can be properly adjusted to meet the athlete’s demands. For example, swimmers who perform sprint distances may wish to use a strengthening rep scheme. Gymnasts may opt to perform a power-based rep scheme.  

The General Population

Every day, you must pull, lift, and tolerate sustained positions to some extent, even if you’re not an avid gymgoer. Many of these positions mimic similar movement patterns to those performed in the dumbbell bent-over row. 

A grandparent must be able to reach and pull items off of high shelves. A mother must have the strength to lift her baby out of the crib while in a bent-over position. A nurse must be able to position and pull a patient from side to side in a bed. 

There are everyday examples of movements that utilize the muscles recruited in the dumbbell bent-over row. Incorporating this exercise into a workout routine can be extremely beneficial and carry over to improvements in these everyday tasks. 

Bodybuilders

Bodybuilders can use the dumbbell bent-over row as a main back movement to sculpt well-developed lats, rhomboids, and traps. They can focus on isolating each side of their back using the dumbbells. This ensures that they’re not compensating more on one side. 

Compound movements such as the barbell bent-over row can induce muscle hypertrophy when performed with enough volume. As volume is recognized as a key determinant, the bent-over row is a great exercise to add to their routine.

Who Should Not Do?

Individuals With Low Back Pain

The dumbbell bent-over row is not ideal for individuals with low back pain. The sustained bent-over position requires a large amount of lower back stress. Incorrect form may overload the lower back and make existing injuries worse. 

Approximately 84% of individuals report suffering from some sort of lower back pain during their lifetime. These individuals may opt to perform rows in an alternative position to reduce lower back stress. 

Beginner Lifters

Beginner lifters should avoid the dumbbell bent-over row until they have mastered similar exercises. Examples include the chest-supported bench row or a seated upright row. 

This is because it can be challenging to maintain a proper back angle while focusing on the correct exercise position. These other exercise variations eliminate this variable. This allows focus on correct shoulder blade and elbow movement without worrying about proper back position. 

Benefits Of The Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

Enhanced Back Strength And Development

Muscle growth requires sustained resistance training, with volume as a key determinant. Dumbbell bent-over rows use a compound movement pattern, targeting multiple joints and muscles. This means that it’s easier to perform a larger volume in a shorter period.

This exercise works key back muscles, such as the lats, middle and lower traps, and spinal erectors. When performed correctly, the dumbbell bent-over row can improve back strength and development.

Increased Spinal Stability 

Dumbbell bent-over rows are an excellent way to train the erector spinae muscles from the neck to the lower back. This is because of the isometric contraction they must hold when in the bent-over position. 

Spinal stability is essential for building a strong core and building tolerance to sustained postures. A strong core can help to reduce injury risk in normal populations and athletes.

Improved Functional Strength

The barbell bent-over row can build the functional strength required in life and sporting movements. The barbell bent-over can mimic bending down to the ground to pick up heavy objects. Because the dumbbell bent-over row provides spinal stability, this also prepares for functional tasks that require a sustained bent-over position. 

The dumbbell bent-over row additionally translates to sporting movements. A gymnast needs to generate power to pull their body up, which requires the strength of the lats and traps. Rowers must repetitively engage their lats and back muscles in a similar movement pattern, but different body position.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if you do bent-over rows every day?

The risk of overuse injuries increases, as you are not providing adequate rest time for tissue recovery. A minimum rest period of at least 48 hours is suggested between muscle groups.

How much should you bend over for bent-over rows?

The proper setup is a 45-degree angle. More than 45 degrees will target the lower back and hamstring muscles more. Less than a 45-degree angle will bias toward upper trapezius activation.

How heavy should bent-over dumbbell rows be?

This depends on your goal and your one repetition maximum. For best results, follow the sets and reps table above and maintain the correct form.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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