If you're a guy who want to master perfect Barbell Row technique, this will be the most important article you will ever read.
Here's why: almost everyone is dead wrong in how they do Barbell Rows. Most guys do Yates Rows, 50° shrugs with underhand grip named after the steroid bodybuilder Dorian Yates. And, guess what? Unlike Barbell Rows, Yates Rows don't train your back - only your traps - and can rip your biceps tendon apart.
Left: StrongLifts Member Tom Doing Perfect Barbell Rows. Right: Bodybuilder Dorian Yates Doing Yates Rows
Look - if you're one of those steroid meat heads who spends more time with his drug-supplier than on training, you'll grow no matter how you Barbell Row. But if you're a DRUG-FREE, 100% natural lifter like me, then you'll have to do Barbell Rows with proper technique to gain upper-back strength and muscle.
There is no doubt whatsoever that the Barbell Row technique that I'm about to show you is superior to every single other Row variation you'll ever see the curl monkeys do in your gym. In fact, Coach Glenn Pendlay MS USAW (who taught me this very Barbell Row technique years ago) has done EMG studies comparing every single possible variation of Barbell Rows. Guess what he discovered?
Barbell Rows Done With The Bar Returning To
The Floor On Each Rep Strengthen Your Back, Lats And
Traps More Than Any Other Barbell Row Variation!
Here's what this means: you will strengthen your upper-back, lower-back, lats and traps with one single exercise if you do Barbell Rows the way I'll show you. More: you'll not only build a muscular back by Rowing like this, your Bench Press will also skyrocket (because a strong upper-back is key to a big Bench).
Listen: the guys who say Yates Row are better are confused by broscience and muscle magazines. This Barbell Row technique is backed up by EMG studies, REAL science. But don't take my word for it, simply test-drive StrongLifts 5x5 for 12 weeks using the Barbell Row technique that I'm going to show you, and your own body will make you see the truth of what I'm saying.
Here's how to do it: after studying Glenn Pendlay's description of this superior Barbell Row technique, Rowing myself like this for several years and teaching this Row technique to hundreds of guys, I've come up with the seven most important tips to master perfect Barbell Row technique. Here are the 7 tips...
1. Row Each Rep From The Floor. Because you'll never train your upper-back fully if you let the bar hang in the air. Barbell Row like you Deadlift: with the bar starting and returning to the floor on each rep. The barbell should be above the middle of your feet when you start Rowing, same stance as on Deadlifts.
2. Grip The Bar Like You Bench Press. For maximum carry-over to your Bench Press, your Barbell Row should be the exact opposite movement. This means no underhand grip but both palms facing you, using the same grip width as when you Bench. Thumbs around the bar and squeeze it hard for maximum strength.
3. Pull With Your Elbows. This simple trick will help you use your upper-back maximally rather than turning your Rows into a biceps exercise. Pull your elbows towards the ceiling instead of merely pulling with your hands. If you don't "get" it, briefly Barbell Row using the thumbless grip to get the feeling for it.
4. Row Against Your Chest. If the bar doesn't hit your chest, it's like doing a partial Squat or half Bench: the rep isn't completed and you're not getting the most out of the exercise. So always Row the barbell against your chest. Where exactly? Same position as where you touch the bar on the Bench Press.
5. Keep Your Upper-back Parallel. Don't let yourself get carried away by your ego or you won't get the most out of Barbell Rows. Be strict: your upper-back should be doing all the work. If your Barbell Rows turn into 50° shrugs or you're cheating with your hips and knees, the weight is too heavy. Lower it.
Proper Barbell Row Technique: Barbell starts on the floor, pulling with the elbows, bar against chest, chest open, shoulder-blades squeezed together
6. Open Your Chest. It's - again - the same position as for the Bench Press: squeeze your shoulder-blades together at the top as hard as you can and open your chest up. Don't try to hold the weight at the top, that's all unnecessary nonsense because adding weight builds muscle. Simply pull the weight hard and fast against your chest, and then return it to the floor.
7. Keep Your Head Down. Do not try looking at the mirror in front of you in your gym, or you'll get neck pain. Don't look at your feet either otherwise your lower back can round and hurt. Simply look at the floor below you and tape yourself from the side you want to check your Barbell Row technique.
Barbell Row Video. Here's a video of an ex private client of mine, StrongLifts Member Tom, showing the Barbell Row technique described in this article. Pay attention how the bar starts and returns to the floor on each rep, and how his torso remains parallel. The barbell could be a bit closer to his shins if he puts his legs straighter, but otherwise this is perfect technique...
"Like" This Post. Please share this article with your friends so they too discover how to Barbell Row correctly. Just click the facebook "like" button below.
Interesting article.
I’ve always been under the impression that these were known as Pendlay Rows, just another variation of the Barbell Row.
I’ve been using the typical Row where your upper body is not parallel to the floor but instead slightly hinged at an angle. The bar is then rowed to your waist for each rep. These are not shrugs and there is no danger of me tearing a bicep either, even when rowing 225lbs.
This was much needed. Thank you.
I currently row with a 25 plate on both sides, the radius is smaller than the 45 plates, should I still row from the ground if from the bottom of the squat rack that I use, its almost like rowing with a 45 plate, off by about two inches
Great one Mehdi. The “bench grip” on the rows makes it very tough and i always have to deload. Is the bench grip super important??
Hi Mehdi! Great post! I got one question:
Should I control the barbell while going down to the floor or should I just let it go with the gravity as it goes?
I’m so jealous of the form in the video. I’m doing it wrong … by cheating with jerks from my upper body. Nevertheless, recently I have felt certain reps that feel smoother than other than others in this exercise, highlighting the fact that there is a correct position (thus making it feel smoother).
Increases in my BB Row certainly have helped my BP. I just broke through the 60kg plateau last week on the BP and although I was supposed to do 62.5kg today, I mistakenly (I got mixed up with dates) I did 67.5kg bench press.
Doing Yates Rows is ok from a BB stand point.
They will work your back in a different way than the Pendlay style rows here. But agreed – Pendlay rows will hit everything just about equally and are the superior exercise
Yates used that Technique to build one of the most impressive backs of the era. Yes he was on roids,insulin and a lot of growth hormone ,but the man worked out like a beast and was ahead of his time in training ideas-thats why he won mr olympia so many times. The article on how to row it self is good, but you cant question yates on how to build a good back. Body building and strenght training are 2 totaly different sports any way and most bodybuilder dont row like that,and bodybuilders are the masters of building muscle. same as power lifters are masters of moving big weights. i row the way the first poster ton does and find it very effective, but as you probably guessed i moved from stronglifts to bodybuilding.Hope mehdi doent think im trying to rubbish his teachings as i did learn a lot from stronglifts and it was a good base to go into bodybuilding from
so if youre not using 45 plates, do you put the plates at the end of the barbell on top of 2 plates on the ground to raise the barbell height like in deadlifts?
@ Kevin, Jon
I recommend to row from the ground even if you only use 25 plates,
if your FLEXIBILITY allows ya!
Just, never forget to tighten your back all the time, make arch.
but if it doesn’t, putting some plates under the plate is just fine.
Before i started 5×5 i was doing ‘regular’ row and was at 225lb and climbing. Even after 6 months of 5×5 I am struggling with proper form rows 165lb……but sometimes the reps are perfect (not many though)
Also, I am pulling into the middle of my stomach….will try move it up a bit next week
last comment: a few times one of the ‘manly man’ types at my gym will walk up to me while doing rows and tell me that I am doing them wrong and then proceeded to wax on about ‘yates rows’ grrrrrrrrr! lol
I see the old Barbell Row article was replaced with this. It’s a nice change, thanks.
I also see that using some hip bounce is now gone – it was definitely present in the older version.
However it definitely feels “cleaner” now – just a strict 90-degree bend, elbows pull, upper back works, spine is straight. I’m afraid my current Row PR is void. :)
Recommendation: Push your abs out for extra lumbar support during the Row. Otherwise your lower back might get injured. This tip is in another article by Mehdi.
Just tried this method of BB rows today, I’ve been doing Pendlays at about a 45 degree angle forever. I thought the movement would be more awkward, but I just pull the bar up from my deadlift starting position, and it worked perfect. No loss of balance, nothing. Looking straight ahead at the floor made the movement even more secure. Despite the weird looks I’ll get for not Pendlay rowing, I’m gonna keep this method up! Great article.
Thanks Mehdi. Revisted my form on my barbell rows yesterday after watching these videos. It’s a little hard to get the perfect Pendlay row as I’m not up to 45lb plates yet, but I just put a couple plates on the ground to make up the height difference and it was fine.
After watching the videos I realized I was rowing with to high of a body angle and my grip to close together. After changing it up and getting parallel with my back and a wider grip width, what a difference in the feel of what muscles were getting worked.
A very timely article for me. I’m getting frustrated with my barbell row technique and I really want to improve my back as well as my bench press. Guess I have to deload on my row and get my form and technique on a strict level. My mistake would be on pulling using my hands and not my elbow.
I realized the other day Barbell Rows were hurting my knees and not squats, Ill have to implement this technique now, see if it helps. Thanks.