Horizontal pull exercise
Barbell Row
Build upper-back and pulling strength to balance heavy pressing.
- Equipment
- Barbell, plates
- Sides
- Both sides together
- Positions
- All positions
- Tempo
- 30X1
Setup
Barbell on the floor, hinge to roughly 45 degrees with a flat braced back, hands just outside the knees.
How to do it
- Hinge to about 45 degrees, brace hard and hold that torso angle for the entire set.
- Pull the bar to your lower ribs driving your elbows back, then control it down rather than dropping it.
- Do 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
- The moment your torso starts rising with each rep, the set is finished.
Coaching cues
- Fix the torso angle and hold it
- Pull to the lower ribs, elbows back
- Control the eccentric
Common mistakes
- The torso rising with each rep as fatigue builds
- Jerking the bar up with lumbar extension
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Load | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 75 to 85% of 1RM | 3 to 5 | 5 to 6 | 3 min |
| Size | 65 to 80% of 1RM | 3 to 4 | 8 to 12 | 2 min |
Tempo 30X1: Take 3 seconds to lower it, no pause, lift it as fast as you can, hold for 1 second at the end of the lift.
Related exercises
- Single-Arm Dumbbell RowAdd upper-back pulling volume without loading the spine.
- Chest-Supported RowBuild upper-back strength with the spine completely unloaded.
- Seated Cable RowAdd safe, high-volume horizontal pulling.
- Bench PressBuild maximal upper-body pressing strength.
- Incline Bench PressBuild pressing strength and shoulder-girdle mass at an upward angle.
- Dumbbell Bench PressBuild pressing strength with more range and less shoulder stress than a barbell.