Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Barbell Bent-Over Row: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The barbell bent-over row pulls a bar to your torso while you hold a hip hinge. It builds the upper back, lats and rear delts, and the hinge position also trains the lower back to hold position under load.

Primary muscles
Traps
Secondary muscles
Forearms , Biceps
Equipment
Barbell
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound

Written by the FitStack training team. Last reviewed .

Demonstration of the barbell bent-over row
Front view: muscles worked by the barbell bent-over row. Primary: traps. Secondary: forearms and biceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the barbell bent-over row. Primary: traps. Secondary: forearms and biceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the barbell bent-over row

  1. Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
  2. Step 2: Bend forward at the hips while keeping your back straight and chest up.
  3. Step 3: Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Step 4: Pull the barbell towards your lower chest by retracting your shoulder blades and squeezing your back muscles.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Form cues

  • Hinge forward until your torso is around 30 to 45 degrees above parallel, knees soft, bar hanging at arm length.
  • Brace and keep your back flat.
  • Row the bar to your lower ribs, driving the elbows back.
  • Lower to straight arms without changing your torso angle.

Common barbell bent-over row mistakes

  • Standing up as you row, turning it into a shrug.

    Fix: Keep the hinge angle fixed; lighten the weight if you cannot.

  • Rounding the lower back.

    Fix: Brace before each rep and use a load you can hold the hinge with.

Sets, reps and programming

Use as the main horizontal pull: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps. If your lower back is tired from deadlifts, use a chest-supported or cable row instead.

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the barbell bent-over row by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Variations and progressions

Barbell Bent-Over Row alternatives

More exercises that train the traps as their main target:

Barbell Bent-Over Row FAQs

Overhand or underhand grip for barbell rows?

An overhand grip with elbows a little wider biases the upper back and rear delts; an underhand grip keeps the elbows tighter and uses more lats and biceps.

More traps exercises

See the best trap exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset; cues, mistakes, programming and FAQs are written by FitStack.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.