Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

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

The dumbbell bent-over row pulls two dumbbells to your sides from a hip hinge. It trains the lats, mid-back and rear delts with dumbbells only, so it works at home or in a busy gym.

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

Written by the FitStack training team. Last reviewed .

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

How to do the dumbbell bent-over row

  1. Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
  2. Step 2: Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
  3. Step 3: Let your arms hang straight down towards the floor, with your elbows slightly bent.
  4. Step 4: Pull the dumbbells up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Form cues

  • Hold a dumbbell in each hand, hinge forward with a flat back and let the dumbbells hang under your shoulders.
  • Row both dumbbells toward your hips, elbows close to your body.
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top, then lower to a full stretch.

Common dumbbell bent-over row mistakes

  • Shrugging the dumbbells up.

    Fix: Pull the elbows back toward your hips, not up toward your ears.

  • Torso rising as the set gets hard.

    Fix: Fix your hinge angle and end the set when you cannot hold it.

Sets, reps and programming

Do 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps. A one-arm row with your other hand on a bench takes the lower back out and lets you go heavier.

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the dumbbell 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

Dumbbell Bent-Over Row alternatives

More exercises that train the traps as their main target:

Dumbbell Bent-Over Row FAQs

What muscles do dumbbell rows work?

The lats, rhomboids, middle traps and rear delts do most of the work; the biceps and forearms help, and the lower back holds the hinge.

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.