How To Perform Bent Over Rows

The bent over row is one of the basic upper and middle back exercises. For some time now, bodybuilders, power lifters and athletes have been using the barbell row as a way to increase the size and strength of the muscles in the middle to upper back. If you're wanting to pack on some bulk and shape to your upper body, then the bent row is a mandatory exercise that you must fit into your lat workouts.

Targeting the Latissimus Dorsi, the bent row combines the potent bodybuilding benefits of allowing you to train through a complete range of motion with a heavy weight and allowing you to target your lats with laser accuracy and move closer to the classic V-shape taper that you really want! While many of the best best weight lifting exercises allow you to train multiple muscles at the same time, the bent over row doesn't allow any other body parts to steal the show and decrease the amount of stimulation that your lats receive. This is one of the major benefits to incorporating barbell rows into your back workouts. You get maximum lat stimulation with a heavy weight.

Muscles Targeted During The Barbell Row

Aside from the Latissimus Dorsi, there are a few other body parts that carry a some of the load. The Teres Major, Posterior Deltoid, Biceps Brachii, Brachioradialis, Brachialis, Rhomboids and Trapezius all aid in the completion of this movement, but the vast majority of the load is carried by the latissimus dorsi. When performed with proper form, the bent row uses very few of the muscles listed above, but when performed with bad form, it's one of those exercises that can start to transfer a lot of the load from the target muscle group to the accompanying body parts. That's one of the reasons that it's so important to learn how to perform bent rows the right way.

How To Perform The Barbell Row

1. grip the bar with an overhand grip with your hands spaced slightly wider than shoulder width. Spread your feet shoulder width apart and bend your knees slightly. Lean forward at the waist at approximately a 45° angle. Make sure to keep your back straight during the full range of the movement. If you're body is aligned properly, then the bar should be positioned just above your knee prior to beginning the exercise.

2. Exhale and pull the bar up to the lower portion of your chest, making sure to keep your core muscles contracted (in order to stabilize your spine). When properly performed, you will basically be lifting your elbows up towards the sky while holding your upper body in a stationary position.

While performing this exercise, you should feel the muscles in your latissimus dorsi (lats) contracting. The lats are located along both sides of the spine along your back. In order to ensure that you are targeting the lats properly, it helps to think about the muscles that you are using (or supposed to be using) and to attempt to pull your shoulder blades up and back at the top of the exercise, this will force your latissimus dorsi to contract if it isn't already engaged. Once you feel the muscles that are supposed to be performing the bulk of the work during bent over rows, then it becomes easier to make small adjustments to your form to ensure that the right muscles are being targeted.

3. Allow the bar to move back down to the starting position in a slow and controlled manner, but still focus on using your lats to complete the eccentric portion of the lift.

keep in mind that varying the position of your grip will allow you to place an emphasis on different parts of your upper and middle back. If you perform bent over rows with an overhand grip, you will place an emphasis on the lower part of the trapezius and your rhomboids. While performing bent rows with an underhand grip will place most of the emphasis on the upper portion of the trapezius and the biceps brachii.

If you're wanting to increase the strength and size of your upper and middle back, then bent rows should be a major part of your lat workouts. Not only will you be able to target your upper back with laser precision and get a jump the coveted v-taper upper body, but you'll be able to train with a heavy enough weight to make a noticeable difference quickly.