Rogelio
Member
- May 2, 2025
- 73
- 3
The dumbbell bent-over row works your core and arms while working your lats, rhomboids, and rear delts. Keep your back flat and hinge at the hips. Pull the weights towards your chest by pushing your elbows back. Keep your spine neutral the whole time. Do not make typical mistakes like using momentum or rounding your back.
For muscle growth, do up to 4 sets of 8–12 reps. For power, do 4–5 sets of 6–8 reps. The tips below will change the way your back grows.
During the move, move your elbows back and up to pull the weights towards your chest. During the whole practice, keep your core tight and your spine straight. At the top of the move, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Then, slowly lower yourself.
It's also important to breathe correctly. Let out air as you lift the weights and breathe in as you lower them. This beat makes you stronger and more stable. Remember that keeping good form is more important than pulling heavier weights with bad form.

You'll also work out your rear deltoids, which helps your shoulders get stronger all around. During the pulling action, your biceps do secondary work. During the exercise, don't forget how important your erector spinae and core muscles are for keeping you stable. Because it uses so many muscles, the dumbbell bent-over row is a great way to build back muscles all over.
Dumbbell work that only works one side of the body also evens out strength differences between the left and right sides, which promotes more even growth.

Stronger upper back muscles will help you stand up straighter because they will prevent the forward slouch that most people who work at a desk do. Your abdominal and lower back muscles have to work hard to keep your body in the right position during each repeat, which makes your core very stable.
When you do dumbbell rows instead of machine rows, you can move more naturally and have a wider range of motion, which helps your muscles grow more healthily. The unilateral training choice (single-arm variation) can fix strength differences between sides, making the body look and work more evenly.

When you swing the weights up, don't count on speed. It makes muscles less active, which can cause pain. Keep an eye on where your elbows are, too. They should go straight back and not flare outward. For proper form and technique, the spine needs to stay neutral during the action.
Most new lifters also do it too fast or with too much weight. It leads to patterns of compensation that make things less successful. Instead, use light weights to focus on feeling your back muscles tighten before moving on to heavier weights. Keep your back straight as you pull the bars towards your hips.
Higher rep ranges (15–20) with lighter weights are good for endurance exercise. You might want to add variations and changes, such as single-arm rows to fix imbalances or rogue rows to make your core work harder. Try explosive rows with a controlled eccentric phase to build strength.
For more experienced lifters, mechanical drop sets might be helpful. When they get tired, they can do normal bent-over rows followed right away by supported variations.
For muscle growth, do up to 4 sets of 8–12 reps. For power, do 4–5 sets of 6–8 reps. The tips below will change the way your back grows.
How to Do a Right Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
The right way to do a dumbbell bent-over row depends on three main things: where you stand, how you move, and the pace of your breathing. To do it right, hinge at the hips, keep your back flat, bend your knees a little, and keep your chest level with the floor. Hold the dumbbells with your hands facing in and your arms fully extended.During the move, move your elbows back and up to pull the weights towards your chest. During the whole practice, keep your core tight and your spine straight. At the top of the move, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Then, slowly lower yourself.
It's also important to breathe correctly. Let out air as you lift the weights and breathe in as you lower them. This beat makes you stronger and more stable. Remember that keeping good form is more important than pulling heavier weights with bad form.

Muscles Worked During The Exercise
The main muscles that you want to work on with dumbbell bent-over rows are those in the upper back. Your latissimus dorsi (lats) do most of the work, and when grown properly, they give you that desirable V-taper. You are using a lot of the rhomboids and middle trapezius muscles between your shoulder blades. It helps your balance and makes your back thicker.You'll also work out your rear deltoids, which helps your shoulders get stronger all around. During the pulling action, your biceps do secondary work. During the exercise, don't forget how important your erector spinae and core muscles are for keeping you stable. Because it uses so many muscles, the dumbbell bent-over row is a great way to build back muscles all over.
Dumbbell work that only works one side of the body also evens out strength differences between the left and right sides, which promotes more even growth.

What You Need to Know About Strength and Fitness
When you add dumbbell bent-over rows to your workout routine, you will definitely see results. This compound movement makes your back very thick and also builds functional power that you can use in everyday life and for other lifts.Stronger upper back muscles will help you stand up straighter because they will prevent the forward slouch that most people who work at a desk do. Your abdominal and lower back muscles have to work hard to keep your body in the right position during each repeat, which makes your core very stable.
When you do dumbbell rows instead of machine rows, you can move more naturally and have a wider range of motion, which helps your muscles grow more healthily. The unilateral training choice (single-arm variation) can fix strength differences between sides, making the body look and work more evenly.

Form Mistakes You Should Never Make
As you learn how to do the dumbbell bent-over row, there are a few serious mistakes you should avoid that can hurt you and hurt your progress. Most people make the mistake of rounding their back, which puts too much stress on their spine instead of working their target muscles.When you swing the weights up, don't count on speed. It makes muscles less active, which can cause pain. Keep an eye on where your elbows are, too. They should go straight back and not flare outward. For proper form and technique, the spine needs to stay neutral during the action.
Most new lifters also do it too fast or with too much weight. It leads to patterns of compensation that make things less successful. Instead, use light weights to focus on feeling your back muscles tighten before moving on to heavier weights. Keep your back straight as you pull the bars towards your hips.
Programming Variations For Different Goals
You can program the dumbbell bent-over row in different ways to get the best results for your exercise goals. Aim for up to 4 sets of 8–12 reps with mild weights and a steady pace to build muscle. If you want to get stronger, raise the weight and lower the number of reps to 4 to 6 over 4 to 5 sets, with longer breaks in between.Higher rep ranges (15–20) with lighter weights are good for endurance exercise. You might want to add variations and changes, such as single-arm rows to fix imbalances or rogue rows to make your core work harder. Try explosive rows with a controlled eccentric phase to build strength.
For more experienced lifters, mechanical drop sets might be helpful. When they get tired, they can do normal bent-over rows followed right away by supported variations.
