The way to Do the Dumbbell Row—Plus Some Common Mistakes to Avoid

If you happen to work a desk job or are glued to your smartphone, your posture might take a success. But adding exercises just like the dumbbell row into your weekly workout routine can assist you to stop slouching and sit up straighter.

The row is a terrific move for counteracting the hunched-forward position that a lot of us are all too conversant in, and it’s a stellar method to goal muscles in your back and arms, making it a no brainer to fit into your usual back workout or go-to upper-body circuit.

There are a bunch of various row variations on the market—like a barbell row or a chest-supported row—however the bent-over dumbbell row is a classic version. You just hold a weight in each hand, hinge forward at your hips, squeeze your shoulder blades (scapula) together, and pull the weights up and back toward your lower ribs.

That’s the version of the move we’re going to discuss here. Ahead, we dig into all it is advisable to know in regards to the dumbbell row, including which muscles it really works, the amazing advantages, form tricks to take into account, the best way to include this exercise in your workout routine, and a step-by-step guide to doing the move safely and accurately.

So if you happen to’re able to improve your posture and seriously strengthen your upper body in the method, keep scrolling for all of the necessary info!

What muscles does the dumbbell row work?

While you row, you goal the muscles that contribute to good posture: your rhomboids (upper-back muscles), trapezius (upper-back and neck muscles), latissimus dorsi (also generally known as lats—the broadest of your back muscles), and rear delts (a shoulder muscle), certified personal trainer and performance coach Keith Hodges, CPT, founding father of Mind in Muscle Coaching in Los Angeles, tells SELF. And since the row is a pulling motion, you’ll also hit your biceps (muscles on the front of your upper arm) and forearms, he adds. Other examples of pulling exercises include pull-ups, pullovers, and lat pull-downs. (Notice a theme there?)

The motion also fires up your abs—and a few dumbbell row variations challenge your core muscles greater than others. For instance, if you happen to do a conventional bent-over row, you’ve got to actually engage your core to be certain that you’re not putting an excessive amount of of your lower back into the movement. And in a renegade row, you’re working from a plank, so your core has to actually work to maintain you stable if you bring one hand off the ground. On the flip side, if you happen to need somewhat more support, you possibly can do a single-arm dumbbell row and rest your hand on a sturdy surface like a bench to take among the emphasis off your abs.

What are the advantages of a dumbbell row?

The most important advantage of the dumbbell row is that it may possibly construct up the strength you would like at the back of your body to take care of good posture. It helps you improve your ability to take a seat or stand without slouching forward. Spending long periods of time working at a desk or hunched over a smartphone may cause your deltoids (also generally known as delts or shoulders) and lower back to round forward. This could result in discomfort and ultimately set the stage for muscle imbalances: Your upper-back muscles lengthen while your chest muscles tighten, as SELF previously reported.