Barbell Bent-Over Row
Also called: barbell row, bent over row
Hinge, hold, and pull the bar to your torso — the back-builder that also teaches you to brace.
Technique
How to do it
- 1
Hinge to ~45° or lower, bar hanging from straight arms, lats tight.
- 2
Pull the bar to your lower ribs, elbows tracking back not out.
- 3
Squeeze the shoulder blades together for a beat.
- 4
Lower under control without losing the hinge.
Cue bank
Two cues, picked by context
Internal cues for growth work at moderate loads; external cues when the bar is heavy. The app switches automatically.
“Crush an orange in your armpit as you pull.”
“Row the bar to your back pockets.”
Common faults
What to watch for
Standard coaching taxonomy for this movement. A dedicated Harry Spotter rubric is on the roadmap.
Standing up with every rep
That's a shrugging hip thrust, not a row.
Fix: Lock the torso angle; drop the load until it holds.
Pulling with the arms only
Biceps steal what the lats were promised.
Fix: Lead with the elbows; think “elbows to back pockets.”
Yanking the stretch reflex
Momentum robs tension from the target tissue.
Fix: One-second pause at the bottom of each rep.
Substitutions