Barbell Bent Over Row

1. Deadlift a barbell to standing, then hinge at the hips until your torso is 30 to 45 degrees above horizontal, knees softly bent.
2. Hold the bar at arms length with a grip just wider than shoulder width, palms facing you.
3. Brace your core and lock your back flat; this position holds for the entire set.
4. Pull the bar to your lower ribs or upper stomach, leading with the elbows.
5. Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top for a beat.
6. Lower the bar under control to full arm extension without letting the torso rise or the back round.
7. Breathe out as you pull, in as you lower, keeping the hinge angle constant.
8. End the set by standing up with the bar and lowering it like a deadlift, not by dropping out of the hinge.

Common Mistakes

• Cheating with the hips: heaving the torso up to bump the bar turns a back exercise into a sloppy hip hinge and hides weakness instead of fixing it.
• Rowing to the wrong spot: pulling to the chest with flared elbows hits rear delts at best; the bar belongs at the lower ribs with elbows around 45 degrees.
• Letting the back round at the bottom: relaxing between reps under load is how bent over rows hurt lower backs; the brace never switches off.
• Cutting the range: half-lowering the bar keeps constant tension in the biceps rather than working the lats through a full stretch.