If building your back for aesthetics, strength, or performance is high on your priorities, then you probably know a thing or two about rows. But do you really?
They’re the ultimate back exercise. But when you start to delve a little deeper, there’s more to this simple up-and-down pulling exercise than you first may think.
Firstly, numerous row variations exist, from barbell to dumbbell, upright to bent over. And if that wasn’t enough, various hand placements and grip positions for each. Confusing, right? 🤯
If you struggle to know exactly which type of row you should do to build your back, we’ve got the answer: We’ve listed the six best row variations, their benefits, and how to do each.
If you’re serious about building your back, strengthening your other pulling exercises, and bettering your posture, you don’t want to skip these back rows. (Trust us: The key to a v-shaped physique and a snatched waist is just a few rows away.)
In This Article You'll Find:
What Muscles Do Rows Work?
The 5 Best Row Variations For Back Day
What Are The Benefits Of Rows?
Does Grip Position Matter For Row Exercises?
FAQs
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What Muscles Do Rows Work?
If you want to build your back, you can choose between two types of pulls: horizontal pulls (e.g. row variations) and vertical pulls (e.g., pull-ups, chin-ups, and lat pull-downs).
While vertical pulling is pretty lat-dominant, horizontal pulling targets a range of different muscles in the mid and upper back, including the rear delts, rhomboids, and traps.
While you want to include a mixture of both types of pulls in your back workouts, if your goal is to add back muscle size, thickness, and strength, then prioritizing your horizontal pulls—or rows—by progressively overloading will be the most beneficial in building back muscle mass.
So, let’s get into the best row exercises to build your back.
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The 5 Best Row Variations For Back Day
While there were many rowing exercises we could have chosen, we’ve focused on movements that challenge your back by allowing you to lift heavy weights and involve pulling from different angles (diagonally, vertically, and horizontally).
The best types of rows to include in your back workout are:
Barbell Row
Single Arm Dumbbell Row
Inverted Row
Seated Cable Row
Landmine T Bar Row
Upright Row
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1. Barbell Row
One of the best row variations to include in your back workout, the barbell row is a compound exercise that works not only all the muscles of the back but also the forearms and biceps (boosting your grip strength) and requires the hamstrings and core muscles to hold the hip-hinge position. This makes this a great back exercise and an excellent movement for enhancing the stability and strength of the muscles needed for other pulling movements, such as deadlifts.
The downside? It’s quite easy to get the barbell row wrong. If you start using momentum to drive the barbell up, you’re actually taking the work out of your back by getting the legs involved, making the back muscles work far less hard to drive the weight up. If you find yourself doing this, reduce the weight and ensure you perform a smooth, strict row, lifting with your lats and traps.
Here’s how to do the Barbell Row properly:
Load your barbell to an appropriate weight with which you can complete all reps (or start with an empty barbell).
Stand with the bar over midfoot, feet hip-width apart, toes facing forward.
Reach down and grip the bar in an overhand grip, about a thumb distance outside of your legs.
Keeping your arms straight and chest proud, deadlift the bar off the floor a couple of inches to come into a hinge position with your torso at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Your shoulders should sit just in front of the bar, and your gaze should be focused directly
out
on the ground in front of you to keep your neck in line with your spine.
Start the row by pulling the bar into your upper abs, driving your elbows back until the bar touches your torso.
Pause for a second, squeezing your back and shoulder blades together, then slowly lower the bar back to the start position by extending your arms.
2. Single Arm Dumbbell Row
Another great row exercise is the single-arm dumbbell row. This is a great row variation for the back for those who are struggling with their form on the barbell row, but it is also a great way to challenge the body unilaterally. This helps to identify and correct muscular imbalances (which most of us suffer with!), reduce injury risk, and develop overall strength—because, well, we all want an evenly developed back, don’t we?!
If that wasn’t enough, compared to a double-arm dumbbell row, most people find they can actually lift more when only working one arm at a time. More load = the ability to train closer to failure = greater gains. What’s not to love?
How To Do The Single Arm Dumbbell Row:
Set the bench to a flat position. Select a challenging dumbbell weight with which you can perform 8-12 rows. Place the dumbbell on the floor beside the bench.
Place one hand on the bench, placing the corresponding knee up on the bench. Keep the other leg firmly planted on the ground beside the bench and reach down to take the dumbbell in your free hand.
Ensuring you keep a neutral spine, brace your core and bring the dumbbell up, driving your elbow towards your hip.
At the top, pause for a second, focusing on squeezing the muscles in your back.
Slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
Repeat for 8-12 reps, then repeat on the other side.
3. Inverted Row
If you have physique goals of building a bigger back and performance goals of progressing your pull-ups, then the inverted row is the best row variation for you. Also known as the Australian pull up, the inverted row works similar muscles to those used in pull ups, but from a horizontal position. These may be a bodyweight exercise, but if you’re doing them slowly and controlled while focusing on mind-muscle connection, you’ll soon realize they are quite challenging!
Moving your foot position alters the difficulty: Keeping the legs bent and feet directly under the hips makes the inverted row easier, while straightening the legs and bringing the body directly under the bar makes them harder. For even more of a challenge, grab a bench and perform these at an incline with your feet on the bench.
How to do the Inverted Row:
Set up a bar on the squat rack, just below waist height.
Come onto the inside of the squat rack and sit down under the bar. Using an overhand grip, take hold of the bar just outside of shoulder width. Come onto your feet, straightening your legs and your arms.
Bracing your core, retract your shoulders (imagine squeezing an apple between your shoulder blades), and pull your body in towards the bar, driving your elbows back and aiming to touch the bar to your chest.
Pause at the top, squeezing your back muscles, then slowly lower your back to the starting position by extending your arms.
Repeat for 8 to 15 reps.
Tip: Don’t let your hips drop. Your body should be in a straight line the whole time, and your legs shouldn’t move. To achieve this, keep your glutes squeezing throughout.
Just like other back row variations, grip position alters the emphasis of this exercise. Switching from an overhand to an underhand grip will emphasize the biceps and lats more versus the posterior delt and mid-traps [1].
4. Seated Cable Row
This back row variation strengthens the mid back and lats, but the core? Not so much. And surprisingly, there are actually benefits to this: While a barbell row requires a strong core bracing to keep the body stable during the movement, a seated cable row doesn’t, allowing for better isolation of the back muscles and the ability to fully focus on that mind-muscle connection. It might not be as ‘functional,’ but the cable row shouldn't be missed when it comes to building and sculpting those back muscles.
If you’ve ever suffered from lower back pain or struggled to resist your lower back rounded on the barbell row, the seated cable row takes the strain off the lower back and is easier to perform—so there’s much less chance of you getting it wrong and injuring yourself.
How to do the Seated Cable Row:
Attach the V-bar attachment to the cable machine and sit down so both feet are on the pads with a slight bend in the knee.
Hinge forward to grasp the attachment with both hands. Then, sit upright with a neutral spine, ensuring your knees are slightly bent. Your arms should be fully extended in front of you.
Take a breath in and brace your core. Keeping your chest proud, pull the attachment in towards your belly button, driving your elbows backward, squeezing your back and shoulder blades.
Pause for a second, then slowly extend the arms until fully extended.
Repeat for 12-15 reps.
Tip: Resist the urge to ‘swing’ your body and let it be pulled by the cable. Keep your body upright, and focus on driving your elbows back.
A great thing about the Cable Row is that you can try out different attachments to target different parts of the back. For example, taking a wide grip using a straight bar attachment will work the upper back (rhomboids and traps) more, whereas a single arm row using the handle will hit the rear delts.
5. Landmine T Bar Row
If you’re really looking to load your back muscles safely, the landmine t-bar row is a great back row variation. Using a barbell in a landmine attachment, the t-bar row uses a neutral grip (palms facing one another), which is biomechanically the safest position to pull from and is proven to elicit greater posterior deltoid and infraspinatus (part of the rotator cuff muscles) activation than a pronated grip (palms facing down) [2].
It is also a much safer row exercise than a regular barbell row, purely because one end of the bar is fixed to the ground. There is less room for error and less chance of injury, particularly to the spine and lower back. Unlike the barbell row, the t-bar row can easily be adapted into a single-arm exercise, which, as we mentioned above, we love for building evenly developed back strength!
You can really load this exercise up (even more so than your barbell row), allowing you to maximize gains in your back, shoulder, and biceps.
How to do T Bar Rows:
Set the barbell into the landmine hinge, loading the free end of the bar with weight plates.
Straddle the bar with feet shoulder-width apart, facing towards the plates. Take the v-grip attachment and hook it underneath the barbell, just below the plates.
Keeping a flat back, deadlift the bar off the floor, holding the handle. Then, stand fully upright.
Hinge forward until your torso is at a 45-degree angle with the floor. Focus your eyes on the ground in front of you to maintain a neutral spine, and keep your arms straight.
Brace your core and row the handle towards your belly button. Think about driving the elbow towards the hips, squeezing the shoulder blades together, and contracting the back muscles.
Pause, then lower the bar until your arms are fully extended again.
Repeat for the prescribed rep range, then stand tall before deadlifting the bar safely back to the floor.
If you don’t have a barbell landmine attachment, place a sandbag in a corner and wedge one end of the barbell into it. Failing that, wrap a towel around one end of the barbell and then wedge it into a corner.
6. Upright Row
The upright row is a great option if you’re searching for a row variation that pumps up your upper back. Of course, we’re mainly talking about the traps, which help drive the barbell upward, and add that beefy width on top that sculpts your muscle-fit t-shirt or halterneck bralette.
Looks aside, if improving your Olympic Weightlifting is on your radar, the upright row is a great training method for keeping the bar close to your body to generate a powerful turnover. Strength in this exercise will ultimately help you throw more weight above your head, whether a clean and jerk or a snatch.
How to do Upright Rows:
Load a barbell (or EZ bar) of light to moderate weight. Use an overhand grip to grip the bar shoulder-width apart. Keep your arms extended so the bar rests in front of your thighs.
Take a breath in, bracing your core and squeezing your glutes. Drive your elbows up towards the ceiling, bending your arms to bring the bar up to your chin. Keep your shoulders and elbows pinned back.
Once your hands are above your shoulders, pause, squeezing your upper back, then slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position. Repeat for 8-12 reps.
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What Are The Benefits Of Rows?
Rows are an effective way to build back size and strength. As a compound exercise, they hit multiple muscles of the back (along with the rest of the body, such as the biceps, core, and glutes) and allow you to lift heavy, placing the muscle under stress to elicit growth.
Love chest day? We know. However, adding row variations for your back can help balance your training equally by working the opposing muscle groups in your posterior chain.
Rows build grip strength, benefitting other grip-based exercises such as deadlifts and pull-ups.
Retracting your shoulder blades, keeping a neutral spine, and building strength in your back muscles effectively improves posture—helping to undo those hours scrolling on TikTok (at least a little bit, anyway).
Unilateral row variations help to fix muscular imbalances, remedying strength and muscular asymmetry.
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Does Grip Position Matter For Row Exercises?
In short, yes: Grip style influences which parts of your back work harder than others.
When it comes to rows exercises, the type of grip you choose can have a massive impact on the muscles used. There are generally two variables when it comes to row exercise grips: hand position and grip width.
Hand Position For Row Exercises
There are generally three main types of hand positions for rowing exercises. These are:
Pronated (or overhand grip): This is the most common hand position for back rows, with knuckles facing the sky and palms down.
Supinated (or underhand grip): This is the opposite of a pronated grip, in which the knuckles are turned so they face down, palms up.
Neutral: This is where the palms face one another, for example, during a t-bar row or hammer curl.
Generally, an underhand grip works the lats (and biceps) more, whereas an overhand grip prioritizes the upper back.
Grip Width For Row Exercises
There are three main grip widths you can choose from. These are:
Narrow: Shoulder width or closer
Medium: around 1.5 times shoulder width
Wide: 1.5 - 2 times shoulder width
A wider grip often causes the upper arms to flare out more, which can shift tension away from the lats into the smaller muscles of the upper back, ultimately limiting how much weight you can shift. Studies support this, proving that a medium-to-narrow grip generates the most force, ultimately allowing you to live heavier. If lifting heavy to build strength is your goal, consider sticking to a narrow or medium grip width [3].
Play around with your grip position and consider varying it during different workouts to target specific parts of the back.
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FAQs
Can You Build a Big Back With Just Rows?
Row variations are one of the best exercises for building your back. As a compound exercise, back rows target the back muscles, including the lats, traps, rear delts, and rhomboids.
While row exercises alone could build a big back, it is advised to still include some vertical pulling exercises in your back workouts. This will ensure you hit the back muscles from all angles, preventing imbalances and keeping your shoulders healthy.
Use heavy rows as the backbone of your back workout, then move onto pull ups or lat pulldowns in the latter half, where you can get away with doing lighter weights for a higher rep range to fully fatigue the muscles.
How Many Row Exercises Should I Do in My Back Workout?
Choose 1 to 3 rowing exercises for your back workout (less if you pair your back session with another body part, e.g., back and bis or upper body, or more if you’re training only back). You may then want to pick a couple of other back exercises to pair with these.
Interested in learning more about choosing the right workout split? Read our blog, where we uncover the best workout splits for every goal.
What Is An Example Of A Back Workout Including Rows?
An example back workout for hypertrophy, including row exercises, is:
1. Barbell deadlift (6 sets of 8 reps)
2. Barbell bent over row (4 sets of 12 reps)
3. Seated cable row (4 sets of 12 reps)
4A. Lat pulldown (2 sets of 15 reps)
4B. Dumbbell pullover (4 sets of 12 reps)
For access to dozens of back workouts, plus programs from your favorite Gymshark Athletes, visit The Gymshark Training App.
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Ready To Row?
Maybe you really want to accentuate that Gymshark logo on the back of your Power T-Shirt; perhaps you’re seeking a cinched waist to complete your Seamless Zip Tracktop.
Maybe you’re looking to progress your pull-ups, deadlifts, or snatches, or perhaps you’re trying to get rid of that slouched posture. Whatever your motive, if rows aren’t a current focal point in your training, it’s time to rethink your back workouts. Even if they are, it’s time to switch things up and add some different rows into the mix.
Rows don’t need to be complicated. So, add these six rows to your back and bis workout on The Gymshark Training App, and remember to log your weights so you can progressively overload each week! Or, train like your favorite Gymshark Athlete with a preprogrammed training plan.
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References:
Snarr, R., Nickerson, B. and Esco, M. (2014). Effects of hand-grip during the inverted row with and without a suspension device: An electromyographical investigation. European Journal of Sports and Exercise Science, [online] 3(4), pp.1–5. Available at: https://www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com/articles/effects-of-handgrip-during-the-inverted-row-with-and-without-a-suspension-device-an-electromyographical-investigation.pdf.
Schoenfeld, B., Sonmez, R.G.T., Kolber, M.J., Contreras, B., Harris, R. and Ozen, S. (2013). Effect of Hand Position on EMG Activity of the Posterior Shoulder Musculature During a Horizontal Abduction Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(10), pp.2644–2649. doi:https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e318281e1e9.
Andersen, V., Fimland, M.S., Wiik, E., Skoglund, A. and Saeterbakken, A.H. (2014). Effects of Grip Width on Muscle Strength and Activation in the Lat Pull-Down. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(4), pp.1135–1142. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/jsc.0000000000000232.
