Bodyweight Squatting Row
Master the bodyweight squatting row to strengthen your back, core, and legs simultaneously.
Description
A compound exercise that combines a squat with a row. It targets the legs, back, and arms while requiring only your body weight and a resistance band.
How to Do Bodyweight Squatting Row
- 1Setup
Find a sturdy horizontal bar or edge (like a sturdy table) about hip to waist height. Lie on your back underneath it, grasping the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- 2Setup
Extend your legs out in front of you, heels on the ground, so your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Engage your core to keep your body rigid.
- 3
Initiate the movement by simultaneously pulling your chest towards the bar and bending your knees, bringing your feet flat on the floor as if performing a deep squat.
- 4
Continue pulling until your chest is close to the bar and your hips are fully flexed into a deep squat position, maintaining a strong, stable core.
- 5
Slowly reverse the movement by extending your arms and pushing your feet forward, returning to the starting position with your body in a straight line.
Tips
- Maintain a Plank: Keep your core tight throughout the entire movement, from your head to your heels, to ensure a straight body and prevent hip sag or arching.
- Controlled Descent: Control the eccentric (lowering) phase, resisting gravity as you extend your arms and legs, to maximize muscle engagement and build strength.
- Gaze Forward: Keep your head in a neutral position with your gaze directed towards the anchor point or slightly above it to maintain spinal alignment.
- Full Range of Motion: Aim to bring your chest as close to the bar as possible while simultaneously achieving a deep squat, ensuring maximum muscle activation in both the back and legs.
Common Mistakes
- ×Sagging Hips: Avoid letting your hips drop towards the floor during the pull; instead, engage your glutes and core to maintain a straight, rigid body line throughout the movement.
- ×Using Momentum: Do not use jerky movements or swing your body to complete the rep; instead, perform the exercise with controlled, deliberate muscle contractions.
- ×Incomplete Squat: Failing to achieve a deep squat position during the pull means you're not fully engaging your lower body; ensure your hips drop as low as possible while your feet are flat.
Variations

Bodyweight Standing Row
Strengthen your back and biceps with the bodyweight standing row, a versatile exercise using just your body weight to build pulling strength and improve

Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row
Strengthen your back and improve posture with the Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row. This exercise builds unilateral back strength and core stability.

Bodyweight Standing Close-grip Row
Strengthen your back and arms with the Bodyweight Standing Close-grip Row. This effective exercise uses your own body weight to build upper body pulling

Bodyweight Standing Close-grip One Arm Row
Master the bodyweight standing close-grip one-arm row to build a strong, sculpted back and powerful biceps. Enhance upper body strength and posture.
Related Exercises

Rear Delt Row with Bed Sheet
Strengthen your rear deltoids and upper back with the Rear Delt Row using a bed sheet.

Ring High Row
Strengthen your entire back and biceps with the Ring High Row. This challenging bodyweight exercise builds upper body pulling strength and stability.

Inverted Wide Row
Strengthen your back and shoulders with the inverted wide row. This bodyweight exercise builds upper body pulling strength and improves posture.

Inverted Row with Straps
Strengthen your back and biceps with the inverted row using straps. This compound pull exercise builds upper body strength and core stability effectively.

Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
The ultimate full-body dumbbell complex combining a push-up, row, clean, and overhead press in one flow.

Dumbbell Renegade Row to Squat
Build total-body strength with this demanding complex combining renegade rows and explosive squats.
Track Bodyweight Squatting Row in your workouts
Log sets, reps, and weight. See your progress over time.
Get Ellim — Free