Dumbbell Bent over Row

Description

How to Do Dumbbell Bent over Row

1. 1
   Setup

   Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).

2. 2
   Setup

   Hinge at your hips, pushing your glutes back, keeping a slight bend in your knees and a neutral spine until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Let the dumbbells hang straight down, arms extended.

3. 3

   Initiate the pull by retracting your shoulder blades, then drive your elbows up towards the ceiling, pulling the dumbbells towards your lower rib cage.

4. 4

   Squeeze your back muscles at the top of the movement, ensuring your elbows stay relatively close to your body and move past your torso.

5. 5

   Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position with control, fully extending your arms and allowing your shoulder blades to protract slightly.

Tips

• Maintain a neutral spine throughout the entire movement to protect your lower back and ensure proper muscle engagement.
• Focus on initiating the pull with your back muscles, imagining you're pulling with your elbows rather than just your biceps.
• Control the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement to maximize time under tension and promote muscle growth.
• Keep your core braced tightly to stabilize your torso and prevent rocking or swinging during the repetitions.

Common Mistakes

• ×Rounding the back compromises spinal integrity; fix this by actively maintaining a neutral spine and engaging your core throughout the lift.
• ×Using momentum to lift the weights reduces targeted muscle engagement; fix this by using controlled movements and a weight you can manage with strict form.
• ×Flaring elbows out too wide can put undue stress on shoulders; fix this by keeping your elbows relatively close to your body, pulling them towards your hips.