Barbell row: how to do it
Main muscles: Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps. Helpers: Rear delts (posterior deltoid), Infraspinatus, Erector spinae (lower back). Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Barbell
Reps
8–12
Rest
105 s
Muscle group
Back
How to do it
- Hinge to 45° or lower, knees slightly bent, back flat.
- Pull the bar to the lower abdomen with the elbows travelling along the torso.
- Squeeze the shoulder blades at the top, lower under control.
Common mistakes
Rounded back, jerking the torso up in time with the pull.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
- Secondary
- Rear delts (posterior deltoid), Infraspinatus, Erector spinae (lower back)
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Full body, 3 days3 × 8–12
- Push, pull, legs — 3 days4 × 8–12
- Upper/lower, 4 days4 × 8–12
- 5-day split4 × 8–12
- Strength 5×5, 3 days5 × 5
- Lower body focus, 3 days4 × 8–12
Alternatives: similar exercises
T-bar row
Barbell · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
Seated machine row
Machine · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
Seated cable row
Cable · Rhomboids, Middle traps
One-arm dumbbell row
Dumbbells · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major, Rhomboids
Face pull
Cable · Rear delts (posterior deltoid), Infraspinatus, Middle traps
Reverse pec deck
Machine · Rear delts (posterior deltoid), Rhomboids, Middle traps
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500