It’s no secret that constructing a well-developed back entails loads of pulling exercises and enough protein to support your strength- and muscle-building efforts. While there are different routes you’ll be able to take to realize that sculpted look, one of the best back workouts revolve around a classic pull-day staple: the row. 

The variety of row variations to select from may feel overwhelming, but you’ll be able to’t go unsuitable with two of essentially the most effective options: the chest-supported row and the bent-over row. But what reigns supreme within the battle between a bench-based back builder and a freestanding barbell movement?

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We’ll dive deeper into their differences and similarities, break down learn how to perform each safely, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each so you’ll be able to get essentially the most bang on your buck during your next pull-day session. 

Table of Contents

Key Differences 

• The bent-over row involves the complete posterior chain and requires significant core activation. Then again, the chest-supported row recruits your upper-back muscles while mostly removing your lower half from the equation.
• The chest-supported row is mostly safer for each beginners and advanced lifters for the reason that weight bench provides stability and protection on your spine. Meanwhile, the dearth of assistance with a bent-over row can limit the user’s ability to properly engage the back since they’re directing effort to stabilize their body in a bent-over position.
• Unlike the chest-supported row, the bent-over version directly carries over to other movements just like the deadlift and good mornings, because it teaches you learn how to hip-hinge accurately. 

[Related: Lat Pulldown vs. Pull-Up: The Battle for a Bigger Back]

Key Similarities

• Each row variations primarily work the latissimus dorsi (lats), making either movement a incredible selection on your back or pull-day workout. 
• Your grip strength shall be put to the test with each exercise. Rowing will show you how to develop a stronger grip (and forearms), which may repay when performing exercises like cleans, snatches, and shrugs.  (In case you’re attempting to goal your back muscles and your grip strength is a limiting factor, take a look at our list of one of the best lifting straps.)
• The bent-over row and the chest-supported row may help add thickness and overall size to your upper- and mid-back, especially if you happen to vary your grip to focus on specific areas. 

Muscles Worked 

Just like the bent-over row, the chest-supported row involves multiple upper-back muscles — primarily the latissimus dorsi (lats), trapezius (traps), and rhomboids. Your lats, that are the biggest back muscles, are the foremost mover during any row variation. Meanwhile, your traps help stabilize your scapula, and the rhomboids play a crucial role in shoulder stabilization. 

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Along with your lats, traps, and rhomboids, your posterior deltoids — the back shoulder muscles that attach to your shoulder blades — also act as prime movers in the course of the bent-over row and the chest-supported row. Plus, each row variations involve ample biceps activation, as this two-headed muscle assists with flexing your forearm and elbow. As you retract your shoulder blades during a row, your biceps help your arm bend at the highest of the movement. You may as well increase the stimulus by utilizing a supinated (palms-up) grip. 

Nonetheless, the bent-over row involves several muscle groups and joint structures that the chest-supported version doesn’t. Most notably, this multi-joint movement recruits your hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors to forestall any rounding as you pull the barbell toward your body from a hip-hinge position. Overall, your legs and core should put in an equal amount of effort as your upper body to perform this exercise safely and effectively.

[Related: What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work? Get More Out of This Timeless Exercise]

When to Do the Chest-Supported Row 

Sometimes, selecting a chest-supported row simply makes more sense. Whether you’re latest to lifting, healing from an injury, or trying to goal specific parts of your back, listed here are just a few scenarios where a chest-supported row works best:

You’re a Beginner

Just began strength training? Slightly than risk getting hurt performing a more technical movement, follow the version higher fitted to beginners. The chest-supported row teaches you learn how to engage your core and excellent your pulling technique from a seated position that keeps your spine stable. 

While you’ll have to start out with lighter dumbbells, you’ll be able to quickly increase the load if you happen to remain consistent together with your approach. Plus, the chest-supported row gives you a likelihood to learn the way changing variables akin to your grip, the angle of the load bench, and time under tension can affect your results. For instance, an overhand (pronated) grip will result in more rear delt and upper-back activation since your elbows come out out of your body. An underhand (supinated) grip keeps the elbows closer, forcing your traps and biceps to step up their game.

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You’re Working Your Way Back From Injury

In case you’ve been sidelined by a back injury and are able to resume training, the chest-supported row is a great selection. Using a bench for support decreases the pressure in your spine and core, allowing you to give attention to performing the movement using precise technique. 

Start with lighter weights to set yourself up for long-term success by rebuilding your strength, stamina, and confidence one rep at a time. 

You’re Chasing Bodybuilding or Physique Goals

If you would like to develop a more defined, muscular back, the chest-supported row enables you to goal your lats, rhomboids, and traps without your lower back and core being a limiting factor. In any case, sustaining a hinged position while rowing a heavy load may be very tiring.

From there, you’ll be able to tailor the exercise to support your physique goals by going heavier, altering the tempo, changing the incline angle, or experimenting with different set and rep ranges. Either way, the chest-supported row stands out as an obvious selection if you would like to isolate certain muscles on back day.

When to Do the Bent-Over Row

There’s a reason the bent-over row is near the highest of each best back exercise list: it produces results. From athletes aiming to get more explosive to individuals who must develop stronger posterior chains to lifters searching for a solution to grow an even bigger back, listed here are situations where you’ll be able to make the bent-over row the star of the show.

You’re Training for Olympic Weightlifting or Powerlifting

All strength and power athletes should include a bent-over row variation of their routine. Olympic weightlifters can profit from this exercise by utilizing it as a primer for the clean and jerk, which requires explosive movement and a powerful upper back. 

Plus, powerlifters who need to increase their deadlift PR may utilize the bent-over row to assist reach that goal. Getting comfortable with hinging on the hips, mastering learn how to brace your core, and learning learn how to fully engage your lats and other back muscles will only show you how to perform even higher when it’s time to step as much as the barbell. 

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Moreover, bent-over rows can provide you with a leg up on the squat and the bench press. Developing your traps will create a stronger shelf for the bar to rest on — a serious advantage when squatting heavy loads. When it’s time to bench, having a powerful upper back will let you maintain a greater arch and remain stable as you lower the bar toward your chest.       

You Need to Strengthen Your Posterior Chain

A weak posterior chain can contribute to low back pain and poor posture. Even though it’s a little bit of a double-edged sword, the bent-over row can show you how to in that area by strengthening key muscles like your spinal erectors and hamstrings — each of that are recruited heavily to stay in a powerful hip-hinge position. 

In keeping with a 2021 review on treatment for chronic low back pain, 12-16 weeks of posterior chain resistance training had a significantly greater effect than general exercise on pain, level of disability, and muscular strength. (1) So, when you shouldn’t attempt to max out on the bent-over row if you happen to’re attempting to construct a healthy posterior chain, you’ll be able to actually incorporate it right into a program that features fundamental core exercises like dead bugs, bird dogs, and planks. 

You Need to Add Overall Size and Strength

If growing a thick, dense wall of muscle along your back matters most, make the bent-over row the foremost lift in your pull day. A 2009 study comparing three row variations found that this exercise produced large activation symmetrically from the upper to lower back, supporting the thought of the bent-over row as a go-to movement for adding size and strength. (2) Overall, a compound movement will involve more muscle engagement than an isolation exercise just like the chest-supported row. 

Find out how to Do the Chest-Supported Row

To perform a chest-supported row, you have to a pair of dumbbells and an adjustable weight bench. Changing the incline level (in addition to your grip) can alter the way you attack your back workout by stimulating specific muscles. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to executing the chest-supported row with the proper technique.

1. Set your bench to a 45-degree angle. Grab your dumbbells and lie chest-down on the bench with the weights by your sides and your palms facing inward. 
2. Press your feet into the ground, engage your glutes, and brace your core to create tension throughout your torso.
3. While maintaining a neutral spine and head angle, retract your shoulder blades and pull your elbows toward the ceiling until they form a 90-degree angle.
4. Squeeze your upper-back muscles at the highest of the movement for one to 2 seconds, then rigorously lower the weights back to the starting position. Keep consistent tension in your abs to guard your lower back as you complete your set.

[Related: How to Do the Pendlay Row]

Find out how to Do the Bent-Over Row

The bent-over row requires just two pieces of apparatus: a barbell and weight plates. If possible, use high-quality bumper plates so that you don’t should worry about noise issues. While you may also perform this exercise with a pair of dumbbells, this breakdown covers learn how to do the standard barbell bent-over row. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide that may show you how to master the nuances of this compound movement:

1. Stand behind a barbell together with your feet shoulder-width apart. 
2. Hinge on the hips by keeping your back straight and bending your knees barely.
3. Grab the bar together with your hands barely wider than your shoulders using a pronated (palms-down) grip. 
4. Engage your glutes and core, deadlift the bar off the ground, and lean forward to form a 45-degree angle.
5. While keeping a neutral spine, pull your elbows back until the bar touches your midsection. 
6. Hold the contraction for one second before slowly lowering the barbell until your arms are prolonged and the load plates are only above the bottom. 

Advantages of the Chest-Supported Row

The chest-supported row offers loads of intriguing potential for lifters trying to construct a powerful, defined back. Let’s examine just a few key advantages of performing this exercise.

Added Stability

The largest good thing about the chest-supported row is undoubtedly having the flexibility to coach your back with the built-in stability of a bench. That is great for each beginners and advanced lifters who want to succeed in their strength and hypertrophy goals without having to learn a sophisticated technique or worry nearly as much about core or lower-back limitations.

Takes Advantage of Unilateral Training

Versus bilateral exercises just like the barbell bench press or the back squat, the chest-supported row enables you to attack all sides independently. Unilateral training is useful in that it lets you address any imbalances and removes the potential of one side shouldering more of the load. Supersetting the chest-supported row with one other unilateral exercise like single-arm lat pulldowns can take your back workout to a different level. 

Easier Recovery

The less-taxing nature of the chest-supported row makes it easier to get better during and after your workout. This movement doesn’t demand nearly the identical intensity or overall muscle recruitment as a compound exercise just like the bent-over row.

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It is best to find a way to catch your breath, reset, and be able to go for no less than just a few sets before moving on to the subsequent exercise.

Cons of the Chest-Supported Row

Although added stability and easier recovery stand out as positives, there are some drawbacks to the chest-supported row, including:

Requires More Equipment

Unfortunately, if you happen to don’t have an adjustable weight bench, you won’t find a way to perform the chest-supported row. Plus, you wish a pair of dumbbells (or kettlebells) that provide enough of a challenge. Without the requisite tools, you should have to show to other back exercises that don’t require a bench (akin to the inverted row) or will be performed without equipment (like Superman holds). 

Less Overall Muscle Engagement

There’s a tradeoff for more stability: less muscle engagement. Since you’re seated together with your chest against the bench, your core and legs get a little bit of a break. So although the chest-supported row works well for hitting your lats, rhomboids, traps, and biceps, it falls in need of the bent-over row in what number of muscle groups it recruits.

Can’t Go as Heavy

The awkward body position of the chest-supported row could make it tougher to leap up in weight. Working at the usual 45-degree angle gives you sufficient range of motion to tug and squeeze, but only to a certain degree. Even if you happen to’re an experienced lifter with a solid strength base, you’ll quickly realize it could be difficult to manage heavier dumbbells and squeeze out clean reps. 

Advantages of the Bent-Over Row

Whether you’re a bodybuilder, strength athlete, or general gym goer, the bent-over row presents a wealth of potential muscle- and strength-building advantages. 

Carryover to Other Pulling Exercises

Whether it’s pull-ups, deadlifts, or the cable seated row, you’ll be able to put yourself in a greater position to perform well at other pulling exercises via the bent-over row. Constructing strength and endurance in your lats and traps will carry over to muscle-building exercises like dumbbell pullovers, lat pulldowns, and face pulls.

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Plus, training your glutes, hamstrings, and core to handle a rowing motion from a bent-over position gives you a stronger trunk to handle whatever deadlift variation you like. 

Compound Movement

In keeping with a 2017 study on resistance training modalities, multi-joint exercises are simpler for improving muscle strength and maximal oxygen consumption than single-joint ones. (3) That makes something just like the barbell bent-over row an amazing bang-for-your-buck selection on your training protocol. Not only does it construct upper-body strength, however it also stimulates your abdominal and leg muscles from start to complete. 

Improved Posture

A sedentary lifestyle can result in slouched shoulders, weak spinal erectors, and disengaged glutes. The bent-over row may help counteract that by allowing you to strengthen your posterior chain. As you progress, you shouldn’t be surprised to see an improvement in your posture and a discount in lower back issues.

[Related: 6 Deadlift Benefits Everyone Should Know About]

Cons of the Bent-Over Row

Is the bent-over row the proper pull-day movement for you? Before you pencil it into your program, listed here are some cons to think about. 

Injury Risk

Although it could be great for developing explosive power and upper-back strength, the bent-over row will be dangerous if done incorrectly. Maintaining proper form could be a major challenge, as you should cohesively coordinate multiple muscle groups and joint complexes to let you hold a loaded hip-hinge position all through your set.

Only a slight slippage in form — akin to rounding your lower back or barely shifting your hips to at least one side — can result in a strained muscle, ligament, or more severe injury. Whether you repeatedly perform the bent-over row incorrectly or you only lose focus for one rep, you run the chance of experiencing a setback that would derail your training plans. 

Grip Strength Limitations

In case you’re taking the glass-half-empty view, certainly one of the drawbacks to the bent-over row is that your grip strength is a limiting factor. In case your forearms and hands can’t handle holding, lifting, and lowering a loaded barbell repeatedly, you’ll struggle to execute the movement effectively or efficiently. This may also be the case with the chest-supported row if you happen to use heavy dumbbells.

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You possibly can overcome this problem by consistently working on grip strength exercises or using lifting straps for support. While the previous will show you how to improve at bent-over rows and other lifts that require good grip strength, the latter will let you’re employed with heavier loads by keeping your hands securely fastened to the barbell. 

Demanding on Lower Back and Core

Compound exercises just like the bent-over row essentially put your entire body to the test. While there are actually advantages to recruiting multiple muscle groups in a single movement, your training session can quickly go south if you happen to don’t have a well-developed core. 

Hinging on the hips and remaining in that near-horizontal position while pulling the load vertically places significant stress in your lower back and abdominal muscles. Once fatigue sets in, you might struggle to maintain the proper form or should put down the barbell entirely. 

Using Momentum

While the chest-supported row forces you to make use of proper form by keeping your chest against the bench, the freestanding position of the bent-over row opens the door to using momentum to lift the load. In case you go too heavy, get fatigued, or lose focus, it’s easy to cheat the following reps by swinging or jerking the barbell moderately than maintaining tension and executing strict, controlled reps. Not only will this limit the effectiveness of the exercise, however it could also result in an injury. 

Row Till You Grow

The battle between the chest-supported row vs. the bent-over row doesn’t necessarily have a winner or a loser. Each exercises offer unique advantages that may assist with sculpting the back of your dreams. At the identical time, there are notable differences between the 2 rowing variations that could make one or the opposite a more logical selection based in your individual goals. 

Ultimately, your best bet is to incorporate each the chest-supported and bent-over versions in your workout plan. That way you’ll be able to pack serious size in your frame, develop higher posterior chain and grip strength, and reap all of the rewards of rowing — one pull at a time.

FAQs

Is a bent-over row higher than a chest-supported row?

Because each variation brings unique advantages, it’s tough to say one is inherently higher. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re focused on gaining essentially the most size and strength, the bent-over row is the superior selection. That said, the chest-supported row continues to be useful for training your upper- and mid-back and is mostly easier to perform, making it a solid option for beginners. 

Is the chest-supported row similar to the incline row?

Despite their name differences, each describe the identical exercise. Whether you call it a chest-supported row or an incline row, you have to an adjustable weight bench and a pair of dumbbells to support your back-building efforts. 

What’s one of the best angle for bent-over rows?

The best body position for a bent-over row calls for a forward lean of about 45 degrees. Although you’ll be able to go slightly further (around 60 degrees is my preference), hinging your hips to 90 degrees will put more stress in your posterior chain and should make the exercise tougher to perform repeatedly.

References

1. Tataryn, N., Simas, V., Catterall, T., Furness, J., & L. Keogh, J. W. (2021). Posterior-Chain Resistance Training In comparison with General Exercise and Walking Programmes for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain within the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Evaluation. Sports Medicine – Open, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-021-00306-w
2. Fenwick CM, Brown SH, McGill SM. Comparison of various rowing exercises: trunk muscle activation and lumbar spine motion, load, and stiffness. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Mar;23(2):350-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181942019. PMID: 19197209.
3. Paoli, A., Gentil, P., Moro, T., Marcolin, G., & Bianco, A. (2017). Resistance Training with Single vs. Multi-joint Exercises at Equal Total Load Volume: Effects on Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Muscle Strength. Frontiers in Physiology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2017.01105

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