Exercise Tutorial: Dumbbell Row
Revised by Stephanie Zaban (Registered Kinesiologist & Masters of Kinesiology)Table of Contents
What Is a Dumbbell Row
The Dumbbell Row is a great exercise for building strength as well as developing the muscles of the upper back and overall body stability. The many variations of a Dumbbell Row make it a very versatile exercise. It is important that you have the proper form when performing a Dumbbell Row.
How to Do Dumbbell Rows
Begin with your feet hip-width apart and dumbbells in each hand. Bend over slightly at the hips, being sure to maintain a straight back and tight core. To initiate the row, pull the dumbbells towards the bottom of your ribcage while keeping your elbows tight to the body. As you lift the dumbbells toward you, remember to squeeze your shoulder blades together to ensure that you are pulling with your back and not your biceps. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat the rowing movement.
Dumbbell Row Muscles Worked
The Dumbbell Row involves many muscles including:
Dumbbell Row Benefits
The Dumbbell Row improves muscular development in the upper body and back. Growth in these areas are essential to balance out pressing movements such as the bench press or push-ups. Furthermore, strengthening the back helps to maintain posture and reduce the risk of injury.
Another benefit of the Dumbbell Row is it can help to stabilize the shoulder joint and core. If done correctly, this exercise will teach you how to move your arm and shoulder blade in unison, which will help prevent instability in the shoulder and thus prevent injury.
Why Is the Dumbbell Row Useful
There are a few ways in which the Dumbbell Row is unique which makes it a versatile exercise to master. For example, we can perform a one-handed row and isolate one side of the body. This can help fix cross-body muscular imbalances and lessen the total load on the spine.
The use of a dumbbell as opposed to the barbell allows for more freedom of movement in the joints. This is more natural and therefore is more forgiving on people with joint pain.
Dumbbell Row Variations
One Arm Dumbbell Row
This variation is best for isolating one of the Latissimus Dorsi at a time. Place the non-active arm straight under the shoulder on a bench and the knee on the same side of the body on the bench below the hip. The other leg will be planted on the ground with the active arm holding the dumbbell. Row as described prior.
The One Arm Dumbbell Row can also be performed standing without a bench.
Standing Dumbbell Row
Unlike the Posted row, grab a weight for each hand and bend at the hips by push your hips back until you are horizontal or as far as your hip mobility allows. Row with a flat torso and maintain strict form without letting the weights disturb your balance. This row is useful for incorporating the entire body and grounding through the feet. It is excellent for building strength in a compromising positioning and is suitable for intermediate lifters.
Seated Dumbbell Row
A Seated Dumbbell Row is performed using a machine. Sit on the bench and place your legs on the pad. Grab the handles, keep your back straight and pull the handle towards your chest. Keep the elbows tight to the body and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you perform the movement.
One Arm Standing Dumbbell Row
This exercise will off-set the load creating a great demand on the core/ obliques. This is a great exercise for functional core and upper back muscular development and demands these muscles to work in unison.
This is challenging and should be reserved for intermediate to advanced lifters. The higher demand for proper form does involve a higher risk for injury to the lower back if proper bracing techniques are not used.
Similarly to the standing row, bend at the hips and row to the hips. However, there will only be a weight in one hand, so it is important to have an even balance in both feet and through the feet themselves.
Bird Dog Row
This row is used to improve the balance and coordination of the entire body. This is an extremely challenging exercise that is useful in fixing cross body imbalances.
On a bench, get into the bird dog position with one hand and the opposite knee on the bench. Ensure that your arm is directly under your shoulder and knee under the hips. Contract your core and extend your remaining leg into the air. With the hand not on the bench, carefully grab the weight and begin to row while maintaining balance. Due to the difficulty of the exercise, a lighter weight should be used.
Seated Band Row
Sit down with your legs extended in front of you. Loop a resistance band around your feet and hold the other end in your hands. Keeping your legs straight (or slightly bent) begin to row by pulling the band towards your chest.
Standing Band Row
Loop a resistance band around a stable support such as a pole. Step back from the pole to create tension in the band. With your knees shoulder width apart and shoulders down and back, begin to row.
Common Mistake When Performing the Dumbbell Row
Many mistakes that can be made when performing the Dumbbell Row. It’s important to practice and master the movement pattern before you start adding heavy loads to avoid injury or ingraining a bad movement pattern.
Common mistakes include:
Outwards elbows
Rounding the back
Locked knees
Rushed repetitions
Elevated shoulders
Luckily, there are simple ways to address these mistakes. Take your time when learning a new movement and focus on how your muscles are doing, you can always add more load later! Always keep your elbows tight to the body and avoid any rounding of the back.
Additionally, keep your shoulders down and back when performing the Dumbbell Row, elevating your shoulders towards the ears will over-activate the Trapezius. Finally, as with most exercises, keep a slight bend in the knees. This will reduce your risk of injury and reduce the stress on your back.