Exercise
Dumbbell Bent Over Wide Row
How to Perform - Dumbbell Bent Over Wide Row
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with arms hanging at your sides, palms facing each other.
- Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your glutes back while maintaining a flat back until your torso is approximately parallel to the floor; keep knees slightly bent for stability.
- Position the dumbbells directly below your shoulders with arms fully extended, ensuring your head remains in a neutral position aligned with your spine.
- Take a deep breath and brace your core, then initiate the movement by pulling the dumbbells outward and up toward your sides while keeping your elbows wide.
- Pull until the dumbbells reach the sides of your chest, focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement while exhaling.
- Maintain a wide elbow position throughout the movement, keeping them elevated and away from your torso in a position that feels like you're trying to wrap them around an imaginary barrel.
- Pause briefly at the top position, maximizing the contraction in your upper back muscles before slowly lowering the weights back to the starting position while inhaling.
- Control the descent completely until your arms are fully extended, maintaining your hinged position with a flat back throughout all repetitions.
Important information
- Keep your back flat and neutral throughout the exercise—never round your spine or let your chest collapse forward.
- Focus on pulling with your back muscles rather than your arms by imagining squeezing an orange between your shoulder blades at the top.
- Maintain a consistent hip hinge position throughout all repetitions; avoid standing up between reps or letting your torso drop lower.
- If you feel the exercise primarily in your biceps rather than your back, reduce the weight and focus on initiating the movement from your shoulder blades.
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The Dumbbell Bent Over Wide Row is a fundamental pulling exercise that has earned its place in countless training programs for both aesthetic and functional benefits. This intermediate movement primarily targets the latissimus dorsi (lats) and posterior deltoids (rear delts), making it invaluable for developing that coveted V-taper physique while strengthening the upper back.
Unlike traditional rows where hands remain closer to the body, the wide grip variation increases the emphasis on the rear deltoids while still providing substantial activation across the entire back musculature. This makes it particularly effective for bodybuilding purposes, as it helps create that three-dimensional look to the shoulders and upper back that's essential for a well-balanced physique.
From a strength perspective, the Dumbbell Bent Over Wide Row offers significant advantages. By strengthening these posterior chain muscles, you're not only building a more impressive back but also creating structural balance that can improve posture and reduce injury risk in other lifts. The stabilization required throughout the movement engages the core and lower back, providing ancillary strength benefits beyond just the primary movers.
For bodybuilders specifically, this exercise provides the detailed muscular development needed for stage-ready conditioning. The wide grip position creates a unique stretch and contraction through the rear deltoids and outer lats that's difficult to replicate with other movements. This targeted stimulus is crucial for developing the separation and definition judges look for in competitive physique sports.
When programmed appropriately—typically for 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions—the Dumbbell Bent Over Wide Row serves as an excellent accessory movement in any strength or hypertrophy-focused routine. Its versatility allows it to complement heavier compound pulls like deadlifts and pull-ups, providing additional volume to these important muscle groups without overtaxing the central nervous system.
FAQ - Dumbbell Bent Over Wide Row
The Dumbbell Bent Over Wide Row primarily targets the latissimus dorsi (lats) and posterior deltoids (rear delts), with significant activation of the rhomboids, trapezius, and teres major. The wide grip specifically increases engagement of the rear deltoids compared to standard rows, helping create that coveted V-taper physique.
Stand facing the cable machine with a staggered stance for stability, keep your upper arms close to your ears throughout the movement, and focus on extending only at the elbow joint while maintaining a stable torso. The movement should come solely from your elbows, not your shoulders or back.
Choose weights that allow you to complete 8-12 controlled repetitions with perfect form—you should feel challenged by the final 2-3 reps but not at the expense of technique. For most intermediate lifters, this typically means lighter weights than you'd use for traditional rows since the wide position creates a mechanical disadvantage.
Yes, you can perform the wide row variation on an incline bench (chest-supported) which removes stress from the lower back while still targeting the same muscle groups. Alternatively, seated cable rows with a wide grip or face pulls offer similar benefits with reduced lower back strain.
Incorporate this exercise 1-2 times weekly as part of your back or pull-focused training days. Program it for 3-4 working sets in the 8-12 repetition range for hypertrophy benefits, allowing 48-72 hours recovery between sessions that target the same muscle groups.
