9 Best Row Exercises For A Thicker Back And Bigger Biceps

Muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, lower back, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, forearms, core

Why do it: Barbell bent-over rows work your full body. Because of this, you can add heavier loads to the bar than you can with exercises such as one-arm dumbbell rows and incline bench rows, both of which you’ll see below. Regularly doing them will also improve your grip strength. 

How to Do it: 

1. Place a loaded barbell on the ground.
2. Step underneath the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart, similar to how you would with a deadlift.
3. Squat down to take hold of the barbell with an overhand grip (palms facing the floor). 
4. Deadlift the bar to your pelvic region.
5. Brace your core and push your hips back so the bar moves toward your knees. 
6. Row the bar toward your abdominal region, keeping your elbows tucked into your body. 
7. Pause momentarily, then slowly lower the barbell to the starting position.
8. Continue for the desired number of reps.

Modifications

• Dial it back: Use dumbbells with a neutral grip if you’re uncomfortable training with a bar, and place less stress on your wrists.
• Make it harder: Try underhand or wide-grip barbell rows. The former hits the biceps and lower back to a greater extent, whereas the latter emphasizes the delts and trapezius.

Expert tip: To avoid injury, ensure that you have a slight bend in your knees and a neutral spine.

Muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, lower back, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, forearms, core

Why do it: A 2016 study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research¹ found that inverted row exercises activated the latissimus dorsi, upper trapezius, middle trapezius, lower trapezius, and biceps brachii at “levels conducive to strengthening.” You can also do inverted rows from nearly anywhere since they only require your body weight.

How to Do it: 

1. Adjust a Smith machine or the J-hooks on one of the best squat racks so the bar is at hip height.
2. Sit down on the floor underneath the barbell.
3. Grab the bar with an overhand grip. You’ll want your arms to be straight and perpendicular to the bar.
4. Walk your feet out until you’re comfortable (more on this below).
5. Engage your core and pull your chest toward the bar without using your lower body.
6. Hold before returning to the original position.
7. Keep going for repetitions.

Modifications

• Dial it back: Start with your feet closer to your body so there’s a bend in your knees. 
• Make it harder: The straighter your legs, the more difficult the exercise. You can also use rings instead of a bar to add an extra balance challenge.

Expert tip: You’ll want a straight line between your head and toes, and your hips mustn’t drop when you get tired.

Muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, biceps, forearms, core

Why do it: Single-arm dumbbell rows are a unilateral exercise that can help strengthen and correct muscular imbalances. You may also find that holding the dumbbell with a neutral grip places less strain on the wrists than other row exercises.

How to Do it: 

1. Put your right knee and right hand on a flat bench. Stabilize yourself using your body weight.
2. Place your left foot flat on the floor, ensuring that your toes are facing forward and there’s a slight bend in your left knee.
3. Pick the dumbbell off the floor with your left hand. You’ll want your left arm to be straight.
4. Row the dumbbell toward your left hip, pausing at the top.
5. Lower the dumbbell back to the hanging position in a controlled manner.
6. Repeat for reps, then switch to the opposite side.

Expert tip: Pick a weight that allows you to get a full range of motion—anything less, and you’re losing out on potential gains.

Muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, lower back, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, forearms, core

Why do it: You’ll activate similar muscle groups to bent-over rows (which you saw above), but the main difference is that the bar stays on a fixed path because you use a landmine setup. You also use your core to a lesser extent, which may result in you lifting heavier loads.

How to Do it: 

1. Place one end of a barbell into a landmine base.
2. Add weight plates to the other end of the Olympic bar.
3. Stand in a wide stance facing away from the landmine attachment. You’ll want the bar to be between your legs.
4. Squat down to take hold of the attachment if you’re using one. If not, wrap both hands around the bar, one on top of the other.
5. Lift the bar off the floor slightly, ensuring that your arms are extended.
6. Lift your chest up and tense your core before pulling the bar toward your abdominal region.
7. Pause, then lower the bar to the starting position.
8. Row for reps.

Expert tip: The V-bar attachment is the most common used for T-bar rows but experiment with different attachments to find one that works.

RELATED: Best Olympic Bar

Muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, biceps, forearms, core

Why do it: I love incline bench rows (aka chest-supported rows) because they isolate your lats and upper back muscles. You’ll need to decrease the load you lift, but there’s no way you can do cheat reps because your chest is firm against the bench throughout.

How to Do it: 

1. Place a pair of dumbbells on either side of an incline bench.
2. Sit down on the bench with your chest against the backrest.
3. Grab the dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and arms straight.
4. Retract your shoulder blades, then row the dumbbells to your hips. You’ll want to lead with your elbows.
5. Lower the weights to the original position in a controlled manner.
6. Keep going for the desired number of repetitions.

Expert tip: If you’re dropping your dumbbells too quickly at the end of the movement or can’t hold at the top, you need to lower your weight.

RELATED: Best Dumbbells

Muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, lower back, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, forearms, core

Why do it: You won’t be able to lift as heavy on Pendlay rows as you can with bent-over and T-bar rows (both of which I shared above). However, because the bar comes to a stop after every rep, you’ll improve your explosive power, which can help with the clean and jerk and snatch exercise.

How to Do it: 

1. Place a loaded barbell on the ground.
2. Step underneath the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart. You’ll want the barbell to be covering your shoelaces.
3. Bend your knees slightly, then hinge at your hips so your chest moves toward the floor. 
4. Hold the bar with an overhand grip. Your hands should be positioned slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
5. Brace your core, engage your lats, and pull the bar toward your abdominal region.
6. Return the bar to the floor slowly so it’s at a dead stop.
7. Repeat for reps.

Modifications

• Dial it back: Use two kettlebells instead of a barbell to reduce your range of motion.
• Make it harder: Stand on a weight plate or a raised platform to do a deficit Pendlay row, helping to maximize your muscles’ time under tension (TUT).

Expert tip: You’ll need to keep your chest parallel to the floor to make the most out of this movement.

RELATED: Best Weight Plates

Muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, lower back, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, forearms, core

Why do it: TRX rows have similar benefits to inverted rows (seen above). However, I prefer TRX rows because you can have a neutral rather than an overhand grip. You may find that regularly doing them strengthens your pull-ups, too.

How to Do it: 

1. Adjust the TRX so the handles are at chest height.
2. Grasp the handles and take a step or two backward to create tension.
3. Lean back to a comfortable level (more on this below), ensuring your arms are straight.
4. Engage your core, keep your head neutral, and pull yourself toward the ceiling. You’ll want to keep your elbows close to your body.
5. Hold for a moment, then lower yourself down with control.
6. Row for repetitions.

Modifications

• Dial it back: Start with your body more vertically to make the exercise easier.
• Make it harder: Step your feet forward and get your body closer to parallel to the ground.

Expert tip: If the above is too easy, even with your body parallel to the floor, try single-arm TRX rows instead.

Muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, biceps, forearms, core

Why do it: Training with cables has multiple benefits, including safety, versatility, and constant tension on the muscles. If you’re new to training or uncomfortable with the barbell and dumbbell row exercises on this list, adding the seated cable row to your routine is a fantastic idea.

How to Do it: 

1. Select the appropriate weight and attachment.
2. Adjust the pulley so it’s at chest height when you’re seated on a bench or the ground.
3. Sit upright with your feet on the pads and a slight bend in your knees.
4. Grab the attachment, ensuring that your arms are extended.
5. Retract your shoulder blades, lift your chest up, and row the attachment into your abdominal region.
6. Pause before slowly returning the attachment to the starting position.
7. Continue for reps.

Expert tip: Try different attachments (V-bar, straight bar, wide bar, or rope) to work your back muscles in slightly different ways.

Muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, lower back, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, forearms, core

Why do it: Like the one-arm dumbbell row, Meadows rows are a unilateral exercise that can address bilateral deficits². Grabbing the end of the barbell where it’s the thickest also helps improve your grip strength.

How to Do it: 

1. Place a barbell into a landmine attachment. Add weight plates to the other end.
2. Stand perpendicular to the bar, with your left foot in front of your right foot. 
3. Bend forward and grab the end of the bar with your right hand. Adjust your feet if necessary.
4. Place your left forearm on your left quadricep to help with stability.
5. Tense your core and pull the bar toward your right hip and hold at the top of the movement.
6. Return the bar to the floor in a controlled manner.
7. Repeat for repetitions, then switch to the other side.

Expert tip: Only your arm should move during this exercise—the rest of your body must stay fixed.