Bentover Barbell Row

Breakdown:

Bentover Barbell Rows can be done with either a pronated (palms up) or supinated (palms down) grip. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart and the bar in the middle of your feet, bring your shins slightly forward to the bar and then bend over while keeping your back straight until you can reach the bar. Do all this while keeping your shoulder blades back so that your upper back does not hunch over. Grip the bar just wider than shoulder width. Engage the lower back and glutes to bring the bar up just below the knees. From there, squeeze your back and think about pulling the bar to your sternum with your elbows. The less you think about pulling the bar up with your arms, the more your back will be engaged. For best results, pause for a second at the top and then slowly lower the bar back down below your knees. The main difference between supinated and pronated grip here is that pronated (reverse grip) shifts the emphasis of the lift towards your lats. Additionally, this lift can be done with dumbbells instead, however, due to the fact that dumbbells require more stability because they are not connected, you may be more likely to be pulling more with your arms than your lats.