Barbell Row to Chest

Technique

How to perform Barbell Row to Chest

1. Stand with your feet hip‑ to shoulder‑width apart and a loaded barbell on the floor in front of you.
2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips until your torso is as close to parallel with the ground as you can, keeping your back flat. Grasp the bar with a pronated (palms‑down) grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Let the bar hang at arm’s length beneath your shoulders while bracing your core and keeping your head in line with your spine. This is your starting position.
3. Exhale as you pull the bar toward your mid‑chest/nipple line, flaring your elbows out at about a 45‑degree angle and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Focus on lifting with your upper‑back and rear‑delt muscles rather than using momentum.
4. Pause briefly when the bar reaches your chest, maintaining a tight core and stable torso.
5. Inhale as you lower the bar back to the starting position in a slow, controlled manner, fully extending your arms without rounding your back.
6. Repeat for the prescribed repetitions, keeping your torso angle constant and avoiding any jerking or swinging throughout the set.

GymDaze demonstration

Watch Barbell Row to Chest

Programming relevance

Muscles involved

Primary targets: Rhomboid Major, Posterior Deltoid, Trapezius.