How many sets and reps of the helms row should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Three or four sets of 8 to 12 per arm. Because the bench takes the lower back out of the equation, you can train this closer to failure than a bent-over row, so stop with one or two reps left rather than three. When 12 reps are clean on both arms, go up a dumbbell size and drop back to 8.

What can I use instead of an incline bench for the helms row?

The back of a sturdy chair, a countertop, or a stair rail at roughly chest height all work as the support. With no dumbbell, a heavy backpack or a kettlebell rows the same way. In a gym, a chest-supported row machine gives you the same lower-back-free setup on a fixed path.

What is the helms row for, and when should you not use it?

It is a joint-friendly chest-supported back builder for lifters who want lat and mid-back volume without loading the lower back, which makes it a smart pairing on a day you also squat or deadlift. It is not the right lift if you need the bracing and hinge strength a bent-over barbell row develops, and it runs out of road when your gym's dumbbells do.

Intermediate

Helms Row

Named for researcher and coach Eric Helms, this row has you stand behind a steep incline bench with your chest resting on the top of the pad while you row the dumbbells. The supported torso removes most of the lower-back demand of a bent-over row while still allowing a long, free-hanging range and a natural pulling arc. It's a clean, joint-friendly way to build the lats and mid-back with the lower back out of the picture.

Equipment: Bench, Dumbbell
Body part: Back, Lats
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius Middle
Browse by movement: Horizontal Pull

How to do it

1
Set an incline bench upright to roughly 60 to 75 degrees and stand behind it.
2
Hinge forward and rest your chest on the top of the backrest, with your feet planted behind the bench.
3
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, letting them hang with the shoulders reaching down.
4
Row the dumbbells toward your hips by driving the elbows back and up.
5
Squeeze the lat and mid-back at the top, then lower under control to a full stretch.
6
Keep your chest on the pad for every rep until the set is done.

Tips

Let the pad carry the torso so the back can relax into the stretch and pull freely.
Row toward the hip, not the shoulder, to keep the lat loaded.
Keep the hips square and avoid rotating to heave the weight up.
Allow the shoulder blade to reach forward at the bottom of each rep.

Variations

Common mistakes

The bench is set too low, so the top of the pad sits below your chest and the torso ends up held by the low back instead of by the bench.
Standing too far behind the bench forces a long reach, and the dumbbell travels forward as well as up, which strains the front of the shoulder.
The chest slides along the pad as you pull, so the torso moves with you and the row loses the fixed reference point that makes this variation clean.
The working shoulder is held tight at the bottom to stop the dumbbell swinging, so the lat never lengthens and every rep starts short.
Feet stay square and close together, leaving nowhere for the hips to sit, and the hinge flattens out as soon as the weight gets heavy.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the helms row should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Three or four sets of 8 to 12 per arm. Because the bench takes the lower back out of the equation, you can train this closer to failure than a bent-over row, so stop with one or two reps left rather than three. When 12 reps are clean on both arms, go up a dumbbell size and drop back to 8.
What can I use instead of an incline bench for the helms row?: The back of a sturdy chair, a countertop, or a stair rail at roughly chest height all work as the support. With no dumbbell, a heavy backpack or a kettlebell rows the same way. In a gym, a chest-supported row machine gives you the same lower-back-free setup on a fixed path.
What is the helms row for, and when should you not use it?: It is a joint-friendly chest-supported back builder for lifters who want lat and mid-back volume without loading the lower back, which makes it a smart pairing on a day you also squat or deadlift. It is not the right lift if you need the bracing and hinge strength a bent-over barbell row develops, and it runs out of road when your gym's dumbbells do.

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