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Renegade Row

Holding a plank on two dumbbells and rowing one at a time turns a back exercise into a brutal anti-rotation core drill, since your abs and obliques must stop your hips from twisting as the load shifts. It builds the lats and mid-back while carrying over strongly to trunk stability and athletic control. It is an advanced move that demands a solid plank and a strong row before you add it.

Equipment
Dumbbell
Body part
Abs, Back
Type
Functional, Strength
Browse by movement
Anti-Rotation, Horizontal Pull
Muscles worked
Target
Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius Middle
Secondary
Abdominal External Oblique, Deltoid Posterior, Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head, Upper Rectus Abdominals
Tertiary
Infraspinatus, Lower Rectus Abdominals, Trapezius Lower

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set two hex dumbbells shoulder-width apart and take a high-plank position gripping the handles.

  2. 2

    Widen your feet for a stable base and brace your core so your body forms a straight line.

  3. 3

    Shift your weight slightly and row one dumbbell to your ribs while the other hand supports you.

  4. 4

    Keep your hips square to the floor as you pull; don't let them rotate open.

  5. 5

    Lower the dumbbell under control and repeat on the other side.

  6. 6

    Alternate arms while holding the plank tight throughout the set.

Tips

  • Set your feet wide; a narrow stance makes the anti-rotation demand nearly impossible to hold.
  • Use hex dumbbells so the base doesn't roll, and pick a moderate load you can row cleanly.
  • Keep your hips from seesawing by squeezing your glutes and abs the whole time.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The hips rotate open toward the rowing side the instant the dumbbell leaves the floor, the exact fault the wide stance and bracing are there to prevent.
  • Round dumbbells instead of hex ones let the base roll under the support hand mid-row, turning a core stability drill into a balance emergency.
  • Rushing the tempo to get through both sides faster turns the plank into a series of quick lunges at the shoulders instead of a held, stable base.
  • The support-side elbow locks out completely and lets the shoulder sink, dropping the chest toward the floor on the side that is supposed to be holding steady.
  • Loading dumbbells heavy enough to strain the row skips past the actual limiter here, which is almost always how long the plank position can stay square, not how much the arm can pull.

Frequently asked

What is a sensible starting load for the renegade row, and what should I be able to do first?
Start with a pair of light hex dumbbells for 6 to 8 reps per side, since keeping the hips square matters far more here than how much weight moves. You should already hold a strong plank for 30 to 45 seconds and row cleanly with a single dumbbell before combining both into the renegade row.
What can I use instead of dumbbells for the renegade row?
Kettlebells work the same anti-rotation row and their flat-bottomed base is actually a bit more stable to plank on than a round-ended dumbbell. If you don't have either, holding a strong plank alone and adding single-arm dumbbell rows on a separate set trains the two components apart until you're ready to combine them.
What is the renegade row good for, and when should I skip it?
It turns a back row into a serious anti-rotation core exercise, useful for lifters who already have a solid plank and want to add real trunk stability work to a pulling day. Skip it if your plank breaks down before eight reps per side, since the exercise stops training the core the moment the hips start twisting.

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