Intermediate

Wide-Grip Barbell Row

Taking a grip well outside shoulder width and rowing to the upper abdomen with elbows flared shifts emphasis from the lats toward the mid-traps, rhomboids, and rear delts. It is an excellent choice for lifters who need more upper-back thickness and better posture. Program it as a main pull on back day or as a rear-delt and trap builder.

Equipment
Barbell
Body part
Back, Traps
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Horizontal Pull
Muscles worked
Target
Trapezius Middle, Latissimus Dorsi
Secondary
Deltoid Posterior, Trapezius Lower, Infraspinatus, Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head
Tertiary
Erector Spinae, Brachioradialis

How to do it

  1. 1

    Grip a barbell wider than shoulder width with palms facing down.

  2. 2

    Hinge until your torso is roughly 45 degrees or lower and let the bar hang at arms length.

  3. 3

    Row the bar toward your upper abdomen, driving your elbows up and out to the sides.

  4. 4

    Squeeze the shoulder blades together hard at the top.

  5. 5

    Lower under control to a full stretch and keep the torso angle steady.

Tips

  • Flare the elbows to about 45 to 60 degrees to target the upper back.
  • Pull the bar to the lower ribs, not the hips, to keep the rear delts loaded.
  • Keep the lower back braced and neutral throughout the set.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Letting the torso rise toward upright as the set gets hard shortens the pull and brings the legs in; if you cannot hold about 45 degrees for every rep, the bar is too heavy.
  • Snapping the hips forward to heave the bar up turns the row into a low pull and dumps the load into the lower back; the torso angle should stay fixed while the bar moves.
  • Setting up with the hips high and the back rounded to reach the bar puts the lower back in its weakest position before the pull starts; hinge with the chest up to pick it off the floor.
  • Cutting the lowering short so the elbows stay bent keeps the upper back from stretching and turns the set into half reps; let the arms straighten at the bottom.
  • Bending the arms first and finishing with the biceps leaves the mid-back with the smaller share of the work; start each rep by driving the elbows up and out.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of wide-grip barbell rows should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Three sets of 8 to 10 reps, once or twice a week, at a weight you can hold in position for the whole set, which is usually well below what you would use for a narrower row. Add about 2.5 kg (5 lb) when every set reaches 10 reps with a steady torso angle. Put it early in a back session, but not straight after heavy deadlifts, since both ask the lower back to work hard.
What can I do instead of a wide-grip barbell row with no barbell?
A chest-supported row on an incline bench, with dumbbells and the elbows flared, hits the same upper-back muscles and takes the lower back out of the job entirely. Two dumbbells rowed from a bent-over position are the direct swap. On a machine, a seated cable row with a wide bar pulled to the sternum works, and at home a wide-grip inverted row under a table is a solid bodyweight version.
What is the wide-grip barbell row good for and when should I avoid it?
The wide grip and flared elbows shift the work from the lats toward the mid-traps, rhomboids, and rear delts, which is what you want for upper-back thickness and for balancing out a lot of pressing. Bent-over rowing asks the lower back to hold one position for the entire set, so end the set when your spine starts to round rather than grinding out another rep. If your lower back is already tired from squats or deadlifts, or you cannot hold a neutral spine bent over, use a chest-supported row instead.

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