The supinated bent-over barbell row is a hinged barbell pull taken with the palms facing forward, rowing the bar into the lower abdomen to train the lats and lower traps. Supinated forearms tuck the elbows against the ribs, so the pull becomes shoulder extension and the bar finishes low on the torso; an overhand grip flares the elbows and lands it at the chest. The biceps also work in their strongest position, so the grip moves more weight. Lifters row it as the main horizontal pull of a back day, alongside thebent-over barbell row supinated.
What Muscles Does the Supinated Bent-Over Barbell Row Work?
- Primary: Latissimus dorsi (lats), lower trapezius
- Secondary: Biceps brachii, brachialis, rhomboids
- Tertiary: Erector spinae, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, forearm flexors
How Do You Set Up for the Supinated Bent-Over Barbell Row?
Stand over a loaded barbell with your feet hip-width apart and your shins close to it. Hinge at the hips, keep the knees soft and take the bar underhand at shoulder width, palms facing forward. Stand the bar up to knee height, then set the torso between 30 and 45 degrees above horizontal with a flat back and the ribs down. Let the arms hang and pull the shoulder blades away from your ears.
How Do You Perform the Supinated Bent-Over Barbell Row?
- Set the hinge with the bar hanging at knee height, hips pushed back and the abs braced hard.
- Pull the shoulder blades down first, before the elbows bend, so the lats start the rep.
- Drive the elbows back past the ribs, dragging the bar up the thighs toward the belt line.
- Touch the bar to the lower abdomen just above the hips and hold for a count with the wrists flat.
- Lower the bar down the thighs under control until the arms hang straight and the lats stretch.
- Let the shoulder blades travel forward at the bottom, then rebrace and reset the hinge.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Aim for the belt buckle: point the bar at the hip crease on the way up; a bar arriving at the chest means the elbows have flared.
- Squeeze the armpits shut: think of closing the space under the upper arm rather than bending the elbows.
- Keep the wrists stacked flat under the bar through the whole pull.
- Push the hips back against the weight so the torso angle never rises with the bar.
- Keep the neck long and the eyes down the floor a few feet ahead, not up in the mirror.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Loading more than the hinge holds: the torso stands up on every rep and the row turns into a partial deadlift, so choose a weight you can row with the chest still.
- Curling the bar instead of rowing it: bending the elbows first hands the rep to the biceps, and heavy supinated rows are where the distal biceps tendon tears, so lead with the shoulder blades.
- Rounding the lower back at the bottom: a flexed lumbar spine under a hanging bar loads the discs, so hold the flat back and let the hips take the hinge.
- Hyperextending the wrists: a bar rolling into the fingers strains the forearm flexors.
- Stopping the bar short of the body: without the touch, the lats never finish the range.
What Are the Best Supinated Bent-Over Barbell Row Variations?
- Overhand bent-over barbell row: palms down, elbows out, the bar to the chest for upper back work.
- Reverse-grip Smith machine row: a fixed bar path holds the torso angle for you while you learn the pull.
- Yates row: a more upright torso and shorter stroke let the same grip carry heavier loads.
- Single-arm supinated dumbbell row: one side at a time with the free hand braced on a bench.
- Supinated low cable row: seated on a low pulley, palms up, constant tension for higher reps.
How Do You Progress the Supinated Bent-Over Barbell Row?
- Add 5 to 10 pounds once you complete every set at 10 reps with the bar touching and the torso frozen.
- Work from 6 reps up to 10 at a given weight before adding a plate.
- Add one set at a time to a ceiling of 4, or a second rowing day in the week.
- Pause two counts at the abdomen, or lower for three counts, when load will not move.
How Should You Program the Supinated Bent-Over Barbell Row?
Row it first or second in aback session, after pull-ups and well before any curling, which the supinated grip already taxes. Train it 1 to 2 times per week for 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps, resting 90 to 120 seconds between sets. Pair it with a vertical pull such as a lat pulldown so the lats get both lines of pull.