- Assume a wide stride stance alongside an exercise bench. The leg closest to the bench should be in front and the other leg behind and out to the side.
- Bend over from the hips until your trunk is level to the floor while maintaining normal spinal curvature, i.e., keep a slight arch in the lumbar area.
- Bend the knees for a more stable position and grasp a dumbbell in your outside hand. Your inside hand should be placed on the bench and your arm maintained straight to support the upper body.•
- Grip the dumbbell with a neutral grip so that the palm faces toward the body.
- In the initial position, your working arm should be hanging straight down with the shoulder on the same side, somewhat relaxed and lowered.
- When you are ready, inhale slightly more than usual and hold your breath as you pull the dumbbell upward. Concentrate on pulling with the shoulder and back muscles to raise the arm (elbow) as high as possible above the level of your back.
- As your elbow passes the shoulder-level position, raise the shoulder simultaneously with the elbow to bring in a stronger contraction of the upper latissimus dorsi and upper mid-back muscles.
- Hold the up position for a second or two to intensity the muscular contraction. Then exhale and return to the starting position.
- When you finish with one arm, switch sides to work the other arm and complete the set. Pull hard to initiate the upward movement of the arm. This helps to get the weight moving which allows you to go through the full range of motion – the key to full contraction of the muscles involved.
Be sure to pull only with the upper arm and to raise the shoulder on the side of the working arm as you reach the uppermost position. Do not roll the shoulders to get the weight up. If you are doing this you may have too much weight. Using excessive weight limits the range of motion possible. If you do not get the elbow up above the level of the back you will not be able to achieve maximum shortening of the entire latissimus dorsi. Nor will you get full contraction of the middle trapezius and rhomboid muscles.
Maintaining a stable position is extremely important in this exercise. Your torso should remain horizontal and you should maintain normal spinal curvature at all times. Do not round the lower back as this can lead to injury. If you want even greater emphasis on the upper latissimus dorsi (and the upper mid-back muscles), you should use a pronated grip, i.e., the palm faces toward the rear. Keep the elbow out in line with the shoulders as you raise the dumbbell. Do not place the knee closest to the bench on the bench for support. Doing so makes you less stable because of the narrower stance and there is a strong tendency to relax the lower back muscles. This eliminates maintenance of the normal curvature of the spine and may thus increase your chance of injury. To target the entire latissimus dorsi, do the bent over row with both the neutral and pronated grips. Do not try to use the biceps in this exercise. Concentrate on pulling with the shoulder and back muscles to raise the weight.
MAJOR MUSCLES INVOLVED:
In the shoulder joint the major muscles are the latissimus dorsi, teres major and the rear deltoid. The latissimus dorsi is a large muscle that covers the back sides of the upper and lower torso. The teres major is a relatively small round muscle located alongside the upper latissimus dorsi. The rear deltoid is located on the back of the shoulder and is one part of the 3-headed deltoid muscle which covers the front, top and back of the shoulder. In the shoulder girdle, the rhomboid and middle trapezius are involved. The trapezius is a large diamond-shaped muscle which runs from the base of the skull to the 12th thoracic vertebrae and out the sides to the inner borders of the scapula. The rhomboid lies beneath the trapezius in the middle of the back.
MUSCLE/JOINT ACTIONS:
In the shoulder joint, there is extension in which the upper arm moves from a position below and in line with the shoulders to alongside and above the trunk. The arm remains in a vertical plane and passes close to the sides of the body as it is pulled upward. The elbow flexion is passive although the biceps and other elbow flexors contract to stabilize the elbow joint. In the shoulder girdle, the scapula rotates downward and is adducted, i.e., moves in close toward the spine. The rhomboid and pectoralis minor are actively involved in the downward rotation. Adduction of the scapula involves the rhomboid together with the middle trapezius. To raise the shoulder, the scapula are adducted even further.
SPORTS USES:
For bodybuilders, the bent over dumbbell row is very important for development of the entire latissimus dorsi, teres major and the mid-back muscles, especially when both the neutral and pronated grips are used. Raising the shoulder at the end of the exercise is important for keeping the shoulders back which is very important in posture and in execution of various athletic skills. Shoulder joint extension, which occurs as you pull the arm down and back when in a vertical position, is very important in raising the body. This occurs when working on the rings, high bar, uneven bars in gymnastics and when pulling yourself up in rock and rope climbing. Pulling the arms down and back is also seen in swimming, especially in the latter phase of the pull, in archery and rowing when pulling backward, in basketball rebounding, and in wrestling and judo moves. The bent over row also plays a role in racquet sports, as for example, in the tennis backhand, in football tackles, in a tug-of-war, and in actions such as sawing wood.