Exercise Library / Dumbbell Bent Over Row
Dumbbell Bent Over Row
The back-thickener — hinge, hold, and pull to your hips.
Muscles worked
Primary Back
Secondary Biceps Lower Back
Tap a muscle to explore it on the interactive muscle map.
How to do it
- Hinge at the hips until your torso is near parallel — hips back, back flat.
- Let the dumbbells hang under your shoulders.
- Row to your hip bones, elbows brushing your ribs.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top.
- Lower with control without standing up between reps.
Common mistakes
- Torso bobbing upright. Rising with every rep means the lower back is heaving the weight, not the lats.
- Pulling to the chest. Rowing high with flared elbows turns it into a rear-delt exercise and loads the shoulders.
- Rounding the back. A collapsed spine under load is the one mistake this exercise can't forgive — keep it flat.
What the camera coach watches
These are the exact checks FitFormBuddy runs on every rep of dumbbell bent over row — and what it says when you drift:
- Hinge staying set“stay hinged over — hips back”
- Lowering speed“lower with control”
Get real-time form cues on this exercise
FitFormBuddy watches through your camera and coaches you mid-set — reps counted, mistakes called out as they happen.
