underhand grip bent over row

The Underhand Grip Bent Over Row is a variation of the classic Bent Over Row exercise with a unique grip style. By gripping the barbell with an underhand grip, this exercise hits the target muscle groups differently, making it a worthy addition to your back workout routine.

Here we will delve into the muscles worked, how to perform the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row, benefits, common mistakes to avoid, reps and sets, how to progress this exercise, how and where to fit it into your workout plan and finally other exercises targeting the same muscle groups.

Muscles Worked when Performing an Underhand Grip Bent Over Row

Latissimus dorsi (lats): The lats are the large muscles of the back, and they are the primary muscles worked during bent-over rows. This exercise helps in developing width and thickness in the upper back.

Traps: Mainly the mid to lower traps are engaged during this exercise.

Rhomboids: The rhomboid muscles, located between the shoulder blades, are activated during bent-over rows. They play a crucial role in scapular retraction, pulling the shoulder blades together.

Erector Spinae: The erector spinae muscles, which run along the spine, are engaged to maintain a stable and neutral spine position during the bent-over row movement.

Biceps: The biceps are more heavily involved in this exercise when compared to a regular Bent Over Row.

Posterior Deltoids: The back shoulder muscles are also recruited from a secondary perspective.

Forearms: The muscles of the forearms, including the brachialis and brachioradialis, are worked during the gripping and lifting phases of the bent-over row, enhancing forearm strength and development.

Hands (Grip): The hands and grip strength are crucial for holding onto the barbell throughout the exercise. Improved grip strength is a significant benefit of incorporating bent-over rows into a workout routine.

Using a barbell for this exercise is significant, because the barbell provides the opportunity to add a lot of weight as you progress.

You can use the muscle highlighted image at the top of this page for a visual guide of the muscles worked.

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How to Perform the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row

Follow these simple steps to perform the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row correctly:

1. Set Up: Begin by holding a barbell with your palms facing upwards (underhand grip), and your hands positioned at about shoulder-width apart.

2. Stance: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent and your lower back slightly arched as you push your hips back to provide stability.

3. Posture: Lean forward slightly, maintaining a straight upper back, and keeping your bum up and out from your hips. You should also keep your head up looking straight out in front of you the entire time. This posture helps support proper form and balance.

4. Pull: Keep your elbows close to your body as you pull the barbell in toward your lower ribcage. Focus on squeezing your back muscles at the top to fully engage them.

6. Release: Slowly lower the barbell back to the start position through the same fluid movement.

7. Go for reps.

Benefits of Underhand Grip Bent Over Rows

Incorporating Underhand Grip Bent Over Rows into your lifting routine offers a number of benefits:

Varied Muscle Engagement: The underhand grip position of this exercise shifts the focus to your biceps and forearms, providing a unique twist to this exercise.

Powerful Back Builder: Because this is a barbell exercise, it’s a very powerful move since with a barbell you can lift more overall weight than you would with dumbbells or cables.

Diverse Training: Adding a different variation of a traditional exercise to your workouts keeps your routine interesting and supports you in targeting different muscle groups.

Underhand Grip Bent Over Row: Common Mistakes to Avoid

To get the most benefit from the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row, steer clear of these common mistakes:

Neglecting Form: Every exercise's effectiveness relies on proper form, so you should always prioritise this with every single repetition. With the barbell you will be lifting a lot more weight, so maintaining a strong back and controlled movements throughout the exercise will help you avoid unnecessary back strain. .

Overusing Momentum: Avoid relying on momentum to lift the barbell. Focus on engaging the target muscles without excessive swinging. Do not pull the barbell back with your upper body, use the target muscles.

Poor Mind-Muscle Connection: Don’t just do the exercise, pay attention to the specific muscles you intend to work on, this will enhance the effectiveness of your entire workout.

Reps and Sets

The ideal number of reps and sets for the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row depends on your current level with this exercise.

Beginners: Start with simply mastering the move. Keep in mind that if you’re just starting out, 3 reps is a valid set.

To determine how many reps/sets of the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row you should start with, you first need to figure out how many reps you can comfortably perform. Then add 2, and perform that number of reps for 3 sets.

For example; let’s say you can perform 4 reps comfortably. Add 2 to make 6 reps. Perform those 6 reps 3 times over, allowing yourself sufficient rest inbetween.

Experienced lifters: You know your body and its abilities better than anyone, use your own judgment.

We recommend that you avoid performing more than 12 reps per set. If you’re comfortably performing 12 reps for up to 6 sets, it’s time to make the exercise more challenging.

How to Make the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row More Challenging

You can make this exercise more challenging by increasing the weight you are working with. Alternatively, to make the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row more challenging, you can slow the exercise down to increase your time under tension.

How to Incorporate the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row into Your Workouts

The Underhand Grip Bent Over Row fits best into any back focused workout. Because it is a barbell exercise, you should include it towards the beginning of your workout, after your key compound moves, like Deadlifts or Rack Pulls, but before any dumbbell or machine exercises.

Remember this is a compound exercise, so it should always come before any isolation exercises you do.

You can learn more about exercise order here.

Exercises that Work Similar Muscles to Underhand Grip Bent Over Rows

To complement the effects of the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row and further enhance your upper body strength, consider adding exercises such as Barbell Curls, Overhead Press, or a Seated Cable Row to your training routine. These exercises will support you in developing your overall strength with the Underhand Grip Bent Over Row and other similar exercises.

You can find more back exercises at the bottom of this page, or you can check out our entire exercise database, broken down by muscle group here.

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