Rows are a compound exercise that works multiple muscle groups, including the muscles in your neck, upper back (rhomboids, trapezius, and lats), shoulders, and upper arms. Since you’re working so many muscle groups at the same time, rows are a time-expedient movement that burns more calories than isolation exercises that only work a single muscle group. Who doesn’t like to save time?
As with all exercises, you’ll get the most benefits and lower your risk of injury by using impeccable form when you row. Unfortunately, not everyone does that. In fact, doing this upper-body exercise with bad form is one of the most common causes of back injuries among people who weight train. Let’s look at some of the most frequent mistakes people make when they do dumbbell rows. You’ll also discover how these mistakes can interfere with your gains and increase the risk of injury.
Mistake #1: Making the Exercise Too Biceps Focused
When most people do a dumbbell row, they pull the weight up in a way that emphasizes the biceps rather than the muscles in the upper back. Your biceps should do some work, but not all of it. You need your upper back muscles to chip in, so you get the full benefits of the exercise. According to Men’s Health, you can fix the tendency to overuse your biceps by pulling your elbows up as high as you can with each repetition. Concentrate on bringing your elbows up toward the ceiling with each row. Squeeze your shoulders together at the top to maximize muscle activation.
Mistake #2: Placing Your Knee on a Bench
When you do a dumbbell row, you might like the stability of placing your knee on a bench. Resist the urge to do this. Planting your knee on a bench creates stability but reduces core muscle activation, so you miss out on some of the core benefits of the exercise. Also, when you stabilize your body with a knee on one side, it creates an asymmetry that makes it harder to keep your body aligned properly and your spine straight when you row, so it’s easier to twist or pivot your spine with each repetition. Twisting your spine isn’t healthy, and it makes it harder to pull the weight up.
Instead, do the exercise with both feet on the floor, your knees slightly bent and hips forward. Doing this protects your back and boosts core muscle activation. You need strong stable core muscles for other exercises, so make sure they get the attention they deserve.
Mistake #3: Using a Dumbbell That’s Too Heavy
Going too heavy on the weight is another common mistake people make when doing dumbbell and barbell rows. You need to challenge the muscles you’re working, but if you use a weight that’s too heavy, it can limit your range-of-motion and reduce the benefits of the exercise. If you’re achieving a full range-of-motion, the hand that holds the dumbbells or barbell should reach the level of your chest. Any lower than that is an incomplete contraction.
Make a conscious effort to retract your scapula at the top by bringing your shoulder blades together with each repetition. Don’t go so heavy that you compromise form and miss out on the benefits of full range-of-motion. If you’ve can’t stop and pause at the top and squeeze your shoulder blades with each repetition, lighten the weight. Watch your form and make sure you’re reaching your chest with each rep.
Mistake #4: Bouncing the Weight
Have you ever seen someone doing dumbbell rows and bouncing the weight up and down? They’re bouncing because they’re using a weight that’s too heavy to handle without using momentum. Any time you depend on momentum to do a movement, you don’t get the full benefits of the exercise. So, put down the heavy barbell or dumbbells and switch it for a lighter one. It’s better to lighten up on the weight than not get the full benefits of the exercise because you’re using momentum. Put your ego aside and go lighter so your back muscles do more of the work.
Mistake #5: Rounding Your Back
The best way to avoid rounding your back is to have someone watch and critique your form when you do rows. If you’re rounding your back, it will quickly become obvious. Why is back rounding so risky? It increases the risk of a back injury, including disc herniations and muscle strains. If your form is poor and you’re rounding your back, drop the weight, and focus on form. When you do the movement, your spine should be in a neutral position, chest out, and shoulders back. Don’t sacrifice the health of your back by being sloppy with your form. Rows are one of the hardest exercises to do with good form.
Mistake #6: Standing Too Upright
As you fatigue when doing barbell rows, you might stand up straighter with each repetition. The reason we do this is that it makes lifting the weight a bit easier. If this happens, put the barbell down and replace it with a lighter one. Then, continue the set to fatigue without straightening your body fully. Why does this happen? It’s often because of weak core muscles. If you find that you’re at an angle higher than 45 degrees when you do bent-over rows, work on building core strength and see if that corrects the problem.
The Bottom Line
Rows are one of the hardest exercises to do with impeccable form, but it’s important to do so to protect your back. Have someone critique your form to ensure you aren’t missing out on gains or increasing the odds of injury by using sloppy form. Going through the motions isn’t enough. Make sure you’re doing them in a way that helps you get the benefits with the least amount of risk.
References:
- Men’s Health. “You’re Probably Doing Dumbbell Rows Wrong”
- org. “Correcting the Bent-Over Row”
- com. “How to Barbell Row with Proper Form: The Definitive Guide”
Related Articles By Cathe:
The Pros and Cons of Various Types of Barbell and Dumbbell Rows
Are Dumbbells an Effective Substitute When You Don’t Have Barbells?
How Balanced is Your Back Training?
Related Cathe Friedrich Workout DVDs:
STS Strength 90 Day Workout Program
All of Cathe’s Strength & Toning Workout DVDs
Total Body Workouts
Lower Body Workouts
Upper Body Workouts
