Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
Mid back, lats and rear shoulders2 dumbbells and an incline bench
The chest-supported row is a two-dumbbell row done face down on an incline bench. The bench holds your torso still, so your back does the work and your lower back gets a rest.
How to do the Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
- Set the bench to about 30 to 45 degrees and lie face down with your chest on the pad and a dumbbell in each hand hanging below you.
- Plant your feet wide on the floor so you stay steady, and let your arms hang long with your palms facing each other.
- Row the dumbbells toward your lower ribs, driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for one second at the top, then lower for two seconds until your arms are straight.
Common mistakes
- You shrug your shoulders toward your ears. Pull your shoulders down and away from your ears before each rep, and lead with your elbows.
- You lift your chest off the pad. Keep your chest on the pad the whole set and use a lighter pair until you can row without help from your torso.
- You rush the lowering. Take two full seconds on the way down so the row builds muscle instead of momentum.
With a bench or without
With an incline bench: 30 to 45 degrees works for most people. Set the pad high enough that the dumbbells clear the floor at the bottom of each rep.
Without an incline bench: do a bent-over row, hinging until your torso is close to parallel to the floor, with a flat back and the same slow lowering and one second pause.
Easier and harder versions
Easier: Use lighter dumbbells, or drop the pause at the top.
Harder: Use heavier dumbbells or lower for three seconds. Stagger runs 10 reps on a 90-second clock at a 2-1-1 tempo, with a one second pause at the top.