Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In — start position
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Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In — end position
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Back / Beginner / Compound (multi-joint)

Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In

A dumbbell exercise for the upper back, with the biceps, lats and forearms assisting.

At a glance

Primary
Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps)
Secondary
Biceps, Lats, Forearms & grip
Equipment
Dumbbells
Movement pattern
Row, Shoulder-blade squeeze
Level
Beginner
Type
Back, Compound (multi-joint)

How to do it

  1. With a dumbbell in each hand (palms facing each other), bend your knees slightly and bring your torso forward, by bending at the waist, while keeping the back straight until it is almost parallel to the floor. Tip: Make sure that you keep the head up. The weights should hang directly in front of you as your arms hang perpendicular to the floor and your torso. This is your starting position.
  2. While keeping the torso stationary, lift the dumbbells to your side as you breathe out, squeezing your shoulder blades together. On the top contracted position, squeeze the back muscles and hold for a second.
  3. Slowly lower the weight again to the starting position as you inhale.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

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Muscles worked

Neck (Front)Upper traps (Front)Front delts (Front)Side delts (Front)Chest (Front)Serratus anterior (Front)Biceps — secondary (Front)Forearms & grip — secondary (Front)Abs (Front)Obliques (Front)Hip flexors (Front)Quads (Front)Adductors (Front)Shins (tibialis) (Front)Calves (Front)Outer shins (peroneals) (Front)Feet (arch & toes) (Front)Neck (Back)Upper traps (Back)Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps) — primary (Back)Rear delts (Back)Side delts (Back)Rotator cuff (Back)Lats — secondary (Back)Lower back (erectors) (Back)Triceps (Back)Forearms & grip — secondary (Back)Hip abductors (glute med) (Back)Glutes (Back)Hamstrings (Back)Adductors (Back)Calves (Back)
FrontBack
  • Primary: Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps)
  • Secondary: Biceps, Lats, Forearms & grip

Best for

How specific this exercise is to each movement.

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Photos and instructions: free-exercise-db (github.com/yuhonas/free-exercise-db), public domain.