You’ve done the smart thing and incorporated bent barbell rows into your program, but the more weight you add to the bar, the more upright you find yourself standing. You’ve turned the exercise into a glorified—and technically incorrect—shrug, and you need a quick fix.
The Solution
Find a place for your face. Bent rows are intended to be exactly what their name implies: bent over. Going heavier is a worthy goal, but not at the expense of your form, and the more upright you stand, the less you’re targeting your lats. The easy solution? Simply place your forehead on a pad that’s slightly higher than your waist, (like the top edge of an incline bench) and keep it there throughout your set. Keeping your head in one place will keep your body angle consistent and keep the focus on your lats.
Four-Step Row Solution
1. Fix Your Feet
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with a bend in your knees. Bend forward at the hips, not with your back.
2. Vary Your Grip
Work your lats—and your biceps—from multiple angles by changing up your grip width for each set.
3. Stay on Target
Pull the bar to your belly button, not to your rib cage or chest.
4. Isolate
Use your lats to raise the weight, and keep your legs and lower back still.
