10 Best Barbell Rear Delt Row Alternatives for Limited Equipment
You can replace the Barbell Rear Delt Row with movements that maintain rear-delt horizontal abduction and scapular retraction. Top options: dumbbell reverse flyes, face pulls, chest-supported rows, single-arm cable rear-delt rows and wide-grip inverted rows. Cue: hinge at the hips, pull with elbows high and squeeze the posterior deltoids each rep.
Original Exercise: Barbell Rear Delt Row
How to Perform Barbell Rear Delt Row
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Pull the barbell towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Barbell Rear Delt Row Alternatives
1. Dumbbell Rear Delt Row_shoulder
86.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
- Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Extend your arms straight down towards the floor, with a slight bend in your elbows.
- Raise the dumbbells out to the sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
2. Bent Over Barbell Row
83% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Holding a barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing down), 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 barbell should hang directly in front of you as your arms hang perpendicular to the floor and your torso. This is your starting position.
- Now, while keeping the torso stationary, breathe out and lift the barbell to you. Keep the elbows close to the body and only use the forearms to hold the weight. At the top contracted position, squeeze the back muscles and hold for a brief pause.
- Then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
3. Barbell Bent Over Row
83% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Bend forward at the hips while keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Pull the barbell towards your lower chest by retracting your shoulder blades and squeezing your back muscles.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
4. Barbell Pendlay Row
82.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your chest up.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Pull the barbell towards your upper abdomen, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
5. Ez Bar Reverse Grip Bent Over Row
81% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Hold the ez barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and hands shoulder-width apart.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, until your torso is almost parallel to the floor.
- Pull the ez barbell towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the ez barbell back to the starting position.
6. Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row
81% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, palms facing down, and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, until your torso is almost parallel to the floor.
- Pull the barbell towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
7. Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row
81% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Put weight on one of the ends of an Olympic barbell. Make sure that you either place the other end of the barbell in the corner of two walls; or put a heavy object on the ground so the barbell cannot slide backward.
- Bend forward until your torso is as close to parallel with the floor as you can and keep your knees slightly bent.
- Now grab the bar with both arms just behind the plates on the side where the weight was placed and put your other hand on your knee. This will be your starting position.
- Pull the bar straight up with your elbows in (to maximize back stimulation) until the plates touch your lower chest. Squeeze the back muscles as you lift the weight up and hold for a second at the top of the movement. Breathe out as you lift the weight. Tip: Use a stirrup or double handle cable attachment by hooking it under the end of the bar.
- Slowly lower the bar to the starting position getting a nice stretch on the lats. Tip: Do not let the plates touch the floor. To ensure the best range of motion, I recommend using small plates (25-lb ones) as opposed to larger plates (like 35-45lb ones).
8. Clean Shrug
77.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Begin with a shoulder width, double overhand or hook grip, with the bar hanging at the mid thigh position. Your back should be straight and inclined slightly forward.
- Shrug your shoulders towards your ears. While this exercise can usually by loaded with heavier weight than a clean, avoid overloading to the point that the execution slows down.
9. Band Standing Rear Delt Row
75.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the band under your feet.
- Hold the band handles with your palms facing each other and your arms extended in front of you.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
- Pull the band towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly release the tension and return to the starting position.
10. Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row
75.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a barbell with one hand using an overhand grip.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your head in a neutral position.
- Pull the barbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Lower the barbell back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.
Why You Might Need a Barbell Rear Delt Row Alternative
You might substitute the Barbell Rear Delt Row for several practical reasons: lumbar pain from the bent-over position, no access to a barbell, shoulder irritation with heavy horizontal pulls, or the need for greater posterior-deltoid isolation. If your low back bothers you, choose a chest-supported variation to remove lumbar shear; cue a neutral spine and thoracic extension. For rotator-cuff sensitivity, use face pulls or band pull-aparts that bias external rotation and reduce impingement risk. Variability in angle and load also shifts time under tension and muscle recruitment—use higher-rep reverse flyes to isolate the posterior deltoid while keeping elbows slightly bent to protect the shoulder.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Choose a substitute based on movement pattern, equipment, and joint tolerance. Prioritize exercises that reproduce horizontal abduction and high-elbow rowing if your goal is rear-delt hypertrophy. If you lack a barbell, select single-arm cable rear-delt rows or dumbbell reverse flyes to retain unilateral control; cue pulling with the elbow rather than the hand to maximize posterior-deltoid loading. For lower-back issues, pick chest-supported or seated variants to eliminate lumbar shear and keep the thorax braced. Consider load capacity: bands/cables give constant tension, dumbbells permit heavier eccentric work—track progressive overload with sets, reps, tempo, and a focused squeeze at peak contraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Barbell Rear Delt Row work?
The Barbell Rear Delt Row primarily targets the posterior deltoid via horizontal abduction and external rotation. It also recruits the middle trapezius, rhomboids and rotator-cuff stabilizers; cue pulling with elbows flared and a hinged torso to bias the rear delts.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Rear Delt Row?
Wide-grip inverted rows with the chest aimed upward mimic the rear-delt pull pattern as a bodyweight option. Set your feet on the floor, keep the body rigid, and pull with elbows high, squeezing the posterior deltoids and scapular retractors at the top.
Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Rear Delt Row?
Yes — you can build rear-delt muscle with alternatives like face pulls, dumbbell reverse flyes and single-arm cable rows when you apply progressive overload. Emphasize high-elbow pulls, full range of horizontal abduction and a controlled eccentric to maximize posterior-deltoid activation.
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