10 Best Bent Over Barbell Row Alternatives for Lat Strength

The Bent Over Barbell Row is done standing with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row, Reverse Grip Bent-over Rows and the Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row. A harder version, the Barbell Pendlay Row, is listed below as a progression rather than a swap.

A loaded barbell and room to bend over it are not always on offer: the rack is busy, or your gym stocks none. The Bent Over Barbell Row builds your lats by pulling the bar into your torso from a bent-over position, and its closest swap, the Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row, keeps that same bent-over pull to your lower chest. Without a barbell, the Bodyweight Standing Row trains the same lats on any fixed bar or handles you can pull towards you.

Bent Over Barbell Row

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Bent Over Barbell Row

The steps for the Bent Over Barbell Row itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Lats, with biceps, lats, shoulders · Barbell · Intermediate · Compound

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

The 10 Best Bent Over Barbell Row Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Bent Over Barbell Row on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over RowPlay demonstration

    1. Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

    96% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an underhand grip.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
    2. Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, palms facing down, and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, until your torso is almost parallel to the floor.
    4. Pull the barbell towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: bent-over row, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
  3. Barbell One Arm Bent Over RowPlay demonstration

    3. Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row

    92% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want to work the lats one side at a time.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a barbell with one hand using an overhand grip.
    2. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your head in a neutral position.
    3. Pull the barbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    4. Lower the barbell back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: bent-over row, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
  4. Bodyweight Standing RowPlay demonstration

    4. Bodyweight Standing Row

    89% match

    Lats · Beginner · Compound

    Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the lats with bodyweight alone.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
    2. Grasp a bar or handles with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
    3. Keep your back straight and core engaged.
    4. Pull the bar or handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
    6. Slowly release and extend your arms back to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
  7. Dumbbell Bent Over RowPlay demonstration

    7. Dumbbell Bent Over Row

    86% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have dumbbells to work with, and it still works the lats.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
    2. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
    3. Let your arms hang straight down towards the floor, with your elbows slightly bent.
    4. Pull the dumbbells up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: bent-over row, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Bent Over Barbell Row

Why You Might Need a Bent Over Barbell Row Alternative

A barbell row needs a bar loaded with plates and enough room to bend over it, and that setup is not always there. The rack might be busy, your gym might stock no barbell, or you are training at home with a kettlebell, dumbbells or a fixed bar to pull against. Some lifters want to row one arm at a time, which the Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row and the One-arm Long Bar Row both allow. Others want a way into the same pull before ever loading a bar, which is where the Bodyweight Standing Row and the Bodyweight Standing Close-grip Row come in. Every one of these rows pulls the weight into your torso, and most bend you forward like the barbell row, except the Bodyweight Standing Row, which stays upright.

How to Choose the Right Bent Over Barbell Row Substitute

If you own a barbell, the Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row keeps the same bent-over position and bar, pulled to your lower chest. The Reverse Grip Bent-over Rows takes an underhand hold on that same bar. Want to fix a lopsided back? The Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row holds the bar in one hand, and the One-arm Long Bar Row pulls the loaded end of a bar anchored in a corner, so both let you row one arm at a time. At home without a rack, the Dumbbell Bent Over Row or Kettlebell One Arm Row keep the same bent-over pull with equipment that fits in a corner. With nothing to load, the Bodyweight Standing Row lets you learn the Bent Over Barbell Row's pull on a fixed bar or handles before you pick up a loaded barbell.

Bent Over Barbell Row FAQ

Can I do the Bent Over Barbell Row at home?

Yes, with dumbbells, a kettlebell, or just a fixed bar or handles you can pull against. The Dumbbell Bent Over Row and the Kettlebell One Arm Row keep the same bent-over pull with gear that fits in a corner, and the Bodyweight Standing Row or the Bodyweight Standing Close-grip Row train your lats with nothing more than a bar or handles to pull on.

Which alternative uses the same bar as the Bent Over Barbell Row?

The Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row. You hold the same barbell in the same bent-over position and pull it to your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. If you want the grip itself reversed, the Reverse Grip Bent-over Rows takes an underhand hold on the same bar through the same bent-over pull.

Which alternative lets me row one arm at a time?

The Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row puts the whole bar in one hand, and the One-arm Long Bar Row has you pull the loaded end of a bar anchored in a corner, so both let you row one arm at a time, which helps if one side of your back pulls harder than the other. Work your weaker side first and match the reps on both before you add weight.

Which alternative suits a true beginner?

The Bodyweight Standing Close-grip Row bends you forward at the waist like the barbell row and has you pull a bar or handles towards your body with a close grip, squeezing your shoulder blades together. The Bodyweight Standing Row keeps you upright, so start there if the hinge itself is new, then add the bend, then move to a loaded barbell.

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