Back · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Bent Over Row
How to do the dumbbell bent over row, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Horizontal Row
- Mechanic
- Compound
See it in motion
How to do it
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight. Row the dumbbell up towards your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower and repeat.
- 1Feel your lats and upper back pulling the weight toward your hip
- 2Keep your torso parallel to the ground and core engaged
- 3Squeeze your shoulder blade at the top before lowering slowly
Common mistakes
- Avoid twisting your torso or rounding your back
- Don't yank the weight or use your biceps exclusively
- Avoid jerking; maintain constant tension
Muscles worked
The dumbbell bent over row mainly works the lats and mid traps, with the biceps, forearms, and rear delts assisting.
- LatsPrimary
- Mid TrapsPrimary
- BicepsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell bent over row for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the barbell good morning
- How to do the barbell bent over row
- How to do the barbell shrug
- How to do the cable straight arm pulldown
- How to do the chin-up
Last reviewed April 2026.