What equipment do you need for the smith machine bent over row?

You need smith machine to do the smith machine bent over row.

What is a good smith machine bent over row?

For men, a good smith machine bent over row is about a 250 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 110 lb and elite lifters pass 417.5 lb. For women, the standards run from about 45 lb to 235 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Back · Smith Machine

Smith Machine Bent Over Row

How to do the smith machine bent over row, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Smith Machine
Difficulty: Beginner
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Horizontal Row
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Back exercises Machine exercises

How to do it

Set the bar on the Smith machine at mid-shin height. Grip the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Hinge at the hips, keeping your back flat, and row the bar toward your lower chest, squeezing your lats and traps. Lower the bar back with control.

1Set the bar at mid-shin height and row it toward your lower ribcage, feeling your lats and mid-back contract
2Keep your chest up and hinge at your hips so you feel the effort from your back, not your arms
3Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of each rep and control the bar back down

Common mistakes

Don't jerk the bar or use your lower back to yank it up
Avoid rounding your shoulders or letting them collapse forward
Don't let the bar bounce off the stops, maintain tension throughout

Muscles worked

The smith machine bent over row mainly works the lats and mid traps, with the biceps, forearms, lower back, and rear delts assisting.

LatsPrimary
Mid TrapsPrimary
BicepsSupport
ForearmsSupport
Lower BackSupport
Rear DeltsSupport
Upper TrapsMinor
Lower TrapsMinor
Upper AbsMinor
GlutesMinor
HamstringsMinor

Smith Machine Bent Over Row strength standards

See how your smith machine bent over row ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM110 lb
Silvere1RM172.5 lb
Golde1RM250 lb
Platinume1RM330 lb
Diamonde1RM377.5 lb
Champione1RM417.5 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Weight (lb)Reps

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the smith machine bent over row for you and tracks it every session.

We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.

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More back exercises

See all back exercises →

Last reviewed April 2026.