Shoulders · Kettlebell
Kettlebell Rear Delt Row
How to do the kettlebell rear delt row, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPull
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hinge forward at the hips with a flat back, holding a kettlebell in each hand with arms hanging straight down. Row the bells out wide with elbows flaring away from your body, pulling them up toward your shoulders. Squeeze the rear shoulders and upper back at the top, then lower under control.
- 1Feel the rear delts and mid-back pull the bells up as the elbows flare
- 2wide
- 3Keep your back flat and hips hinged to keep tension on the rear shoulders
- 4Squeeze the shoulder blades and rear delts at the top of each rep
Common mistakes
- Do not tuck the elbows in close; that turns it into a lat row
- Avoid jerking the torso up to heave the weight
- Do not round your back as you hinge and row
Muscles worked
The kettlebell rear delt row mainly works the rear delts and mid traps, with the biceps, forearms, lats, lower back, upper traps, and lower traps assisting.
- Rear DeltsPrimary
- Mid TrapsPrimary
- BicepsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- LatsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- GlutesMinor
- HamstringsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the kettlebell rear delt 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.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.