Power Rows for a Bigger, Stronger Back

To simultaneously train for strength and size in the upper back, no exercise beats the bent-over barbell row. This multijoint move demands the involvement of a boatload of muscle groups, including the lats, traps, rhomboids, delts, biceps and forearms, just to name a few of the larger muscle groups that contract to heave a loaded barbell toward your midsection. Speaking of the midsection, bent-over rows are also great for developing core strength and stability.

One way to get even more back strength and mass from the barbell row is to do it in a power rack – a specific variation of the movement known as the barbell power row.

Power Row Benefits:

The major benefit of the power row is overload. Pausing between reps with the bar supported on the pins allows you to pull more weight – and heavier rows translate to a bigger, stronger back. Not only will this look impressive, but it also carries over into other lifts. Don’t be surprised if your bench press strength goes up after doing power rows consistently for a matter of months or even weeks.

The other benefit of the power row is back safety. Many lifters suffer from lower back pain and injuries, but power rows allow you to relieve much of the stress on the lower back due to your body mechanics during the row and the support from the pins.

One quick caveat worth mentioning: Using the pins in the power rack does limit the amount of stretch your lats get with this exercise. When adding power rows into your routine, be sure to also include other rowing exercises like standard barbell rows, dumbbell rows and/or seated cable rows to allow the lats to work through a fuller range of motion.

Power Row Technique:

• Set the safety pins in a power rack to a point where the bar rests on them in the bottom part of the row. To find the ideal pin position, stand in the rack holding an unloaded bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip. Bend at the knees as if you're doing a quarter squat, then bend at the hips until your torso reaches around 45 degrees with the floor. Allow the bar to hang straight down from your shoulders with your arms full extended. The pins should fully support the bar in this position.
• To perform the exercise, start with the loaded bar resting on the pins.
• Grab the bar with an overhand shoulder-width grip, assume the 45-degree torso angle, and make sure your lower back is flat (not rounded) before doing the lift.
• In a fast, explosive motion, pull the bar up to your waist, maintaining roughly the same 45-degree torso angle.
• Lower the bar back to the pins under control.
• Let the bar sit on the pins for a couple seconds while you settle yourself, then go into your next rep.
• Training Tip: Regarding weight selection, alternate between heavy and light loads. Use heavy weight in some workouts for overload, and light weight (stopping short of failure, still in the 5-8-rep range) on other days for more power.

Power Row Workout:

Here's a sample back routine incorporating the power row. Perform this workout on its own or with smaller bodyparts (ie, biceps, triceps and/or abs) trained after.

Download This Workout

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