T-Bar Row
A heavy row where you pull one loaded end of a barbell or a machine's handles to your torso, usually with a close neutral grip, working your upper back and lats.
Equipment
- Primary muscles
- Upper back, Lats
- Secondary
- Biceps, Rear delts, Forearm flexors
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Upper back, Lats
- Secondary
- Biceps, Rear delts, Forearm flexors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
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Why do it
T-bar rows are a staple for building a thick upper back, and the close handle lets most people row heavy. The landmine version is done bent over without support, so your hips and lower back hold the position for the whole set, much like a barbell row with a more forgiving bar path. The machine version adds a chest pad, which takes the lower back out and lets you push close to failure. Choose the landmine for the full bent-over challenge, the machine if your lower back is the limiting factor.
How to do it (Barbell)
Put one end of a barbell in a landmine or wedged in a corner and load the other end. Stand over the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Hook a double D-handle under the bar for a neutral grip, or grip the bar itself.
Hinge forward until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, back flat and arms extended.
Row the weight to your lower chest, driving your elbows up and back, then lower it slowly. The angled bar path keeps the load closer to your body than a barbell row.
Set the chest pad so your chest rests against it with your arms hanging free, and stand on the platform with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Grip the handles with your arms fully extended and your back flat.
Row the handles to your torso, driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Lower under control to a full stretch. The chest pad takes your lower back out of the movement, so you can push these harder than free-weight rows.
Common mistakes
Standing up as the set goes on
On the landmine version your torso tends to rise rep by rep until you're doing a shrug. Hold your hinge angle, and lower the weight if you can't.
Rounding over to reach the bottom
Chasing a deeper stretch by rounding your back loses the flat position the row depends on. Keep your back flat and stop the stretch where you can still hold it.
Jerking the weight with your hips
A hip snap gets heavy plates moving, but your back only works the top half. Start each rep from a still position and pull with your elbows.
Short reps on the machine
With the chest pad it's tempting to pile on plates and move them a short way. Let your arms straighten fully and row until your elbows pass your torso.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
