When it comes to targeting your upper back, there are multiple rows you can choose from.
So we asked Men’s Health Fitness Director B.J. Gaddour to tell us what’s his favorite row variation. His answer? The chest-supported dumbbell row.
“It works your back, rear shoulders, improves your posture, and boosts your bench press,” he says.
Another reason Gaddour gives the chest-supported row top billing: It’s effective and safe for the average guy.
Related: THE 21-DAY METASHRED—an All-New Body Transformation Program From the Men’s Health Fitness Director
Most men struggle to get into a bent-over row position—which is a hip hinge with a flat back—because of tight hamstrings or a weak lower back, he says. If your form isn’t perfect, it can cause injury to your back down the road.
With your chest against an incline bench, however, your lower back doesn’t need to stabilize and your hamstrings don’t need full mobility. This allows you to isolate the movement through your shoulder blades, and zero in on your upper back, he says.
Plus, the chest-supported version puts lighter loads on your spine. That makes it’s easier to recover from, so you can perform it more often for bigger gains, Gaddour explains.
See how to perform the movement with perfect form in the video above.
