Pendlay Row

Start

Finish

similar: Bent Over Barbell Row

How to do it

With the torso parallel to the floor and the bar resting on the ground, pull explosively to the lower chest, then return the bar all the way to the floor and reset before the next rep.

Muscles worked

Primary: back · Also works: biceps, traps

Equipment

Barbell, Full gym

Common mistakes

• Letting the torso rise toward 45 degrees during the pull instead of staying parallel
• Touch-and-go reps that bounce off the floor and skip the dead-stop reset
• Jerking the hips up first so the low back does the work the lats should

Variations

• Snatch-grip Pendlay row
• Paused Pendlay row with a one-second hold at the chest

Can't do this one? Swap it for

• Barbell Bent-Over Row
• Seal Row
• T-Bar Row

Take care: ABROFIT automatically removes this movement for anyone who has flagged a lower back problem. If that's you, use one of the swaps above and speak to a physio before loading it.

Related exercises

• Pull-Upback
• Lat Pulldownback
• Barbell Bent-Over Rowback
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Rowback
• Resistance Band Rowback
• Inverted Rowback