Rowing is one of the best exercises with a handful of variations & applications. No matter your experience level, you’ll be sure to benefit from some form of this exercise whether it be with resistance bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell. Regardless of what equipment you have available to you the fundamentals remain the same.
In addition to the type of resistance variations, there are also several positions in which you can perform this exercise– here, I will break down the 3-point stance row using a dumbbell. At UpFit, we love this variation because it helps people develop a better hinge for deadlifts and a better brace to strengthen the hip and core muscles for performance. This particular variation has an anti-rotational component that forces you to tighten up the deeper core and hip muscles in order to maintain trunk and hip stability.
To start off you will want to make sure you have a sturdy surface about thigh height to support your non-working arm. Make sure your feet are really planted into the ground & squared up to your bench, a little wider than shoulder width apart. With your back flat and head in a neutral position, place the dumbbell on the ground in front of you.
From here you will grab the dumbbell and start the row, pulling that elbow all the way back while trying to keep your shoulders square to the bench. It’s important to note here that the dumbbell should not be stopping at chest height, but rather closer the hip. Once you’ve reached the full range of the motion, you’ll begin to lower the weight back to center.
As seen above, the hinge position is key to performing this exercise effectively.
Once you’ve got the proper form down, try to get about 12-15 reps per side & aim for around 2-4 sets. Again, there’s a fair amount of variations with this exercise, so once you have mastered the fundamental movement you can begin to play with different resistance and positioning.
