T-Bar Row

The T-Bar Row is a strength exercise where you pull a weighted bar toward your torso while hinged forward. It mainly trains the lats and mid-back, with help from the biceps and rear delts.

Stand over the bar with your feet about shoulder width. Grab the handles with both hands, then push your hips back and hinge forward to roughly a 45-degree angle. Keep your back flat and your chest up, with your arms hanging straight down under your shoulders.

Pull the handles toward your lower chest or upper stomach by driving your elbows straight back. Squeeze your mid-back at the top, then lower the weight under control until your arms are fully extended again. Repeat for the set, keeping the same hip angle.

Breathe in and brace your core before you pull. Exhale as you row, then inhale at the bottom. To make it easier, reduce the weight or limit the range of motion. To make it harder, add weight in small jumps or slow down the lowering phase.

Fault: The lower back rounds or sags as the set goes on. Fix: Reset your hinge, keep a neutral spine, and only use a weight that lets you hold the flat-back position from the first rep to the last.

Fault: The torso rises and falls with each rep, turning the row into a hip thrust. Fix: Lock your hip angle at about 45 degrees and move only through the shoulder and elbow joints.

Fault: The elbows flare out wide and the shoulders shrug. Fix: Drive your elbows back toward your hips and pull your shoulder blades down and together, squeezing the mid-back at the top.