T-Bar Row: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The T-bar row works your middle back, the muscles between your shoulder blades that pull them together as you row the weight in. Your lats add width and pulling power, and your biceps flex your elbows to bring the handle to your torso.
- Primary muscle:
- Middle back
- Secondary muscles:
- Biceps, Lats
Muscles worked
Your middle back is the prime mover in a T-bar row. Retracting your shoulder blades as you pull the handle to your torso is what trains this muscle group directly.
Your lats work alongside the middle back to pull your arms down and back, adding to the overall pulling power and width of the movement.
Your biceps flex your elbows to bring the handle in the final part of the row, working as a secondary mover behind your back muscles.
Log T-Bar Row in PR Streak
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How to do it
- Position a bar into a landmine or in a corner to keep it from moving. Load an appropriate weight onto your end.
- Stand over the bar, and position a Double D row handle around the bar next to the collar. Using your hips and legs, rise to a standing position.
- Assume a wide stance with your hips back and your chest up. Your arms should be extended. This will be your starting position.
- Pull the weight to your upper abdomen by retracting the shoulder blades and flexing the elbows. Do not jerk the weight or cheat during the movement.
- After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
Form tips
- Pull with your elbows, driving them back past your torso, rather than just curling the weight in with your arms.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of each rep before lowering.
- Keep your chest up and your lower back in a neutral position instead of rounding forward.
- Lower the weight under control instead of letting it drop and bounce off the plates.
- If your gym has no landmine setup, a bent-over row trains the same middle back and lats.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Barbell |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the T-bar row a back or bicep exercise?
It is primarily a back exercise. Your middle back and lats do most of the pulling work, while your biceps assist by bending your elbows. If your biceps fatigue before your back does, try a thicker grip or straps.
What rep range works best for T-bar rows?
For building back muscle, the standard NSCA hypertrophy range of 6-12 reps at a challenging weight works well. Heavier sets of 6 reps or fewer build pulling strength instead, and higher sets of 12 or more reps build muscular endurance in the same muscles.
More middle back exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
