Exercise Library
Snatch-Grip Bent Row
AKA Wide-grip bent row
AKA Wide-grip bent row
The bent row is a basic but effective upper body pulling exercise that strengthens the upper back, shoulders and arms. The snatch grip will naturally keep the elbows out more in the row to work the shoulders somewhat more along with the grip.
Hold the bar with a snatch-width grip, brace your trunk in the same position you would when pulling from the floor, and hinge forward at the hips while bending the knees to bring your trunk just above horizontal, letting the bar hang at arms’ length close to the legs.
Pull the bar to the upper abdomen or sternum, squeezing your shoulder blades back together and forcefully extending the upper back at the top of each rep. Lower the bar to full elbow extension without losing your braced back position.
Notes
The snatch-grip bent row can be performed strictly with a controlled tempo, or with a little body English to put some speed on the bar and then reach the trunk into the bar at the top of the row. The angle of the trunk can also be varied depending on the desired effect, from horizontal to closer to 45-degrees—the higher the angle, the more heavily it can be loaded, but the smaller the range of motion.
Purpose
The bent row is a basic back strength exercise that helps develop the upper and middle back, and even the lower back through its role in holding the body in position throughout the movement. It will also strengthen the shoulders and arms—the snatch-grip variation will place more emphasis on the rear delts than clean-grip. It can serve to help develop postural strength, shoulder stability, back arch strength, upper back arch strength in particular, and strength to keep the bar close to the body in the pulls of the snatch and clean. It also serves a basic protective function for the shoulders and elbows by helping to balance strength development around the joints.
Programming
Sets of 5-15 reps are usually appropriate to suit the desired loading in a given session. Because of the grip and associated elbow orientation, snatch-grip bent rows will typically be lighter than clean-grip.
Hold the bar with a snatch-width grip, brace your trunk in the same position you would when pulling from the floor, and hinge forward at the hips while bending the knees to bring your trunk just above horizontal, letting the bar hang at arms’ length close to the legs.
Pull the bar to the upper abdomen or sternum, squeezing your shoulder blades back together and forcefully extending the upper back at the top of each rep. Lower the bar to full elbow extension without losing your braced back position.
Notes
The snatch-grip bent row can be performed strictly with a controlled tempo, or with a little body English to put some speed on the bar and then reach the trunk into the bar at the top of the row. The angle of the trunk can also be varied depending on the desired effect, from horizontal to closer to 45-degrees—the higher the angle, the more heavily it can be loaded, but the smaller the range of motion.
Purpose
The bent row is a basic back strength exercise that helps develop the upper and middle back, and even the lower back through its role in holding the body in position throughout the movement. It will also strengthen the shoulders and arms—the snatch-grip variation will place more emphasis on the rear delts than clean-grip. It can serve to help develop postural strength, shoulder stability, back arch strength, upper back arch strength in particular, and strength to keep the bar close to the body in the pulls of the snatch and clean. It also serves a basic protective function for the shoulders and elbows by helping to balance strength development around the joints.
Programming
Sets of 5-15 reps are usually appropriate to suit the desired loading in a given session. Because of the grip and associated elbow orientation, snatch-grip bent rows will typically be lighter than clean-grip.
