Barbell Rear Delt Row
A hinged wide-grip row that pulls the bar to the upper chest with the elbows flared, targeting the rear delts.
How to do it
- Grip a barbell with a wide overhand grip, well outside the shoulders.
- Hinge at the hips until the torso is near parallel, with a soft knee bend and a flat back.
- Let the bar hang at arm's length below the chest, elbows straight.
- Pull the bar toward the upper chest with the elbows flared out to the sides.
- Stop when the upper arms are roughly in line with the shoulders.
- Lower the bar under control to a straight-arm hang and repeat.
Key technique cue
Elbows out in a T, not to the ribs; pull to the upper chest, not the belly.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Tucking the elbows to the ribs, which turns the lift into a lat row.
- ✕ Swinging the torso to yank the bar up.
- ✕ Pulling the bar to the belly instead of high on the chest.
- ✕ Using a load so heavy that the elbows never reach shoulder height.
Benefits
- ✓ Loads the rear delts with a barbell instead of only light dumbbell flies.
- ✓ Trains the upper traps and rhomboids on the same horizontal-abduction path.
- ✓ Gives a clear coaching contrast with a tucked-elbow bent-over row.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here - Barbell Rear Delt Row
About the exercise
The barbell rear delt row is a bent-over pull with a wide overhand grip. You hinge until the back is near parallel, let the bar hang at arm's length, then pull it high on the chest with the upper arms out to the sides in a T, not tucked to the ribs. That elbow path is the difference from a standard barbell row: it shifts the work onto the posterior deltoids, upper traps, and rhomboids. It is the rear-delt row, not a lat row, and it suits shoulder accessory work.
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