Smith Machine Bent-Over Row
Bent-over row on a Smith machine, where the fixed bar path holds the line while you row to the torso.
How to do it
- Set the Smith machine bar to the lowest catch height and load it.
- Face the bar and take an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders.
- Unlock the bar, push your hips back with soft knees, and set a flat back.
- Let the bar hang just below your knees, then pull it up to your lower ribs.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top and keep the torso still.
- Lower the bar along the rails to straight arms and repeat.
Key technique cue
Stay hinged, pull to the low ribs, lower back flat.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Standing up as you row, which shortens the range and moves the lift to the hips.
- ✕ Letting the lower back round under load, which concentrates stress on the lumbar spine.
- ✕ Bouncing the bar at the bottom, which replaces back tension with momentum.
- ✕ Pulling high to the chest with flared elbows, which drops the lats out of the movement.
Benefits
- ✓ Fixed bar path removes the balance task and keeps rowing lines consistent.
- ✓ Trains upper back and lats together in one loaded horizontal pull.
- ✓ Easy to load in small steps for progression on machine-only floors.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here - Smith Machine Bent-Over Row
- Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row Palms In
- Dumbbell Row Bilateral
- Kettlebell Row
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Step 3
About the exercise
The Smith machine bent-over row keeps the barbell on rails, so the bar path is decided for you and the work goes into pulling rather than balancing. You hold a hip hinge with a flat back and row the bar to the lower ribs, which loads the upper back and lats with the biceps and rear deltoids assisting. The hinge itself is not free: the lumbar erectors and abs hold the trunk against the load, and free bent-over rowing was measured as the highest lumbar spine load among common rowing variations, so back position stays the limiting factor even on a machine.
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