Dumbbell rows help give your back muscles a workout with all of the benefits free weights offer. Each side of your body will have to lift the same load, and you'll engage several smaller muscles as stabilizers as you lift. Dumbbells are small and relatively inexpensive, so you can perform dumbbell rows from home or at the gym.
Primary Muscles
The dumbbell row exercise targets your latissimus dorsi, or lats, as well as your rhomboids. The latissimus dorsi is the largest muscle in your back and one of the largest in your entire body. Beginning under your arm, the muscle extends around the torso and across the middle portion of your back. It is responsible for extending and rotating the upper arm, as well as raising the body during climbing. The rhomboids form a diamond shape extending from mid-back up between your shoulder blades to the base of your neck. The rhomboids help adduct or fixate the shoulder blades.
Secondary Muscles
As with any free-weight exercise, your body calls on several additional muscle groups when you perform dumbbell rows to help stabilize and balance your body. In addition to working your lats and rhomboids, you're also exercising your biceps, trapezius, lower back, rotator cuff, shoulders and obliques.
Proper Form
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees slightly as you lean forward from your waist, keeping your back straight and your head facing forward. Allow your arms to hang toward the floor. As you exhale, pull the dumbbells up toward your sides. Concentrate on squeezing your back muscles as you pull your elbows up toward the ceiling. Inhale as you return your arms to the hanging position.
Variations
If you're just getting started, or if you want to work each side of your back independently, try single-arm rows instead. Place one knee and hand on a flat bench with the dumbbell in your opposite hand to perform the exercise. Switch sides to work the opposite half of your back. Alternately, you can perform rows to work the same muscle groups using a cable tower or cable row machine. From a seated position, keep your back straight and pull the handle in toward your stomach as you squeeze your back muscles.
Safety Tips
If you're not sure how much weight to lift, it's always better to err on the lighter side to avoid injury. Perform dumbbell rows next to a mirror, and watch to make sure you're not rounding your back during the exercise. If you suffer from lower back pain or injury, try a seated cable row instead.
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