Smith Machine Bent Over RowMuscles Worked
The Smith machine bent over row mainly works your upper back, especially the rhomboids and middle traps, with the lats, rear delts and biceps helping on every pull. The fixed bar path lets you focus on the hinge and the squeeze instead of balancing the bar.
PrimaryUpper Back
- Equipment
- Machine
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Compound
- Force
- Pull
How to do it
- Set the bar on the Smith machine a little below knee height, then stand close to it with your feet about hip width apart.
- Soften your knees and hinge at the hips until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, keeping your back flat and your neck in line.
- Take an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width, rotate the bar off its hooks and let it hang at arm's length.
- Row the bar toward your lower ribs, driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top.
- Lower the bar under control until your arms are straight again, keeping your torso angle steady, and repeat.
- When the set is done, stand up slightly and rotate the bar back onto the hooks.
Form tips
- Hold the same torso angle for the whole set, because standing taller on each rep turns the row into a shrug.
- Set your feet so the bar hangs below your shoulders, since the fixed track will not let you fix a bad stance mid set.
- Think about pulling with your elbows, not your hands, to keep the work in your back instead of your biceps.
Why it made the list
No. 12 of 12
Best Upper Back Exercises
Smith machine provides a fixed bar path for rows. Good for learning the row pattern safely.
More upper back exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Smith Machine Bent Over Row sets in KasMaker and watch your upper back, biceps, lats, and shoulders fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
