Weighted Body Row exercise – Mover.tips

The Weighted Body Row is a harder variation of the Body Row. It is great for strengthening the back muscles.

Video demonstration

(excerpt from ‘Bodyweight Row Tutorial | Starting Calisthenics’ by Tom Merrick)

How to and step by step instructions:

  1. Put a weighted vest, or just a backpack with a few kilos inside.
  2. Hold the bar with both hands, palms facing forward, a little more than shoulder-width distance.
  3. Move your feet forward, under the bar, straightening legs and core.
  4. Fully extend your arms, hanging in diagonal from the bar. This is the starting position.
  5. Bend your arms, bringing the chest close to the bar.
  6. Stay there a few seconds and extend the arms again, lowering yourself to the initial position.

Hints & tips:

  • The exercise can be adjusted in many ways.
  • Add weights for a harder variation, remove for an easier one.
  • Choose a higher bar for an easier variation.
  • Put your feet closer to the bar for an easier variation.

Benefits:

  • Works all muscles needed for the pull up.
  • Strengthen back muscles.
  • Very easy to adjust to your fitness level, by adjusting feet position or used weights.

Counting & gamification:

  • Adjust the feet position or weights to have 10 reps of maximum effort, yet in proper form.
  • Aim for 3 series x10 in a session.
  • Use different grips, such as supinated, pronated and mixed, close or wide hands.

Muscles worked and body parts involved:

Primary muscles: Shoulder, Upper Back

Secondary muscles: Triceps, Forearms, Chest

Other names

The exercise can be found with other names. Examples are:

  • Weighted Body Row
  • Weighted Inverted Row
  • Weighted Bodyweight Row
  • Weighted Horizontal Pull Up
  • Weighted Body Row Parallel Bar
  • Weighted Australian Pull Up

Muscle: Shoulder

See 55 Shoulder exercises

Muscle: Upper back

Incline Bent Leg One Arm Body Row Bent Leg One Arm Body Row Supported L Sit Scapula Shrugs See 29 Upper back exercises

Collection: Body Row variantions

Bent Leg Supinated Grip Body Row See the 27 exercises collection Body Row variantions

Category: Bodyweight

Finger L Sit Heel Support See 132 exercises for category Bodyweight