Barbell Rear Delt Row
This row bends you over at the hips and pulls a barbell up toward your chest with your elbows flared wide, which shifts the pulling work toward your rear delts and upper back instead of your lats. It's a compound pull that also leans on your biceps and middle back to finish each rep. It suits lifters looking to balance out heavy pressing work with a dedicated rear-shoulder pull.
Why it works
A standard bent-over row, pulled to the waist with elbows tucked, mostly recruits the lats and middle back. Widening your grip and flaring your elbows out to the sides changes the angle of pull enough that the rear deltoids take on a bigger share of the work, since that's the position where they're mechanically positioned to help draw your arms back. Staying bent over the whole set keeps tension on those muscles through a longer range than a seated rear delt fly would.
Set up
- Take a wide, overhand grip on the barbell, a few inches outside shoulder width.
- Hinge at the hips until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, knees slightly bent.
- Let the bar hang at arm's length below your chest before the first pull.
How to do it
- Pull the bar up toward your lower chest, leading with your elbows.
- Flare your elbows out to the sides rather than tucking them to your ribs.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the pull.
- Pause briefly at the top of the movement.
- Lower the bar back to a full arm hang under control.
- Keep your torso angle fixed for the whole set, don't stand up between reps.
Form cues
- Elbows flare wide and lead the pull, not the hands.
- Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top.
- Torso angle stays fixed, no standing up mid-set.
- Lower the bar all the way down each rep.
Breathing: Exhale as you pull the bar up, inhale as you lower it back down.
Common mistakes
Tucking the elbows in close to the ribs, which turns the movement into a lat-focused row.
Fix: Flare your elbows out wide from the start of the pull to keep the emphasis on the rear delts.
Standing up a little between reps to make the pull easier.
Fix: Lock your hip hinge in place at the start and hold that angle for the entire set.
Using a heavy weight and letting the lower back round to help the pull.
Fix: Drop the load until your torso stays flat and your hips stay hinged through every rep.
Yanking the bar up with a jerky pull.
Fix: Slow the tempo down and pull with a controlled, even pace.
How to program it
- As a lighter, rear-delt focused pull rather than a max-effort back builder, two sessions a week fit comfortably into most pressing-heavy programs.
- Three sets of 12 to 15 reps at a moderate load is a good starting point, since the rear delts respond well to higher reps.
- It pairs naturally after your main pressing or main pulling lift, as accessory work rather than the first exercise of a session.
- Progress by adding small load jumps only once your elbow flare and torso angle stay consistent across all reps.
Safety notes
- Keep the hip hinge steady throughout; a rounding lower back under load is the most common way this row causes strain.
- Start lighter than you think you need, since the wide-elbow position is less mechanically efficient than a standard row.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many sets of barbell rear delt rows should I do?
Three sets of 12 to 15 reps at a moderate weight works well for most people, since this is more about controlled volume than maximal load.
What muscles does the barbell rear delt row work?
The rear deltoids are the main target, thanks to the wide elbow flare, with your lats, middle back, and biceps assisting through the pull.
Barbell rear delt row vs cable rear delt fly, which is better?
The barbell row lets you move more total weight and works the rear delts alongside your back and arms. The cable fly isolates the rear delts more directly with constant tension, which some lifters prefer for a dedicated shoulder finisher. Many programs use both at different points in the week.
Why does my lower back feel it more than my shoulders during this row?
That usually means the load is too heavy for your hip hinge to hold steady. Lower the weight and focus on keeping your torso angle fixed before adding load back.