Barbell Incline Row

RhomboidsBarbellBeginner
1. Set up an inclined bench at a 45-degree angle. 2. Place a barbell on the ground in front of the bench. 3. Stand in front of the bench with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. 4. Bend down and grab the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. 5. Lift the barbell off the ground by extending your hips and knees, keeping your back straight and chest up. 6. Walk backward away from the bench until your arms are fully extended, and the barbell is hovering just above the ground. 7. Keeping your body stable, exhale as you pull the barbell towards your chest, leading with your elbows. 8. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. 9. Inhale as you slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position, maintaining control and stability throughout. 10. Repeat the movement for the desired number of reps, maintaining proper form and technique.

How to perform the Barbell Incline Row

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Incline Row using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your rhomboids.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your rhomboids rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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