Barbell Row

Stand with your feet hip width apart, push your hips back, and hinge your torso forward. Lift your chest and brace your core to set your torso angle, then grip the bar about shoulder width.

Pull your elbows back and bring the bar toward your navel. Keep the bar close to your body as you lift so your back can do more of the work.

Squeeze your back briefly at the highest point, then lower the bar slowly as your arms extend. Maintain your torso angle and core brace all the way down.

Think about driving your elbows back instead of pulling with your hands. If you feel it only in your forearms or biceps, lower the weight and send your elbows farther back.

Jerking your torso with momentum or rowing with a rounded back loads your lower back before your back muscles. Pulling too high and shrugging your shoulders tensions your neck, so aim around navel height.

Inhale before pulling to brace your torso, then exhale slowly as you row. Inhale as you lower to make it easier to keep the same torso angle on the next rep.

Before adding weight, practice moving a light bar up and down close to your thighs. You should be able to repeat the same torso angle to row with your whole back instead of your arms.