Humble Row – A Lesser-Known Exercise With More Muscle-Building Potential

Adding this simple yet effective back exercise to your training is a surefire way to bring up your rowing numbers, and it’ll help you get stronger with the old-school bent-over dumbbell rows, too. Here, Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel and associate fitness editor Brett Williams explain the humble row, its benefits, and how to execute it.

Humble Row: A Lesser-Known Exercise with More Muscle-Building Potential
The humble row looks a lot like the chest supported dumbbell row and the incline row, but it’s what you do with the movement that sets it apart. By incorporating it into your back-focused workouts, you’ll be able to target the lats and rear deltoids with greater isolation.

This allows for higher levels of muscle stimulation than the other two row variations, while also reducing fatigue and strain on the shoulders and joints. It’s important to remember that the humble row should be a controlled movement, and you should focus on getting a full contraction at the top of the movement before lowering your arms to complete the rep.

Another key aspect of the humble row is that it should be performed with the elbows driving outward and upward, almost at a 90 degree angle. This helps to drive the shoulder blades together (also known as scapular retraction) and also activates the rear deltoids, a muscle that’s often overlooked in the gym. Developing these muscles can give your shoulders that much-coveted “capped” look and enhance your overall shoulder structure.