Barbell Incline Row

Also known as: incline barbell row

Beginner

Upper Back

Barbell

Barbell Incline Row pairs heavy bilateral barbell loading with pulling strength and back density — built for your first months of training.

How to do Barbell Incline Row

Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
Lie face down on the bench with your chest against the pad and your feet flat on the ground.
Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
Pull the barbell towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.

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Barbell Incline Row Sets and Reps by Goal

Strength

3 sets of 5-6 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.

Hypertrophy

3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-18 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.

Common Barbell Incline Row Mistakes

Bouncing the bar to get through the hardest inch

Pause briefly so the muscle, not the rebound, does the work.

Using body english to move weight the back cannot

Lock the torso angle and let only the arms travel.

Skipping warm-up sets and starting at working weight

Run two light build-up sets so the first hard set is not the first rep.

Easier and Harder Than Barbell Incline Row

Harder progression

Cable One Arm Straight Back High Row (kneeling)

Swap Barbell Incline Row For

Lever Reverse Grip Vertical Row

Elevator

Smith Narrow Row

Barbell Incline Row — Frequently Asked Questions

How do you do the Barbell Incline Row?

Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle. Lie face down on the bench with your chest against the pad and your feet flat on the ground. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.

What muscles does the Barbell Incline Row work?

The Barbell Incline Row primarily targets the upper back. It is classified as a back exercise and is performed with a barbell.

How many sets and reps of the Barbell Incline Row should I do?

For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.

Is the Barbell Incline Row good for beginners?

Yes. The Barbell Incline Row is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.

What can I do instead of the Barbell Incline Row?

Try the Lever Reverse Grip Vertical Row, Elevator or the Smith Narrow Row. Each trains the upper back with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.

Is the Barbell Incline Row the same as the incline barbell row?

Yes. The Barbell Incline Row is also commonly called the incline barbell row. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "incline barbell row" refer to this same movement.