ABSOLUTE ASCENDANCY

Commencing operation . . .

Overview

Dumbbell rows are likely nothing new to you if you have a basic knowledge of weight training. In the past, they were a staple exercise for me, but after switching to a vegetarian diet, I lost a fair amount of muscle mass and strength, so I ended up dropping the exercise altogether.

I mentioned in my previous article that through overuse of my denneroll, I caused pain to occur in my right rhomboid. Restricting the time I spent with my denneroll resolved the problem, but I wanted to strengthen my Rhomboids anyway to further prevent the problem from arising in the future.

Dumbbell Row

You will require a bench or a chair as well as a dumbbell to perform this exercise. You should be able to place one knee against the bench while the other stands straight and makes contact with the floor. You can rest your arm nearest the bench on there or place your palm or fist against it. Those are your three points of contact, and your back should be horizontally straight such that you have a ‘table shape’ formation.

 The other arm grips the dumbbell and, you attempt to pull the dumbbell towards you, ensuring that your elbow is tucked close to your body and is moving behind you not upwards and beyond.

Benefits

As mentioned, dumbbell rows are great for working the upper back muscles. The trapezoids, rhomboids, and scapular stabilisers in particular. They also promote arm and grip strength, and they even work the glutes and hamstrings of the straightened leg. Since, re-adding the dumbbell row back into my home workout routine, my rhomboids have become stronger, and I rarely suffer from pain in that area now. 

Conclusion

The dumbbell row is here to stay! At least for me personally it is. The exercise gives a lot of value, and anyone can perform them by using an appropriate weight for the dumbbell. A kettlebell makes a good alternative to a dumbbell for this exercise also. Just make sure you don’t try and lift beyond your means as this is an exercise where posture and correct movement will do a lot more for you than the weight you pull.

Mission complete – Overlord Drakow signing out.