PullDBBench
Bilateral dumbbell row performed lying prone on an inclined bench, chest fully supported. Removes spinal stabilization demand entirely, letting the lifter focus purely on scapular retraction and lat/rhomboid contraction.
Demo: Renaissance Periodization
Sets
3
Reps
10-15
Rest
1:30
Contraindications
None significant.Setup
Set an adjustable bench to roughly 30-45 degrees. Lie chest-down with a dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging straight down.
Execution
- 1Let the arms hang fully extended at the bottom
- 2Row both dumbbells up simultaneously, driving elbows back
- 3Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top
- 4Lower under control back to full extension
Key cues
- No body English possible — pure back contraction
- Drive elbows back and slightly up, not straight out
- Squeeze at the top for a full second
- Full stretch every rep at the bottom
Common faults
- Bench angle too steep or shallow, reducing range of motion
- Using momentum by pushing off the bench with the toes
- Shrugging instead of retracting the shoulder blades
- Rushing through reps without a real contraction at the top
Tweaks
- Incline chest-supported DB row at a steeper angle for a different pulling vector
- Alternate arms for a unilateral variant
- Add a pause at the top for hypertrophy emphasis
Regressions
Muscles
Primary: Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboids
Secondary: Rear Deltoids, Biceps Brachii, Trapezius
Notes
A frequently recommended 'safe default' back-hypertrophy row in RP-style programming since it removes all spinal-stabilization confound.
Sources
- Renaissance Periodization - Chest Supported Row for Back Hypertrophy
- Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row - ExRx.net
Attribution: Renaissance Periodization / Dr. Mike Israetel