WhatWorksWhat.
Lats

Chest-supported Row

Lats and mid-back working with zero lower-back tax.

Complexity · Lowhypertrophybeginner+DumbbellsBench
  • Biceps
  • Lats
  • Lats - Lower lats
  • Lats - Upper lats
  • Rear delts
  • Rhomboids
  • Traps
  • Upper lats
  • Lower lats

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Upper lats

    Hit

    Width - hit by wide grip vertical pulls.

  • Lower lats

    Hit

    Thickness - hit by close grip and pullovers.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

4:04· Fit Father Project - Fitness For Busy Fathers

How To Do The Chest Supported Dumbbell Row Correctly - Proper Form, Sets & Reps Tutorial

Bottom (extended)

Top (squeezed)

Chest down on an incline bench at ~30°. Dumbbells hanging straight down. Row by driving the elbows up and back. Squeeze blades at the top.

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the chest off the bench to cheat - the support is the whole point.
  • Pulling with the arms instead of the back.

Where you should feel it

Lats and mid-back working with zero lower-back tax.

Injury risk · 1/10

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains lats. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • Chest-supported row, neutral grip

    Palms facing each other.

    100% on target

    On target

    Lower lats.

  • Chest-supported row, wide grip

    Wider, elbows out.

    90% on target

    On target

    Rear delts + upper back.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Lat Hang

    Dead hang from a bar, fully relaxed shoulders. 30–60s. Decompresses everything pulling-related.

    LatsRhomboids

  • Child's Pose

    Knees wide, big toes together. Sit hips back to the heels, arms long overhead, forehead to the floor. 60s. Walk the hands one direction to bias one side.

    LatsLower backRhomboids

  • Downward Dog

    Hands and feet on the floor, hips in the air making an inverted V. Press the heels toward the floor. Pedal the heels alternately for a stronger calf stretch. 45s.

    CalvesHamstringsLatsFront delts

Coach note

The single best row for lifters with cranky lower backs. No skill required, all stimulus.