Gorilla row

Muscle group
Back
Equipment
Dumbbell
Primary muscles
Lats, Upper back
Secondary muscles
Biceps, Forearms, Rear delts
  1. Place two dumbbells on the floor between your feet. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.
  2. Hinge at your hips, keeping your back straight and chest up. Grip the handles of the weights. This is your starting stance.
  3. Keeping your core tight, pull one dumbbell up towards your hip, squeezing your back muscles. The other hand and dumbbell should remain on the floor for stability.
  4. Lower the dumbbell back to the floor with control.
  5. Repeat the movement on the opposite side. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of reps.

Tips

  • Keep your hips hinged and your torso angled forward throughout the set so that each row pulls the dumbbell toward your hip rather than straight up in front of you.
  • Use the dumbbell resting on the floor as a stable base by pressing it lightly into the ground while you row the other side.
  • Drive your elbow back and close to your body as you pull, and lower the dumbbell back to the floor with the same controlled path.

Common mistakes

  • Rotating the torso to generate momentum as you pull causes the hips to twist and breaks the stable hinged position established at the start.
  • Letting the hips rise as you row reduces the forward lean and turns the movement into more of an upright shrug than a row.
  • Pulling the dumbbell up with a bent wrist rather than a neutral wrist shifts the effort away from the back and places unnecessary strain on the forearm.
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