Straight Bar Bench Mid Rows

How to perform

1. 01Place a loaded barbell on the end of a bench. Standing on the bench behind the bar, take a medium, pronated grip. Stand with your hips back and chest up, maintaining a neutral spine. This will be your starting position.
2. 02Row the bar to your torso by retracting the shoulder blades and flexing the elbows. Use a controlled movement with no jerking.
3. 03After a brief pause, slowly return the bar to the starting position, ensuring to go all the way down.

Form cues

• —Brace your core before the first rep and keep it braced.
• —Lead with the elbows and finish by squeezing the target muscle.
• —Set the bar path over mid-foot and keep it there.
• —Control the lowering phase — that is where most of the growth stimulus lives.

Common mistakes

• —Using momentum instead of the target muscle.
• —Cutting the range of motion short to add load.
• —Adding weight before the movement pattern is clean.