What Muscles Are Involved in Prone Row Exercise?

The dumbbell prone row is a compound exercise that trains most of the muscles of the back. Use this move interchangeably with bent over rows or cable rows as it targets the same muscles. This exercise might not be comfortable for people with a large chest or abdomen.

To do a prone row, face a weight bench so your body is perpendicular to it. Lie your chest down on a weight bench with your legs extended behind you. Reach down and pick up the dumbbells that you placed underneath the bench. You should be able to fully extend your arms without the dumbbells touching the floor. Bend the elbows to draw your upper arms up alongside your trunk. Stop when your upper arms are behind your back and then return to a straight position with the shoulders stretching downward.

The prone row uses multiple muscles in synergy. The middle and upper regions of the trapezius, a triangle-shaped muscle of the upper back, and the rhomboids which work to pull the shoulder blades back are activated. The broad latissimus dorsi muscle which extends behind the ribs is also used during the prone row. Smaller muscles that mobilize the shoulder, including the posterior deltoid, infraspinitus, teres major and teres minor help with the squeezing backward movement. The muscles of the forearm, the brachialis and brachioradialis, are used as you grip the weight and the pectoralis major of the chest – particularly the lower region – helps you control the weight during the lowering phase of the movement. The biceps and triceps of the upper arms assist in stabilizing the joints as you row.

If you always do the same variation of the row, the prone row offers variety by targeting the muscles from a slightly different angle. The prone row may also be more comfortable than a barbell bent over row for some people with back pain. You can also work both sides of your back at the same time during the prone row, which speeds up your workout.

If you do not have a workout bench, or you find the surface of the bench too hard against your torso, you can use a stability ball. Lie prone across the ball with your toes propped in the floor and your legs straight as you row with the weights. Dumbbell bent over rows, dumbbell bent over rows, cable rows, lever-machine rows and resistance band rows are other alternatives if you cannot do the prone row.