Smith Bent Over Row

Stand in front of the Smith machine, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips to lean forward. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight, engage your core, and slowly pull the barbell towards your abdomen. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. Lower the barbell back down in a controlled manner and repeat.

How to perform the Smith Bent Over Row

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Smith Bent Over Row using your smith machine.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your rhomboids.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your rhomboids rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Smith Bent Over Row

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