The Pendlay row is a compound movement popularized by weightlifting coach Glenn Pendlay. It’s effective for increasing upper body strength, mass, and power. Not to be confused with the traditional barbell row, this variation is known for being more strict since the barbell returns to the floor after each repetition.
In this article we’ll detail the muscles the Pendlay row works, how to perform the movement with proper form, and some of its key benefits.
Table of Contents
- 1 How to perform the Pendlay Row with proper form
- 2 Pendlay Row Muscles Worked
- 3 Pendlay Row Benefits
- 4 Frequently Asked Questions
- 5 Other Exercise Posts
- 5.1 Hammer Curl Benefits and Muscles Worked
- 5.2 The 7 Best Compound Chest Exercises
- 5.3 Leg Extension Benefits and Muscles Worked
- 5.4 Bulgarian Split Squats Muscles Worked & Benefits
- 5.5 T-Bar Row Benefits and Muscles Worked
- 5.6 How to do Bulgarian Split Squats with Proper Form
- 5.7 Bear Crawls: Benefits, Proper Form, and Muscles Worked
- 5.8 The Top 10 Muscles Worked by Planks
- 5.9 Front Squat Benefits and Muscles Worked
- 5.10 The Landmine Press: Muscles Worked, Benefits and Form
- 5.11 Lat Pulldown Benefits and Muscles Worked
- 5.12 Hack Squat Muscles Worked and Benefits
- 5.13 Farmer’s Carry Benefits & Muscles Worked
- 5.14 How to Bench Press with Perfect Form
- 5.15 Decline Bench Press Benefits and Muscles Worked
- 5.16 Barbell Row Benefits, Muscles Worked, and Form
- 5.17 The 8 Best Deadlift Benefits
- 5.18 Seated Cable Row Benefits, Form, and Muscles Worked
How to perform the Pendlay Row with proper form
The Pendlay row requires an Olympic barbell, Olympic plates, weight clips, and adequate floor space. Bumper plates are ideal but not required for this exercise since the barbell will hit the floor between repetitions. It’s a good idea to use padded flooring for this movement.
- Start with a barbell on the ground in a deadlift position. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart with the barbell directly above the mid-foot.
- Bend at the hips and knees while keeping your head, neck, and spine in a neutral position.
- Reach down and grab the barbell with an overhand grip (palms facing down)
- The back should remain parallel to the ground throughout the entire movement
- Take a deep breath, brace, and pull the barbell from the group to the lower chest or upper abdomen.
- Once the barbell makes contact with the torso, slowly lower the barbell back to the ground after each repetition.
If grip strength is a limiting factor, lifting straps are recommended to get the most out of the movement. For a video demonstration on how to perform the Pendlay row with proper form, check this out:
Pendlay Row Muscles Worked
- Latissimus dorsi
- Rhomboids
- Trapezius
- Rear Deltoid
- Biceps Brachii
The primary muscle groups worked by the Pendlay row include:
Latissmus Dorsi
The latissmus dorsi, commonly called the lats, is the biggest muscle group in the upper body. The lats are a large, fan-shaped muscle that extends from the lower/middle back to the upper arm. Their primary actions are upper arm extension, adduction, and internal rotations.
Besides the Pendlay row, other movements that engage the lats include pull-ups, lat pulldowns, and chin-ups. Well-developed lats help give the upper body a V-shape, contributing to the overall width of the back. Strengthening this muscle group is crucial for improving overall upper body strength and aesthetics.
Rhomboids
The rhomboids, including major and minor, are a pair of muscles located between the shoulder blades in the back. Their primary actions include scapular retraction (pulling the scapula closer to the spine), and scapular elevation (upward movement of the scapula). The rhomboids also play a vital role in maintaining good posture by stabilizing shoulder blades and preventing the forward-rolled shoulders.
Other exercises that target the rhomboids include any row variation, such as seated cable rows, machine rows, dumbbell rows, and T-bar rows. Strengthening the rhomboids improves posture and shoulder stability and reduces the risk of shoulder issues. They are relatively superficial so having developed rhomboids can help your back pop.
Trapezius
The trapezius, commonly known as the traps, is a pair of triangular-shaped muscles that run along the neck and upper back. This muscle group is so large that it’s divided into three sections: upper, middle, and lower. Each section performs a different primary action because of its origin point and muscle fiber orientation.
The upper fibers perform scapular elevation, such as shrugging shoulders. The middle fibers perform scapular retraction, which is the main action occurring during any rowing movement. The lower fibers perform scapular depression during any vertical pulling movement.
Overall, the traps help stabilize and control the movement of the shoulder blades. Therefore, they are crucial for good posture and maintaining proper shoulder mobility. Other movements that target the traps include shrugs, pulldown variations, horizontal row variations, and upright rows. Since the traps are such a large muscle group, developing them will result in an impressive back.
Rear Deltoid
The rear deltoids, also known as the posterior delts, are one of the three muscles that make up the deltoid muscle, which covers the shoulder. The deltoid is a triangular-shaped muscle consisting of an anterior, lateral, and posterior delt.
The rear delt assists with shoulder extension, horizontal abduction, and external rotation. The anterior delt performs shoulder flexion, and the lateral delt performs shoulder abduction. Compared to the front deltoid muscles, the rear delts are often underdeveloped, leading to a muscular imbalance and poor posture. Strengthening the rear delts is key for proper shoulder mobility, stability, and movement.
Biceps Brachii
The biceps brachii, simply referred to as the biceps are located on the front of the upper arm. This muscle is named after the fact that it has two heads, including the short head and the long head. The biceps brachii short head originates from the coracoid process of the scapula and attaches to the radial tuberosity on the radius. The biceps brachii long head supraglenoid tubercle on the scapula and attaches to the same spot as the short head.
The biceps’ primary actions include elbow flexion, shoulder flexion, and forearm supination. Although the Pendlay row exercise does not directly hit the biceps, the elbow flexion component of the movement engages them heavily. All pulling movements will engage the biceps to some extent. Other exercises targeting this muscle group include bicep curl variations, such as barbell bicep curls, dumbbell curls, and cable curls.
Pendlay Row Benefits
The primary benefits of Pendlay rows include:
- Increased upper back size and definition
- Improved posture
- Increased upper body strength and power
- Stronger stabilizer muscles
- Time efficient and adds variety
Increase upper back size and definition
Pendlay rows specifically target various upper back muscles, including the traps, lats, rhomboids, and rear delts. Since this is a compound movement, it lends itself well to progressive overload, which is vital for increasing size and strength.
Progressive overload simply means adding reps, weight, sets, or improved form over time. This technique is required for hypertrophy because it gives the muscles a reason to grow due to the increased demand. The Pendlay row can be an effective exercise for building upper back size, improving your overall aesthetics.
Improved posture
Strengthening the lats, traps, rear delts, and rhomboids can help correct or prevent poor posture. It’s fairly common to have overdeveloped front delts and tight pectoralis muscles, leading to forward-rolled shoulders. Forward-rolled shoulders can result in upper cross syndrome, which is associated with neck pain, headaches, and shoulder impingement.
Arguably, the best way to combat this is to strengthen the muscles that perform scapular retraction and depression. Not to mention, having a stronger upper back will improve overall shoulder stability, which may lower injury risk.
Increased upper body strength and power
Pendlay rows are popular amongst Olympic weightlifters compared to traditional barbell rows because they are superior for developing upper body strength and pulling power from the floor. All Olympic weight lifting movements, including the snatch, clean, and jerk, start with the barbell on the floor.
In this case, Pendlay rows have greater carryover for these athletes than other row variations. That said, Pendlay rows benefit anyone who wants to increase upper body strength and power.
Stronger Stabilizer Muscles
In addition to building the upper back muscles, the Pendlay also targets the core, erectors, glutes, hamstrings, and forearms. These muscle groups are not the main movers in this exercise but help maintain proper Pendlay row form.
The forearms are crucial for grip strength, which has carryover to nearly every other exercise. If grip strength becomes a limiting factor, try using lifting straps. However, avoid using them for warm-up sets to allow your grip strength to improve over time.
Time efficient and adds variation
Pendlay rows are a compound movement that trains multiple muscle groups simultaneously. For anyone with a busy schedule and who is short on time, sticking to compound movements will offer the best bang for your buck. Instead of doing a lat, mid-back, bicep, and forearm exercises, all of these muscles are targeted with the Pendlay row.
In addition to being time efficient, performing this exercise can add more variety to workouts, making them more enjoyable. Not to mention, switching up movements every 4-6 weeks may increase overall strength and development because it provides a novel stimulus.
Frequently Asked Questions
The bent-over row and the Pendlay row target similar back muscles. However, the main difference between the two is their starting position. When performing the barbell row, the barbell is lifted from a rack or the floor and never touches the ground. The lifter maintains a forward-leaning position, so more stress is placed on the posterior chain.
When performing a Pendlay row, the barbell starts on the floor and returns to the floor in between every repetition. The torso remains parallel to the floor throughout the entire movement. To learn more about the differences, pros, and cons, of each exercise, check out this article: Pendlay Row vs Barbell Row: Differences and Benefits
If you cannot perform the Pendlay row for any reason, here are some good exercise alternatives to consider: Bent Over Row; Dead Stop Dumbbell Rows; Inverted Bodyweight Rows; Deadlifts; Clean Pulls; Rack Pulls; Seated Cable Rows; Banded Rows; Dead Stop Chest Supported Rows
For more information on each, including how to perform them, check out this article: The 9 Best Pendlay Row Alternatives
Some common Pendlay row mistakes include: Not using strict form; sing too much weight; allowing the lower back to round; not engaging the core; improper grip width; incorrect starting position; lack of range of motion
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