Exercises / Back & spine
Prone row
- Strength
- Back & spine
- Bench, Light dumbbell
Pull a light weight toward the ribs while lying face down on a bench.
Where you stand
No published distribution for this exercise yet. We add one only from a peer-reviewed study.
Muscles worked
Filled: primary. Outlined: secondary.
How much
Common starting dose: 8-12 repetitions per side, 2 sets.
Start: Prone on a bench
Steps
- Lie face down with the working arm hanging beside a bench.
- Pull the elbow toward the hip and gently draw the shoulder blade back.
- Lower the weight slowly.
Cues
- Keep the neck long
- Move the shoulder blade with the arm
Common mistakes
- Shrugging
- Twisting the trunk
- Pulling the elbow too high
Used for
- Scapular retraction strength
- Row progression
Take care (2)
- Use a pain-free range and stop if symptoms increase.
- Follow procedure-specific movement limits after shoulder surgery.
Evidence (1)
- A comparative EMG study included a low row but did not test this prone dumbbell variant or treatment outcomes.1
Harder
References (1)
- Mendez-Rebolledo G, Araya-Quintanilla F, Guzmán-Muñoz E, et al. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2024;103(6):502-509. Comparative Electromyographic Study of Scapular Stabilizing Muscles During Five Main Rehabilitation Exercises