The barbell row is a basic exercise for your entire back. But with nuances in the execution you determine which area of ​​your back trains the most: the upper (rhomboids and mid traps) or the lats. With the upper you work on the thickness of your back, with the lats on the width.

NARROW VS. WIDE GRIP

• With a narrow grip you train the lats a bit more;
• With a wide grip you train the rhomboids and mid traps a bit more.

POSITION OF THE ELBOWS

• With your elbows close to your body you train your lats a little more;
• With the elbows pointing outwards you train the rhomboids and mid traps a bit more;
• With both positions you also train the back of your shoulders (the rear delts) very well.

HIGH VS. LOW ROW

• If you row the weight towards your hips, you train the lats a little more;
• If you row the weight towards your chest, you train the rhomboids and mid traps a bit more.

GRIP

Overhand versus underhand versus neutral grip doesn’t really matter much for the target area you’re training. It does, however,

• that with an underhand grip the elbows are a little closer to your body and you therefore train the lats a little more;
• that with an overhand grip your elbows point more outwards and you therefore train the rhomboids and mid traps a bit more.

WHY BOTHER?

Why should you concern yourself with these nuances in your back training?

In principle, any version is sufficient for training your entire back. However, if you think your back could use a bit more thickness (so what you see in the side view), then choose the version that trains your rhomboids and mid traps a bit more.

If you want to emphasize the width of your back (what you see in the front view), choose the version that trains your lats the most.

Source: Mike Israetel