Liftworthy
ExploreTrainFeed
Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

Rankings
  • All rankings
  • Add an exercise
  • Build a workout
About
  • How scores work
  • The app
  • Your tiers
Legal
  • Privacy
  • Terms & community rules
General training information, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and see a professional.
  • Explore
  • Train
  • Feed
  • You
Explore/Back

Chest-Supported Row

Also called Incline dumbbell row

DumbbellCompoundEasy to learn
Front
Back
Primary Secondary

Works

Upper back & lats

Also traps, delts, biceps

You need

Dumbbells, Bench

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Squeeze
Main musclesAlso working
  1. 1Chest on an incline bench
  2. 2Row without lifting your chest off the pad
  3. 3Squeeze shoulder blades together at the top

Most common mistake

Peeling the chest off the pad to cheat reps.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Top 10 for back
  • Keeps the work on the target muscle
  • Easy on the joints and recovery

Compare with

vs Machine Rowvs Seal Rowvs Single-Arm Cable Row
S
For back
#6 of 40
See the full list →
Research
89
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 89
Target tensionExcellent
Loaded stretchStrong
ProgressionStrong
Low costExcellent

Same idea with dumbbells: no momentum, no lower-back fatigue.

Research behind these criteria

  • Target tension: Zabaleta-Korta et al., 2021 · Kinoshita et al., 2023
  • Loaded stretch: Maeo et al., 2021 · Maeo et al., 2023 · Pedrosa et al., 2022 · Kassiano et al., 2023
  • Progression: Plotkin et al., 2022 · Pelland et al., 2026
  • Low cost: Schoenfeld et al., 2021 · Refalo et al., 2023
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SMachine RowMachine
  • SAssisted Pull-UpMachine
  • SLat PulldownCable
  • AOne-Arm Dumbbell RowDumbbell

Takes

None yet
needed to post
280