Top 5 Row Variations to Build Strength for Athletes

When it comes to building strength and improving athletic performance, few movements are as essential as rowing exercises. Horizontal pulling movements, commonly referred to as “rows,” are crucial for developing the upper back, shoulders, arms, and core. For athletes, a strong posterior chain (the muscles on the back of the body) is vital for maintaining balance, posture, and explosive power, whether on the field, court, or track. Chris Barnard from Overtime Athletes emphasizes the importance of progressing rowing exercises in a structured manner, starting with foundational movements and advancing to more complex variations that challenge stability, coordination, and full-body integration.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the top five row variations that athletes can use to build strength, improve performance, and enhance athleticism.

The Progression Principle: From Stable to Complex

The key to improving strength through rowing exercises is progression. Like any athletic skill or movement, building from the least complex to the most complex ensures proper form, minimizes injury risk, and maximizes performance. Chris Barnard’s approach starts with the most stable variations, where the athlete can focus solely on the pulling motion. From there, the exercises progress to more unstable positions that engage additional muscle groups and challenge core stability.

When training athletes, it’s crucial to integrate multiple body parts as the complexity of the row variations increases. For example, starting with a simple, chest-supported row allows the athlete to focus on activating the correct muscles in the upper body without needing to worry about balancing or stabilizing the rest of their body. As the athlete becomes proficient in that movement, the variation can evolve to incorporate more challenging positions that require greater trunk stability, anti-rotation, and coordination.

Here are five row variations that are perfect for athletes at various stages of their training.

1. Incline/Chest Supported Row: The Foundation

Starting with a strong foundation is essential for any training program, and the incline or chest-supported row is an excellent starting point for athletes. In this variation, the athlete lies prone on an incline bench, which supports the chest and eliminates the need to stabilize the torso. This allows for a more focused contraction of the upper back muscles, particularly the lats, traps, and rhomboids, without worrying about lower body or trunk stability.

The primary movement involves pulling the elbows back and driving them toward the ribcage, which strengthens the muscles that support proper posture and improve pulling mechanics.

Progressions for the Chest Supported Row:

Alternating Rows: Instead of pulling both dumbbells simultaneously, the athlete can alternate arms to isolate each side and focus on muscle control.
Iso-Holds: At the top of the row, the athlete can pause for 2-3 seconds to increase time under tension and further activate the muscles.
Eccentric Rows: Focusing on the lowering phase of the movement, where the athlete controls the weight as it descends, challenges the muscles in a different way, particularly increasing strength and muscle growth.

As athletes master this foundational movement, they can slowly increase the intensity or progress to more unstable variations that engage more muscle groups.

2. One-Arm Rows with Different Stances: Building Core Stability

Once an athlete is comfortable with the chest-supported row, it’s time to increase the complexity. The one-arm row with different stances challenges the core while maintaining the focus on horizontal pulling. This variation requires the athlete to balance on one knee and extend the torso out, which demands increased trunk stability and anti-rotation capabilities.

Key Benefits:

Engages the core for anti-rotation, enhancing core strength and stability.
Targets the lats and upper back, particularly on the side of the body performing the row.

Progressions for One-Arm Rows:

Knee-Supported One-Arm Row: Start with the knee on the bench to provide stability while the torso remains extended. This movement primarily targets the upper back and arms while requiring the athlete to brace their core.
Staggered Stance One-Arm Row: Transition to a staggered stance, where the feet are split, one forward and one back, providing less support and increasing the challenge to the core and trunk.
Feet Together One-Arm Row: For maximum instability, bring the feet together, which requires greater engagement of the core and anti-rotation muscles as the torso becomes more unstable.

These progressions not only target the upper back and arms but also engage the core muscles necessary for nearly every athletic movement, from running to jumping.

3. Plank Rows: Enhancing Core Stability

Plank rows are a fantastic way to integrate the upper body pulling motion with a core challenge. This variation involves holding a plank position while performing a row with a dumbbell or kettlebell. The body must remain stable while the athlete performs the row, which creates an added challenge for the core muscles, especially the obliques, rectus abdominis, and lower back.

Key Benefits:

Improves core stability and anti-rotation under load.
Engages the back, shoulders, and arms while maintaining full-body tension.
Mimics the bracing required in sports movements like tackling, sprinting, or lifting.

To perform a plank row, the athlete sets up in a push-up position, keeping the body straight and stable. One arm performs the row while the other supports the body. To avoid excessive movement in the hips or torso, the athlete must engage the core and maintain a neutral spine.

4. Kettlebell Row Variations: Adding Complexity with Resistance

The use of kettlebells can add a new dimension to rowing exercises by changing the resistance profile and movement pattern. One popular kettlebell row variation is the corkscrew row, where the athlete rotates the thumb inward as they pull the kettlebell and then externally rotates the thumb at the top of the row. This motion not only engages the muscles of the upper back but also improves scapular mobility and shoulder health.

Key Benefits:

Changes the resistance and recruitment of muscles due to the kettlebell’s uneven distribution of weight.
The corkscrew motion increases engagement of the shoulder muscles, particularly the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers.

By adding this small variation to a basic row, athletes can improve their scapular control and shoulder stability, which is essential for sports that involve overhead motions or heavy lifting.

5. Bird Dog Row: Combining Rowing with Posterior Chain Activation

Finally, the bird dog row is a dynamic row variation that combines the benefits of a standard row with posterior chain activation. The movement involves lifting the back leg (the “dog” part of the movement) while performing a row with the opposite arm. This exercise targets the lats, glutes, and core muscles, linking the posterior chain for a more integrated, athletic movement.

Key Benefits:

Activates both the upper and lower body, improving coordination between the back and glutes.
Strengthens the glute-lat connection, which is essential for explosive movements in many sports (such as sprinting, jumping, and cutting).
Enhances stability and balance by engaging multiple muscle groups at once.

To perform the bird dog row, the athlete starts in a tabletop position, balancing on one knee and the opposite hand. As they perform the row with one arm, the opposite leg extends back and up, engaging the glutes and posterior chain.

Conclusion: Progressing Through Rows for Athletic Strength

For athletes, rowing exercises are more than just upper-body movements. They play a pivotal role in strengthening the back, shoulders, and arms, while also improving core stability and full-body coordination. Chris Barnard’s progression principle—starting from the most stable variations and advancing to more complex and unstable exercises—ensures that athletes build a solid foundation and continuously challenge their strength, stability, and athleticism.

By incorporating row variations like the incline row, one-arm row, plank row, kettlebell row, and bird dog row into a training routine, athletes can achieve a well-rounded strength base that will translate to improved performance in their sport. Remember, the key is progression. By continually challenging your body with more complex and integrated movements, you can unlock new levels of strength and athleticism!