Pendlay Row

What is the Pendlay Row?

The Pendlay row is a strict barbell row where every rep starts from a dead stop on the floor and is pulled explosively to the torso, then returned all the way down. Resetting on the floor each rep removes the stretch-reflex and any momentum carried between reps, forcing the mid-back to generate the pull from scratch, which builds explosive pulling strength and a stricter row than a touch-and-go barbell row.

Muscles worked

Primary: Back

The mid-back (lats, rhomboids, and mid-traps) drives the elbows back to pull the bar explosively from the floor to the torso from a dead stop each rep.

Secondary: Biceps, Traps

The biceps flex the elbows to assist the pull, and the traps retract and control the shoulder blades at the top of each rep.

Stabilizers

The spinal erectors and braced trunk hold the torso rigid and near-parallel to the floor, working hard between reps since there’s no bounce to help.

How to perform the Pendlay Row

1. Set up over a barbell on the floor as if deadlifting, then hinge until your torso is roughly parallel to the ground with a flat, braced back.
2. Take a pronated grip slightly wider than shoulder width, hips high enough to keep the spine neutral rather than rounded under load.
3. From the dead stop on the floor, explosively row the bar to the lower chest or upper abdomen by driving the elbows back hard.
4. Keep the torso angle locked at parallel throughout the pull, resisting the urge to rise up and turn it into a standing row.
5. Lower the bar all the way back to the floor and let it settle completely, resetting your brace before each rep instead of touch-and-go.
6. Guard the lumbar spine on every rep, since the parallel torso and explosive pull punish any rounding under the bar.

Suggested working range: 5–8 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

A bilateral horizontal pull from a dead stop: the torso stays fixed near parallel to the floor while the bar is pulled explosively from the ground to the belly and lowered back to a full rest each rep. As a compound it trains the back and arms together, but the reset removes the stretch-shortening cycle, so each rep is a fresh concentric effort from a stricter starting position than a barbell row.

Form cues

• •Set the torso near parallel to the floor and keep that angle fixed: the Pendlay row is stricter than a standard barbell row.
• •Pull the bar explosively to the lower ribs or belly, driving the elbows back hard from a dead stop.
• •Lower the bar all the way to the floor and let it settle before the next rep, resetting your brace.
• •Keep the hips still: if they rise to help the bar up, the load is too heavy for a strict pull.

Common mistakes

• •Rising up out of the parallel torso position with each pull so it becomes a standing upright row.
• •Rounding the lower back over the bar under load, which is the primary injury risk of this explosive floor row.
• •Doing touch-and-go reps that bounce off the floor instead of resetting the brace from a full dead stop.
• •Pulling the bar too high toward the upper chest and over-recruiting the traps rather than driving the elbows back to the lower chest.

Variations & alternatives

• •Barbell row: the touch-and-go version with a slightly higher torso angle and less strict reset.
• •Yates row: a reverse-grip, more upright barbell row that emphasises the upper back and traps.
• •T-bar row: an anchored, supported row to load the mid-back heavy with less balance demand.
• •Seated cable row: a constant-tension horizontal pull with no hinge to hold between reps.

Conventional Deadlift

Back · Barbell

Barbell Row

Back · Barbell

Pull-Up

Back · Bodyweight

Lat Pulldown

Back · Machine

Seated Cable Row

Back · Cable

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Program the Pendlay row as a primary back-strength movement in the library’s 5–8 rep range, early in the session while your lower back is fresh. The explosive, dead-stop reps make it a power and strength builder rather than a high-rep pump exercise, so keep the reps low and the form strict. Chasing weight you can only move by standing up defeats the point. A few hard sets pair well with a vertical pull.

Frequently asked questions