The chest-supported dumbbell row is a row with your chest on an incline bench: your lower back holds nothing and there's no way to swing.
1Starting positionStart2End positionFinish
Setup
Set a bench to 30–45 degrees and lie chest-down, dumbbells hanging under your shoulders. Feet braced on the floor. Row them to your lower ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades.
Execution
Lie chest-down on an incline bench, dumbbells hanging straight down, neutral grip — starting position.
Exhale and pull the dumbbells to your hips, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Inhale and lower them back down slowly.
Common mistakes
Lifting your chest off the bench — keep it down or it's just a bent-over row.
Rowing to your shoulders — pull to your lower ribs.
Flaring your elbows wide — for the back keep them at roughly 45 degrees.
Not letting your shoulder blades spread at the bottom — use the full range.
Alternatives
Equipment taken or the movement doesn't suit you — try Bent-Over Barbell Row, Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row, T-Bar Row. All 8 substitutes and what changes →
Not sure about your form? Send me a video of a set — I'll take a look and tell you what to fix first.
