Rotating Grip Dumbbell Row

In SetGrip: Dumbbell Row (Rotating Grip)

Secondary muscles
Biceps, Forearms
Body part
Back
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

Track this exercise in SetGrip — no account needed

Download SetGrip on the App Store

Rotating the dumbbells from palms-back toward palms-in as you row adds a supination arc that a barbell physically cannot allow, tying forearm rotation into every rep of the hinge. The twist costs some load, since the rotation gets sloppy before your back tires, so run it lighter than your standard Bent over Dumbbell Row.

How to do the Rotating Grip Dumbbell Row

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
  2. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
  3. Let your arms hang straight down, palms facing your body.
  4. Engage your core and pull the dumbbells up towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. As you pull the dumbbells up, rotate your palms so they face away from your body.
  6. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
  7. Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position, rotating your palms back to the starting position.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Pause for a full count with the handle at your torso before letting it go back.

Muscles worked

Primary

Upper Back · Back

The rhomboids and mid traps squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of each rep, which is where you should feel the strongest contraction.

Secondary

  • Biceps — The biceps bend the elbow on every row but should never be the muscle that fails first.
  • Forearms — Grip and forearm endurance often limit heavy rows, so use straps or a thicker grip if the hands give out before the back.

Common mistakes

  • Yanking with the arms — the rep should start with the shoulder blades pulling back, then the elbows follow; if the biceps give out first, you are curling the weight.
  • Torso heaving up — on bent-over rows the back angle should not change between reps; if it does, drop the weight.
  • Shrugging the shoulders up — pull the elbows back and down and keep the shoulders away from the ears, especially on face pulls.
  • Skipping the stretch — let the arms straighten fully and the shoulder blades slide forward at the start of each rep, then pull from there.

Where it fits in a workout

Rows are a main movement in any pull or back session and go before pulldowns and arm work. They pair well with a chest press or a push-up as a push and pull superset.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without dumbbell

Easier and harder

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

Track the Rotating Grip Dumbbell Row in SetGrip

All 1,100+ exercises with animations are in the app. No account, no sign-up — your history stays on your iPhone and in your private iCloud. Works with Apple Watch.

Download SetGrip on the App Store

More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.