Is It Bad to Flare Your Elbows on Barbell Row

Flaring your elbows on a barbell row isn't just a small form tweak-it completely changes which muscles you're working. The answer to whether it's 'bad' depends entirely on your goal. If you want to build a wide, thick back, then yes, flaring your elbows is sabotaging your progress. But if you're intentionally trying to target your rear delts, it's a different story. This guide clarifies the confusion once and for all.

Key Takeaways

• Flaring your elbows to 90 degrees shifts the focus from your lats to your rear delts and upper traps.
• For maximum lat engagement on a standard barbell row, you must tuck your elbows to a 45-60 degree angle relative to your torso.
• Pulling the bar to your stomach or belly button forces your elbows to stay tucked, engaging the lats correctly.
• Pulling the bar to your chest forces your elbows to flare, turning the exercise into a rear delt row.
• A flared-elbow row is a different exercise, not a 'bad' barbell row, and requires much lighter weight to perform safely.
• Chronic, unintentional elbow flare with heavy weight significantly increases the risk of shoulder impingement and elbow strain.

Why Elbow Position Changes Everything

To directly answer the question, is it bad to flare your elbows on barbell row, yes, it is bad if your goal is to build your lats. You've likely seen conflicting advice. One video shows a bodybuilder with massive lats keeping his elbows tight to his body. Another shows someone else flaring them out wide. It's confusing because they're performing two different exercises that happen to use the same piece of equipment.

Think of it this way: a standard barbell row is a lat exercise. Its job is to increase the width and thickness of your back. Flaring your elbows turns it into a rear delt and upper back exercise. You're no longer doing a proper barbell row; you're doing a high row that targets your shoulders.

Here’s the simple biomechanics of it:

• Tucked Elbows (45-60 degrees): When you pull with your elbows somewhat close to your body, you perform an action called shoulder extension and adduction. This is the primary function of your latissimus dorsi (lats). Imagine starting a lawnmower-that pulling motion where your elbow drives down and back is pure lat power.
• Flared Elbows (90 degrees): When you pull with your elbows high and away from your body, you perform horizontal shoulder abduction. This is the primary function of your posterior (rear) deltoids and, to a lesser extent, your rhomboids and middle traps. Think of spreading your arms wide to give someone a big hug-that's the movement plane.

So, if you're flaring your elbows while trying to build your lats, you're using the wrong tool for the job. You're lifting heavy weight with a movement pattern that puts your shoulder joint in a vulnerable position and misses the target muscle entirely.

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The 'Right' Way: How to Row for a Bigger Back

For 99% of people, the goal of a barbell row is to build the lats. To do this, you need to master the tucked-elbow form. It's not about scraping your ribs with your arms, but finding the sweet spot that allows for maximum lat contraction without stressing the shoulder.

Your target is a 45 to 60-degree angle between your upper arm and your torso at the top of the movement. Here is the step-by-step process to get it right every time.

Step 1: Set Your Grip and Stance

Your grip should be slightly wider than your shoulders. A grip that's too narrow will limit your range of motion, and a grip that's too wide will encourage your elbows to flare out.

Hinge at your hips until your torso is nearly parallel with the floor. Keep your back flat-no rounding. A slight bend in the knees is fine. This is the starting position.

Step 2: Initiate the Pull With Your Back

Don't think about lifting the bar with your hands or arms. Your hands are just hooks. Instead, think about driving your elbows up and back towards the ceiling. This mental cue is the single most effective way to engage your lats from the start.

Step 3: Pull the Bar to Your Stomach

This is the most critical cue. The bar's destination determines your elbow path. If you pull the bar towards your chest, your elbows have no choice but to flare out to 90 degrees. It's biomechanically impossible to do otherwise.

If you pull the bar towards your lower stomach or belly button, your elbows will naturally stay in that powerful 45-60 degree tucked position. This ensures the lats are doing the work.

Step 4: Squeeze and Control the Negative

At the top of the rep, squeeze your back muscles hard for one full second. Imagine trying to pinch a pencil between your shoulder blades. Then, control the weight on the way down. Don't just let it drop. A controlled 2-second negative reinforces the mind-muscle connection and stimulates more growth.

When Is It Okay to Flare Your Elbows?

So, is there ever a time to flare your elbows? Yes, but you have to understand you are no longer doing a lat-focused barbell row. You are intentionally performing a different exercise: a Rear Delt Row.

This movement specifically targets the upper back musculature-the rear deltoids, rhomboids, and middle trapezius. It's a fantastic exercise for building thick, well-rounded shoulders and improving posture.

Here’s how it differs:

• The Goal: Shoulder and upper back thickness, not lat width.
• The Weight: You must use significantly less weight. If you barbell row 185 pounds for reps, you might only use 95-135 pounds for a proper rear delt row. Ego has no place here.
• The Bar Path: You pull the bar higher on your body, towards your sternum or lower chest.
• The Feel: You won't feel a deep stretch in your lats. Instead, you'll feel an intense contraction and burn in the muscles at the back of your shoulders and between your shoulder blades.

This is an accessory movement, not a primary strength builder. It's for people who have already built a solid foundation and want to bring up lagging body parts. For a beginner or intermediate lifter, mastering the standard, tucked-elbow barbell row is far more important.

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Common Rowing Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Most people don't flare their elbows on purpose. It's a compensation pattern that happens when form breaks down. Here are the most common reasons it happens and how to fix them.

Mistake 1: Lifting Too Much Weight

This is the number one culprit. When the weight is too heavy for your lats to handle, your body instinctively recruits stronger muscle groups to help. Your upper traps and deltoids jump in, causing you to jerk the weight up and flare your elbows. It's a survival mechanism.

The Fix: Drop the weight by 20-30%. If you're rowing 205 lbs with poor form, deload to 155 lbs and perfect every single rep. The muscle growth from 10 perfect reps will always be better than 10 sloppy, ego-driven ones.

Mistake 2: Pulling With Your Biceps

If your biceps are sore after back day, you're pulling with your arms, not your back. This often leads to a curling motion where the elbows flare as you try to get the bar up.

The Fix: Use a thumbless (suicide) grip or imagine your hands are just hooks. Focus all your mental energy on driving your elbows back. The bend in your arm is a consequence of your back contracting, not the cause of the bar moving.

Mistake 3: Standing Too Upright

As you get tired, it's common to start standing up more with each rep, turning the movement into a sloppy shrug. A more upright torso angle shortens the range of motion and makes it easier for the traps to take over, causing the elbows to flare.

The Fix: Be strict about your torso angle. Keep your hips high and your chest facing the floor. If you find yourself standing up, the set is over, or the weight is too heavy. A Yates Row, done with a more upright 45-degree angle, is a specific variation, but it still requires a locked torso.

Mistake 4: A Weak Mind-Muscle Connection

Sometimes, you're just going through the motions. You're lifting the weight from point A to point B without any intention. This leads to the path of least resistance, which often involves flaring the elbows.

The Fix: Slow down. Use a lighter weight and pause for two seconds at the top of each rep, actively squeezing your lats. Feel the muscle working. This deliberate practice builds the neural pathways that make correct form second nature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a Yates row and a Pendlay row elbow flare?

A Pendlay row, performed from a dead stop on the floor with a parallel torso, demands very strict, tucked-elbow form. A Yates row, with a more upright 45-degree torso, allows for a slightly different bar path and can sometimes lead to more elbow flare if you're not careful, as the traps are more involved.

Should my elbows touch my body when I row?

No, that's likely too tucked and can limit your range of motion. Aim for a 45-degree angle, which will leave a few inches of space between your elbows and your ribcage at the top of the rep. This provides the strongest line of pull for the lats.

I feel pain in my shoulder when I row. Is it elbow flare?

It is a very strong possibility. Flaring your elbows to 90 degrees while lifting heavy weight can close down the space in your shoulder joint, leading to shoulder impingement. Tucking the elbows creates a much safer and more natural path for the humerus (upper arm bone) to travel.

Can I use dumbbells to fix my elbow flare?

Absolutely. Dumbbell rows are one of the best ways to learn proper rowing mechanics. Using dumbbells allows each arm to move independently, forcing you to concentrate on the correct elbow path for each side. It's much harder to cheat and flare your elbows on a dumbbell row.

How do I know if I'm targeting my lats or rear delts?

It comes down to where you feel the burn and pump. After a set of proper lat-focused rows, your lats-the big muscles on the sides of your back-should feel tight and full. After a set of flared, rear-delt rows, the burn will be concentrated in the back of your shoulders and the area between your shoulder blades.