BENT-OVER DUMBBELL ROWS

PURPOSE OF EXERCISE: To work each
side of the upper back independently.
You can still work heavy and give
your back a good workout using
dumbbells, but by using them you force
each side of the body to work up to its
own capacity, rather than running the
risk of having the stronger side help out
the weaker one. This is a good weak
point exercise for anyone lacking upper
back symmetry.
EXECUTION: (1) Grasp a dumbbell in
each hand, bend your knees slightly, then
bend forward from the waist, keeping
your head up and your back straight. Let
the weights hang at arm’s length below
the shoulders. (2) Simultaneously lift
both weights up as far as possible to
your sides, holding your upper body
steady to avoid involving the lower back
(the weights should come up to your
sides, not your chest, in order to keep
biceps involvement to a minimum). Then
lower the weights again, slowly.