Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row
Also works: Biceps · Lats
One end of a barbell is wedged into a corner, the other end is loaded, and you row it with both hands from a bent-over position. The anchored end carries part of the weight, so the bar travels on an arc and the load lands squarely on the mid-back with far less shear on the lower back than a free bent-over row.
Own the movement
Set up first, then execute. Every cue below is something you can check on your next set.
Before the first rep
- Jam the empty end into a corner, or pin it under a heavy dumbbell. A bar that slides mid-set is how walls and shins get damaged.
- Load 10 kg or 25 lb plates rather than 20s or 45s. Big plates hit your chest early and cut the top third of the rep off.
- Straddle the bar, hinge until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, knees softly bent.
- Grip just behind the plates with both hands, or hook a double-D cable handle under the bar for a neutral grip.
- Set your ribs down and brace before the plates leave the floor — the pull starts from a locked torso, not a swinging one.
Every rep
Breathing & tempo — Inhale and brace at the bottom, exhale through the pull, hold one second at the chest. Roughly one second up, one second squeeze, two to three down.
Before you load it
- Keep your fingers behind the plates, not between the plate and the collar. A bar that drops on a trapped hand does real damage.
Sets, reps & load
Where to start, and what to change when it stops being hard.
Start with a single 10 kg plate on the loaded end and note that the weight in your hands is roughly two-thirds of what is on the bar — the floor takes the rest. Add a plate once you can complete every rep with the plates touching your chest and your torso angle unchanged. Adding weight before the top of the rep is clean just shortens the range.
What goes wrong
The errors that show up most often, and the cue that fixes each one.
Fix your torso angle at the start and film one set from the side. If the angle changes by more than a few degrees, strip a plate and row the weight you can hold still for.
Use small-diameter plates. Two 10 kg plates give the same load as one 20 and let the bar travel all the way to your chest.
Anchor it properly — a corner plus a loaded dumbbell across the sleeve, or a purpose-made landmine sleeve. Check it is still seated between sets.
Think about driving the elbows toward the ceiling and letting the hands come along as hooks. Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top before the arms finish bending.
Why bother
Because one end of the bar sits on the floor, only a fraction of the plate weight reaches your hands, and the bar swings through an arc rather than straight up. That arc keeps tension on the rhomboids and mid-traps through a longer stretch than a straight-line row, and it lets you finish with the plates against your ribs instead of stalling halfway.
The anchor is also what makes this tolerable when your lower back is already cooked from deadlifts. A free barbell row asks your spinal erectors to hold a parallel torso against the full plate weight; here the floor takes a share, so you can chase mid-back work without adding another heavy hinge to the week.
Where it fits
Second or third movement on a pull day, after chin-ups or a heavy row. Three to four sets of 8-12 is the sweet spot — the arc and the corner setup make very heavy triples clumsy rather than productive. Pair it with a vertical pull rather than another bent-over row in the same session.
If this one isn't it
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When this gets easy
Asked and answered
How much weight am I actually lifting?
Roughly 60-70% of what is on the sleeve, depending on how far along the bar you grip and how long the bar is. Gripping further from the anchor lightens the load; gripping right behind the plates makes it heaviest. Log the plate weight and grip position together so the numbers mean something week to week.
Is this better than a T-bar row machine?
It is close enough that equipment availability should decide. A dedicated T-bar with a chest pad removes the lower back entirely, which is an advantage if you want isolation and a disadvantage if you want the trunk to work. The corner setup is free and travels.
Can I do this without a landmine attachment?
Yes — that is the point of the corner. Wedge the empty sleeve into the join of two walls and put a towel or folded mat down first so you do not gouge the plaster. Anchoring the end under a heavy dumbbell works too, but check it between sets.
Should my palms face down or in?
Neutral, with a double-D handle hooked under the bar, is the strongest and kindest to the wrists. Gripping the bar itself behind the plates forces a semi-pronated position that some people find awkward at the top. Either trains the same muscles; pick the one that lets you finish the rep.