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Smith Bent Over Narrow Supinated Grip Row animation

How to do the Smith Bent Over Narrow Supinated Grip Row

BackBack & LatsSmith MachineBeginner

The Smith machine bent over narrow supinated row is a beginner-friendly path to serious lat and mid-back thickness, with the fixed bar path letting you focus entirely on muscle engagement. Master this movement and you build the foundation for a stronger, wider back that carries over to every pull you will ever do.

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Muscles worked

Primary
LatsMid-back
Secondary
BicepsRear deltsForearms

Step-by-step

  1. Set the bar at mid-shin height, grip it shoulder-width or narrower with palms facing up, then hinge your torso to roughly 45 degrees with a flat back.
  2. Brace your core, retract your shoulder blades, and initiate the pull by driving your elbows back and up toward your hips rather than flaring them out.
  3. Row the bar into your lower abdomen, squeezing your lats and rhomboids hard at the top for a full one-second contraction.
  4. Lower the bar under control in 2 to 3 seconds, letting your shoulder blades protract fully to stretch the lats before the next rep.

Common mistakes

  • Rounding the lower back under load, which shifts stress to the spine rather than the target muscles. Fix this by hinging to your working angle before unracking the bar and keeping your chest up throughout every rep.
  • Using momentum by jerking the torso upward to swing the bar, which robs the back of tension. Fix this by slowing the eccentric to 2 seconds and pausing briefly at the bottom of each rep.
  • Pulling toward the chest instead of the lower abdomen, which recruits the arms and front delts over the lats. Fix this by keeping your elbows close to your sides and visualizing driving them into your back pockets.

Pro tip — As you reach the top of each rep, actively think about pulling your elbows past your torso rather than just lifting the bar. This subtle intention maximizes lat recruitment and turns a good row into an exceptional one.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps

Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).

More Back exercises

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