Tip: A Better Way to Do Dumbbell Rows

1. Instead of putting a knee on a bench, start by standing about two feet away from a bench. Hinge your hips back as if you're doing a Romanian deadlift – butt to the back wall.
2. Reach forward with one palm and place it firmly on the bench. Roll your weight forward until your shoulder is stacked over your palm.
3. If you aren't already holding a dumbbell, it's because you've smartly placed it right under you and will now dip down to pick it up.
4. Re-stack your shoulder – very slightly bend the elbow of the planted arm. Dial the elbow of your planted arm back to point toward your feet.
5. Grip the bench like you're Spiderman and make like you're pulling it towards you. The objective isn't to move the bench, but to fire up the lats on the stabilizing side.
6. Row like a champion.

• If the dumbbell is hitting your leg, bring more weight forward.
• If you're rotating to initiate the movement, focus instead on driving your planted palm into the bench.
• Make sure that you have moderate scapular protraction.
• If your shoulder doesn't feel amazing after this, make sure you're not letting it "crumble" under your weight. Actively press into the bench.
• If you can't feel your lats or abs, pull harder with the planted hand without letting your position change.

Disclaimer: There's nothing wrong with asymmetrical movement, provided it improves performance and durability. On the subject of rotating your body during the row, everyone should be able to row at least 30-40% of their bodyweight without real rotation in order to qualify for wilder variations like the Kroc row.