If your goal is building a bigger back to fill out your t-shirt, then the traditional single-arm dumbbell row is one of the best exercises you can do. But, have you heard of Kroc rows? It’s a variation of the dumbbell row that targets exactly the same muscles— upper back, biceps, and forearms— but it allows you to shift more weight, which means more strength and muscle.
The exercise was named after American powerlifter and bodybuilder, Matt Kroczaleski, and it’s performed almost identically to a dumbbell row. However, instead of using ‘strict form’— where you keep your body stable and only move your arm— Kroc rows use controlled momentum to help you more weight and do more reps. The result? More gains!
Now, you’re probably thinking ‘Isn’t that just cheating if you’re using the rest of your body to help you move the weight?’. Yes, you may be getting an extra helping hand through the concentric portion of the lift (where you row the dumbbell up). However, the eccentric portion (where you lower the dumbbell back towards the floor) should still be controlled and studies have shown this is where most muscle magic happens.
The Amazon Black Friday sale has started and there are plenty of brilliant deals to get your hands on. Grab yourself a bargain on workout apparel, training shoes, fitness equipment, and more.
FYI, this doesn’t mean everyone needs to ditch dumbbell rows and start busting out Kroc rows going forward. The dumbbell row is definitely more suited to beginners and it’s important to master movement basics before moving on to a more advanced exercise like the Kroc row.
However, if your ultimate goal is to increase your upper back strength, then they’re a great exercise to consider, with considerably good carryover to the deadlift. Alternatively, if you’re experiencing a plateau with your dumbbell rows, the Kroc row can also provide a new stimulus to help you break through this. Just make sure you don’t leave them until the end of your session, as you’ll really need to put your back into these!
How to do Kroc rows
Kroc rows can either be performed on a weight bench, as you'd do a regular dumbbell row, or they can be performed standing in a hinged position. Here's how you do them in the latter position:.
- Pick up your heavy dumbbell and hinge forward at a 30-45 degree angle while resting your opposite hand on a stable surface (this could be a dumbbell rack or the back of a weight bench)
- Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart and in a staggered stance (this helps enable a stable base)
- Use a little hip drive to initiate the Kroc row (so thrust them forward slightly), then row the dumbbell back, raising your elbow backward and contracting the shoulder blade
- With control, lower the dumbbell back towards the floor, fully extending the arm so that your shoulder blade rolls forwards ever so slightly
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.
-
Meadow rows: the low-impact exercise for a stronger back and grip
Barbell rows doing your back in? Meadow rows could be a good alternative
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
Forget Black Friday – R.A.D has dropped its new shiny workout shoe, and it’s their best colourway yet
It’s bold, it’s beautiful and it’s shiny!
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr won the CrossFit Games in these shoes and they’re dirt cheap in the Black Friday sale
Now you can train just like the champ
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
What is Spartan’s DEKA fitness challenge?
The race designed for all fitness levels tests strength, speed and endurance
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
This single exercise drastically strengthened my core – but it’s not what you think it is
There's no lying down involved and it's not your typical core exercise either
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
Can feeler sets help you lift more weight in the gym?
This warm-up technique could make all the difference between a 'good' and 'bad' workout
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Last updated
-
Jefferson curls: the unusual exercise to strengthen your lower back and core muscles
Are you doing these in your warm-ups and cool-downs?
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
4 Elite athletes share their best advice to prepare for a HYROX
Because who better to get some words of wisdom from than the pros themselves, right?
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published