Lead with the elbows
If you focus on your hands, your biceps do the work; if you focus on driving your elbows toward your back pocket, your lats take over. Cue the elbow path and let the hands just be hooks on the weight.
Why do I feel rows in my arms instead of my back?
You are pulling with your biceps and forearms because you grip too hard and lead with your hands, not your elbows.
The quick answer
Feeling rows in your arms means your biceps are winning the pull instead of your lats and mid-back. The fixes are to think about driving your elbows back and down rather than pulling with your hands, loosen a death grip, and initiate by retracting your shoulder blades first. Slow the movement, pause with the bar or dumbbell squeezed to your torso, and use straps if your grip and forearms fatigue first.
How to think about it
Set the shoulder blades first
Start each rep by pulling your shoulder blade back and down, then row. Skipping this scapular retraction means the arms bend before the back engages, so nothing loads the lats and rhomboids.
Slow down and use straps
Heaving the weight lets the biceps snap it up, so lower under control, pause at the top with the back squeezed, and lighten the load if needed. If your grip or forearms give out before your back, straps let the target muscles work to failure.
Do this
- Drive elbows backCue pulling your elbows to your hips instead of pulling with your hands.
- Retract firstSet your shoulder blades back and down before bending the arms.
- Loosen your gripAvoid a white-knuckle grip so your forearms stop dominating the pull.
- Add straps if neededUse straps so grip fatigue does not stop the set before your back is worked.
Keep going
How SUUPR helps
You are pulling with your biceps and forearms because you grip too hard and lead with your hands, not your elbows.