Kettlebell or renegade rows are a great exercise for strengthening and building the muscles of your upper back, especially your lats. Since this is a pulling movement your biceps get a good workout too. What makes the kettlebell row really challenging is the movement also requires you to be able to contract and stabilize the muscles that make up your core. This includes your abs, lower back, and glutes. This makes them close to a total body exercise.

Combining kettlebell rows with a couple of other exercises such as kettlebell swings and front squats can give you a great workout. This post provides tips on how to properly perform kettlebell rows. Also included in it is a video showing how to learn and perform this exercise.

Listed below are a tips for properly performing kettlebell rows.

• Keep you body straight. This means keep your legs extended and back flack. Visualize that your body is in a straight line throughout the movement.
• Don’t bend your wrists. They should stay straight throughout the exercise.
• Breathe. While you will be contracting your abs throughout the movement, you need to make sure you inhale and exhale when doing kettlebell rows, just as you do with any other exercise.
• Row the weight using smooth movements. While you may be able to lift more weight by quickly jerking the kettlebell off of the floor this will ruin your technique. Instead, take your time and lift and the lower the weight in a controlled manner.
• Have someone who knows how to properly do this kettlebell exercise to make sure you are doing them right, especially when you’re learning. If this isn’t possible, try to do them alongside a mirror so you can keep an eye on your technique.

Watch this video to learn how to perform kettlebell rows.

If you don’t have a set of kettlebells but want to get a pair to do this and other exercises we recommend First Place Kettlebells which are available at PeformBetter.com.