Written by Shane Mclean | ACE CPT
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
Single arm dumbbell rows are a staple in many serious lifters programs because they strengthen imbalances between sides and give you better muscle development. An underrated variation of the single arm dumbbell row is the Kroc row.
Kroc rows get their name from bodybuilder and powerlifter Mathew Kroczaleski and became well-known after Jim Wendler, powerlifter and inventor of the world-famous 5/3/1 training system, saw him doing this rowing variation and named them Kroc rows.
If you’ve never heard of the Kroc row, you are in luck because it's gonna be one of your new favorite back exercises. Here we will go into what it is, how to do it, muscles trained, benefits, programming considerations, and variation and alternatives. Let's get rowing.
WHAT IS THE KROC ROW?
The Kroc row is a single arm dumbbell row variation that targets the upper back, biceps and forearms in a hard and heavy fashion. Unlike most unilateral dumbbell rows, Kroc rows essentially use a lot of body English rather than strict form. By using momentum, you can perform more reps with a heavier weight.
The combination of intensity and volume that comes with Kroc rows gives your targeted muscles all they can handle. Kroc rows give you the potential to add slabs of muscle on your upper back, especially if you are new to the stimulus provided by this new movement. But be warned, they don’t tickle.
HOW TO DO THE KROC ROW:
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand and hinge forward and rest the non-working arm on something stable around hip height or above.
- Get your feet about shoulder-width apart and put them in a staggered stance. You can do Kroc rows with one knee and hand on a bench, like regular single-arm rows as well.
- Engage your core, put your spine in neutral with your shoulders down and chest up.
- Start the Kroc row with your lower body by using a little hip drive and row the dumbbell, bringing your elbows up and back while retracting your shoulder blade to fully contract the upper back.
- Lower the weight with control, fully straightening the arm and allowing the shoulder blades to roll forward.
- Repeat for reps.
Notes:
- As you fatigue, the range of motion will get shorter, and that's ok.
- Try to reach a high threshold.
- Remember, this should be high reps AND high weight (relative to your strength level).
FORM CONSIDERATIONS WHEN DOING THE KROC ROW:
To get the best out of the Kroc row keep these considerations in mind when going hard and heavy:
- Protect your lower back: As you’re going hard, heavy, and using momentum, there is a temptation to round the lower back. Doing this will put you at risk for an injury and will reduce the benefits of this exercise.
- Use chalk or even straps: If you find your grip strength holding you back from doing more reps, using some grip assistance like straps or chalk is fine.
- Foot position: Everybody is not built the same and some lifting positions are flat-out uncomfortable for some. Experiment with yours to find what works best for you.
- Rest more between sets: Kroc rows are performed hard and heavy till failure. For this reason, it’s best to rest two to three minutes between sets as to not reduce your performance from set to set.
- Try different angles: You can try rowing back to different angle (i.e. hands towards hips or hands toward lats) and positioning your body more upright or more parallel with the floor. This will alter the muscles emphasized a bit, but it will still be a Kroc row - bit of momentum, heavy, and high reps.
KROC ROW MUSCLES WORKED:
The lower body plays a supporting role with Kroc rows, but the main action is happening upstairs. Here are the major muscles trained with the Kroc row:
- Lats: The largest muscle of your back extend and adduct the shoulder joint to pull the dumbbell to your hip.
- Upper back: The rhomboids and mid traps protract and retract the scapula to pull and lower the weight.
- Posterior delts: Play a supporting role in shoulder extension and adduction with the lats.
- Biceps: The biceps flex your elbow, to help pull the dumbbell towards your hip.
- Forearms: Help flex the elbow and support a strong grip.
- Erector spinae: These 3 muscles that run up and down your entire back, keep your back in neutral, and support your spine under a heavy load.
Note: The more upright you stand, the more your upper back muscles (posterior delts, traps, and rhomboids) will be emphasized, whereas the more bent over you are, the more your lats will be emphasized.
BENEFITS OF KROC ROW:
- Better Upper Back Muscle Development: The Kroc row is going to provide new stimulus to your back training, which is going to help you thicken and build your upper back and lats. This is going to be one of your heaviest back exercises (considering it's unilateral). A well-developed upper back looks great in a form-fitting shirt. Plus, a strong and muscular upper back gives the barbell somewhere to sit during squats and plays a role in keeping a neutral spine.
- Increases grip strength: By holding a heavy dumbbell unilaterally your fingers, wrists and forearms are working hard to hold to the dumbbell. This crush grip strength has fantastic carry over to all things pulling like chin-ups and pull-ups. Grip strength is super underrated.
- Correcting Strength Imbalance Between Sides: Because you’re lifting unilaterally you can correct size differences between sides. As you’re lifting one arm at a time you will strengthen muscle imbalances between sides, and you’ll realize when you have muscle imbalances between sides. Not usually a big deal but reducing then will cut your injury risk and you’ll look better too.
- Improved spine and core strength: Because you’re lifting one limb at a time, this throws your body off balance and forces your core to work harder to keep your spine in neutral and yourself upright.
THE BENEFITS OF STRENGTHENING THE UPPER BACK WITH THE KROC ROW:
Kroc rows train the forearms and biceps, but the real prime mover here is the upper back. A strong and muscular upper back not only looks good but has a few important performance and health benefits too. Here are a few important benefits of strengthening and building the upper back:
- Better bench, squat, and deadlift: A strong and engaged upper back keeps your spine in neutral when doing squats and deadlifts and supports a better pressing path with the bench press.
- Better Posture: Ever see a person with ape-like posture? Don’t be that person. A strong upper back and its correct resting length support better head position and better posture.
- Reduction in your injury risk: Better posture and keeping your spine neutral under heavy loads will reduce your injury when you’re training hard and heavy.
YOUR PROGRAMMING CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE KROC ROW
The Kroc row allows you to train unilaterally and hard and heavy using momentum. Plus, this strengthens imbalances between your left and right sides and for upper back hypertrophy. Here are a few considerations to programming the Kroc Row:
FREQUENCY:
Lifting heavier weights while using momentum is great for strength and muscle but can be hard on the body as there is more stress on the elbow and shoulder joint. Plus, you’re in a modified hinge position that does stress the lower back and hamstrings. These two things must be considered when deciding how often you perform the Kroc row.
The Kroc row is best performed one time (or at most, two times) a week as you should be doing other row variations and back exercises too.
VOLUME:
Kroc rows are a variation that allows you to squeeze out a few more reps using body English after technical failure. This means you’re draining your tank more and this needs to be taken into consideration when deciding how many reps and sets you’ll do. Another is how much pulling or other exercises require grip strength as Kroc rows are tough on your grip.
Plus, because you’re in the hinge position lower back strength and endurance play a part. If your back is tired or suffering from any low back pain, it’s better to cut volume or go with other row variations.
Better to perform Kroc rows on days when you are not deadlifting and rowing hard and heavy. Play around with volume from training depending on how you are feeling and how much you have in the tank.
All in all, you should be training higher reps with Kroc rows. It's ok for the range of motion to shorten as you move through a set. Going past technical failure is the goal, whether that be 8 or 15 reps.
Note: You'll see big powerlifters, like Matt Kroc (aka Janae Kroc now), doing lower reps (i.e. 6) with super heavy weight.
SETS PER WEEK:
Every training is not separate and the types of exercise you are performing and how you’re recovering from training to training play a huge role in much you’ll lift with the Kroc row. And It always pays to pull more than you push for better shoulder health and posture.
If you’re performing 15-20 sets of pushing exercises per week, it’s better to at least 1.5x the amount of pulling exercises you do. Then performing 20-30 sets of pulling exercises per week works best and including the Kroc row for some sets works well. Generally, two to three sets of 15+ reps work well for the Kroc row.
If you are new to lifting, the above numbers are high, aim for more like 10 sets pushing and 15 sets pulling in total per week, which can be split into two-three sessions.
KROC ROW VARIATIONS:
There are a ton of single-arm row variations, but these ones will concentrate on exercises that allow you to train hard and heavy like the Kroc row. Here are a few variations that do just that when you’re looking to add variety to your rowing routine.
1. MEADOWS ROW
The Meadows row is similar to Kroc Row as it is a unilateral row performed with a staggered stance and allows you to train hard a heavy. The landmine set up and griping the fat end of the barbell reduces shoulder joint stress while maximizing shoulder, upper back, and lat tension.
How to:
- Start in a staggered stance with the front foot horizontal to the landmine and standing side on
- Then Lean your torso forward, resting your forearm on your thigh, and grip the barbell.
- Raise up the closest hip to the bar up higher than the other hip to stretch the lats.
- Initiate by driving the working elbow behind and retracting the scapula while keeping your shoulders down and chest up. . Keep the working shoulder down.
- Pull the barbell towards your back hip until the elbow is level with your torso.
- Slowly lower down and reset and repeat.
2. DEADSTOP ROW
The Deadstop row uses a similar position to Kroc rows but you are using a three-point stance and you’re resting the dumbbell on the ground between reps. Because of this you’ll go through a larger ROM and the pause allows you to rest your grip, you’ll be able to go heavier than other unilateral dumbbell row variations. The stop on the floor gives you a break and this takes away the stretch reflex of the muscle, so your muscles work harder on the concentric part of the lift.
How to:
- Use a weight bench for support and not the dumbbell rack because you’ll be getting in the way.
- With the weight bench in front of you, hinge down and place one hand on the bench and feel the stretch in your hamstrings.
- Grip the dumbbell by your feet and keep your shoulders down and chest up.
- Pull the dumbbell towards your and until your elbow is level with your torso.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell all the way to the ground and pause for a second and rest and repeat.
3. RESISTANCE BAND DUMBBELL ROW
With the resistance band dumbbell row, the looped band keeps the tension high throughout the range of motion but particularly at the end when the band is stretched to the limit. This trains your lats, upper back, shoulders, and biceps hard and heavy similar to Kroc rows.
How to:
- Secure a looped band around something stable and place the band around the dumbbell.
- Grip the dumbbell and walk back until there is tension in the band.
- Get into a staggered stance and rest your forearm on your thigh.
- Pull the dumbbell towards your hip keeping your shoulders down and chest up.
- Pause and then lower to the starting position and rest and repeat.
Final Thoughts:
If you want to build muscle mass in your back and strengthen your posterior chain, the Kroc row is one of the best in the business. The best part is, it's a relatively safe exercise. Just make sure to pay attention to spinal stability and all will be stellar. When it doubt, just drop the dumbbell and reset. If you have questions about Kroc rows, feel free to leave a comment below.
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