The bent-over dumbbell row with both the neutral and pronated grips is a good substitute for the seated row for developing almost all of the back musculature. In this exercise you do not have to contend with the upper body moving forward and back. Here are 2 important comments regarding this exercise.
#1 - It is important that your body be kept stationary during execution of this exercise. To ensure this, shift most of your weight to the support arm to stabilize your body. Because of the extra support, this exercise is usually preferred to the seated row, free standing row, bent-over row, or T-bar row. Also, because you use less weight, there is less stress on your spine, which makes this exercise safer.
#2 - The key to effective execution is to maintain a stable body and to pull the arm through the full range of motion so that the elbow goes above the level of the back. To ensure proper and effective execution do not use heavy weights that do not allow for the full ROM or make it possible to execute the same actions in the same neuromuscular pathway.
