Pendlay Row
Explosive rows from the floor with a flat torso. More back strength. It works mainly the lats, trapezius and rear deltoid, with help from the biceps, lower back, forearm flexors and rotator cuff.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 1.1× bodyweight (87.5 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 0.75× (45 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Pendlay Row
- Set the bar on the floor and hinge over it until the torso is parallel to the floor, back flat, overhand grip just wider than the shoulders.
- Pull the bar explosively to your lower chest, driving the elbows back and squeezing the shoulder blades.
- Keep the torso parallel to the floor; unlike a barbell row, the body does not rise at all.
- Lower the bar back to the floor and let it settle before the next rep; every rep starts from a dead stop.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Lats | Latissimus dorsi |
| Primary | Trapezius | Trapezius |
| Primary | Rear deltoid | Deltoideus posterior |
| Secondary | Biceps | Biceps brachii |
| Secondary | Lower back | Erector spinae |
| Secondary | Forearm flexors | Flexores antebrachii |
| Secondary | Rotator cuff | Musculi rotatores humeri |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Back thickness, not just width
- Whole-body tension — legs, hips, spine
- Carries straight over to the deadlift
Strength standards for Pendlay Row
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 0.7× | 0.5× | 55 kg | 30 kg |
| Gold | 1.1× | 0.75× | 87.5 kg | 45 kg |
| Platinum | 1.45× | 1× | 115 kg | 60 kg |
| Diamond | 1.8× | 1.25× | 145 kg | 75 kg |
| Obsidian | 2.25× | 1.6× | 180 kg | 95 kg |
| Painite | 2.7× | 1.9× | 215 kg | 115 kg |
| Antimatter | 3.6× | 2.5× | 287.5 kg | 150 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Pendlay Row, estimates your one-rep max with the Brzycki formula (reps are capped at 12) and divides it by the bodyweight in your profile, so you never have to test a true max. Women’s limits are 30 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Pendlay Row work?
It works mainly the lats, trapezius and rear deltoid, with help from the biceps, lower back, forearm flexors and rotator cuff.
How do you do Pendlay Row?
Set the bar on the floor and hinge over it until the torso is parallel to the floor, back flat, overhand grip just wider than the shoulders. Pull the bar explosively to your lower chest, driving the elbows back and squeezing the shoulder blades. Keep the torso parallel to the floor; unlike a barbell row, the body does not rise at all. Lower the bar back to the floor and let it settle before the next rep; every rep starts from a dead stop.
What is a good Pendlay Row for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 1.1× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 0.75× for women, Diamond at 1.8× and 1.25×. For an 80 kg man that is a 87.5 kg and a 145 kg one-rep max.
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