Yates Row

Move · Resistance Training · Movement, Typed Supps

Standing more upright shortens the lever your lower back has to hold, which is why heavier weights feel manageable here.

Stage by stage

Set-up (Torso raised to 70-80 degrees): The more upright position shortens the moment arm the lumbar extensors hold, so they stop capping the lift.
During the set (Supinated grip recruits biceps): Palms-up places the biceps near their strongest length, adding real elbow-flexor contribution to the pull.
Immediately after (Arms fatigue before the back): Elbow flexors commonly fail first, which caps the back stimulus a set can deliver.
Weeks later (Lat and biceps growth together): Both grow, which is why the lift is usually paired with a row variation that leans less on the arms.

Muscles trained

Primary: lats, upper back
Secondary: biceps, forearms, rear shoulders, rotator cuff

Intensity

6 METs (Resistance training (weight lifting, free weight, nautilus or universal), power lifting or body building, vigorous effort (Taylor Code 210)).

Time to effect

Weeks: The underhand grip and more vertical torso feel noticeably different from a standard overhand row almost immediately, and many lifters find they can handle heavier loads right away since the more upright position is easier to brace.
Months: Lat and biceps size both build together, since the underhand grip keeps the biceps far more mechanically involved throughout the pull than an overhand row does.

Related supplements

Creatine Monohydrate

Common myth

"The Yates row is basically a cheat row — the upright torso and heavy weight just mean you're using momentum instead of your back." In reality: The more upright torso angle is a deliberate technique choice that reduces lumbar shear compared with a fully bent-over position, and the underhand grip genuinely recruits more biceps and lats through the pull — it's a different, not lesser, way of loading the same muscles.