I have no shame in admitting that renegade rows are one of my least favorite exercises, for no other reason than I'm not that great at them.
It's a full-body exercise that primarily targets your back and biceps as you pull (row) a dumbbell toward you from a plank position. The plank, of course, targets multiple muscles, including your core, arms, shoulders, glutes and legs, so many of the major muscle groups are active in some way.
Rowing with weights builds core stability, postural control and strength, but this renegade row challenge will also raise your heart rate. I found it while scrolling on Instagram, and my algorithm clearly knows how to irritate me, because having seen the challenge, I now had to try it for myself.
Unless you have a stack of the best adjustable dumbbells handy at home, you might have to venture to a local gym, but trust me, it's actually good fun, and even better when you can compete against others. Here's how to try it for yourself!
Watch: Dumbbell renegade row challenge
This was posted by Plaza Fitnes and features Nat Principe (tagged), who works upward through a stack of dumbbells, performing one renegade row per arm on the first set of weights, doing a push-up, then moving forward to the next set of weights in the line. Nat started at 7.5kg and the weights top out at 22.5kg, but you could choose any set of weights you like or follow suit.
When your form goes (unable to fully row the weight, hips or knees dropping, or failing the push-up, for example), you're out.
I started at 5kg and worked up to 20kg, but maxed out at 15kg per arm. But here's the question: How far can you go?
How to do a renegade row
Avoid swinging your hips from side to side or dropping them toward the floor. Also, avoid lifting your butt above shoulder height and drive the elbow slightly higher than your back and hips.
- Start in a plank position with a weight in each hand and your shoulders stacked over your wrists
- Engage your core and align your hips with your shoulders
- With control, row one arm back toward your hip until your elbow reaches slightly higher than your torso, then slowly lower the weight to the ground beneath your shoulder
- Switch sides
- Keep your hips square and avoid twisting your body.
Remember, for this challenge, add a push-up after you row both sides, then move on. Only when you complete the push-up can you progress up the dumbbell ladder.
The benefits
Renegades are a full-body strengthener and a great addition to functional training workouts. They strengthen the muscles responsible for posture, including your core, hips and lower back, and rowing from an unstable position works the deeper stabilizing muscles used to help you balance and coordinate, as well as your back and biceps, during the pull.
The plank exercise uses isometric muscle contraction to hold some muscles under tension without moving, while your arms, shoulders and back work to row the weight. Besides, testing your strength like this is measurable; you can continue to use the same weights and add heavier ones over time, repeating the challenge over the months to see how your fitness improves.
One of our fitness writers did 40 renegade rows a day for a week — here’s what happened if you want to find out how this one feels during another challenge.
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