Planks are a popular bodyweight exercise that strengthens your core, requiring stability and muscle tension. I like planks because they’re simple, and you don’t need any equipment. That being said, when you’re ready to switch up your workout routine and challenge yourself, it’s time to try the renegade row. Lately, fitness buffs are raving about this compound dumbbell exercise, which is an advanced variation of the dumbbell row.
You hold your body in the plank position and lift a dumbbell with one hand at a time, alternating sides. Let’s look at the benefits and how to ramp up the challenge.
What’s all the fuss about the renegade row?
Renegade rows help you burn calories and increase your heart rate, which is beneficial for weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight. All you need is dumbbells or kettlebells and an exercise mat. Because it’s a compound movement, you’ll torch multiple muscle groups at once, including your back, core, upper arms, shoulders, and chest. Your legs and lower body also help to stabilize you.
Additionally, you’ll improve your:
- Posture
- Metabolism
- Core strength
- Upper body muscle power
- Balance and stability
Why is the renegade row more challenging?
Some people find the renegade row more difficult than some other exercises, and you might find you can’t lift as heavy as you can with other row variations. You have to avoid rotating at your hips and maintain a plank position while rowing and moving against gravity. Some people find that lifting the weight up to your ribcage while trying to keep your body stable is harder and requires more full-body muscular tension and balance compared to a bent-over dumbbell row.
Quick top tips
- Top tip: Try using dumbbells instead of kettlebells, or vice versa, to see what works best.
- Top tip: Try the move without any weights first, and once you’ve mastered it, start with lighter weights before progressing gradually over time.
- Top tip: You could also just start with the traditional plank and work on perfecting that position first.
Dare to add a push-up?
Some experienced fitness experts like John Garey, a certified Pilates Instructor, recommend kicking it up a notch with a renegade row push-up. With this advanced exercise, you throw a push-up into the mix, which really lights up those upper body muscles in your arms, back, and chest. You come up from the push-up and row the weight up to your ribcage on one side. When you row the weight back down to the ground, you go back down into another push-up before repeating the move and rowing with your other arm.
