If you’re looking for a back exercise that builds muscle, develops a wider back and gets your heart rate up in the process, the gorilla row ticks plenty of boxes. Popular in functional training, the movement hammers your lats while challenging your grip, core and posterior chain, with the alternating reps also adding a unilateral strength component.

According to coach Adam Sinicki, better known as The Bioneer, the movement may also offer more stability than you might expect.

‘Far from being less stable to what you might be used to doing for your back, for your lats, these are actually much more stable,’ he explains.

Compared with a traditional barbell row, Sinicki believes the setup can also take some of the strain away from your lower back.

‘Compared to, say, a bent over row with a barbell, that’s actually more stable, less likely to cause lower back pain, brilliant for getting a fast and great pump on the lats.’

If you’re looking for a row variation that trains more than just your back, it’s one worth adding to your next upper-body session.

The gorilla row primarily targets the lats, rhomboids and traps, while your grip, core and the rest of your posterior chain work hard to keep your body stable as you alternate between sides.

• Place two kettlebells on the floor around shoulder-width apart.
• Take a wide stance with the kettlebells positioned between your feet.
• Hinge at the hips, keeping your back flat and your core braced.
• Grip both kettlebells, using the weight on the floor to help stabilise your torso as you row the other towards your body.
• ‘When you’re doing a row, you’re not curling it, you’re bringing the elbow back,’ says Sinicki. ‘Focus on bringing the elbow up to the sky.’
• Lower the kettlebell under control, then repeat on the opposite side.
• You can allow a slight amount of torso rotation at the top of each rep, or keep your body square to place more emphasis on the lats.

Aim for 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps on each side, using a challenging weight that still allows you to maintain good form.

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