Rows are effective for overall back development

Rows, along with their variations, are highly effective for overall back development. This exercise can be employed to specifically engage certain muscles, which depends on two primary factors: (1) the positioning of our arms, and (2) the direction of muscle fibers for the targeted muscles.

The muscle fibers of the latissimus dorsi (lats) descend diagonally in a downward and outward direction from the final thoracic spine to the back of the iliac crest. When performing rows (or any pulling movement, for the matter) with our elbows in proximity to our torso, the lats undertake a great amount of the rowing movement by adducting and extending the shoulder—both being principal functions of the lats.

Conversely, the muscle fibers of the trapezius, post delts fan out horizontally, (while the rhomboids will be more diagonal) covering the upper back. By elevating our elbows to the sides during rows, the tension on the lats diminishes, enabling the trapezius and rhomboids to execute the rowing motion through scapular retraction and adduction—two fundamental functions of the trapezius.

Both variations of rows are exceptional and can be utilized to focus on and elevate underdeveloped muscles in the back. Usually, I personally like to include a combination of vertical + horizontal pulls.