Barbell Rows and keeping the back arched...

[jwwpua]

I've never done barbell rows before, but I recently tried them because I'm planning to start the 5x5 in about 2 weeks.

The first thing I did was practice with only the bar to make sure my form was right (I had a mirror on the side). Once my formed looked right, I began pulling.

The first thing I noticed was that I couldn't get the bar to touch my stomach/chest. It's not because I'm too weak, but because my arms/shoulders didn't have any more ROM. I tried a closer and wider grip, but neither helped. Is this a common thing?

Also, I slapped on 25 on each side to practice with some light weight, and I was able to pull it repeatedly without trouble. However, even though my pulling strength was fine, I felt my back begin to tighten as I held the form. The arch slowly began to weaken and felt extremely tight.

Is this a common thing? What should I do to fix this problem? I already do deadlifts on a regular basis (with great form).

Thanks.

 

[bignate73]

practice more bent over rows. your back stability will improve. its normal for that to be a weaker link because its stabilizing strength vs. a normal lift like a deadlift. so you basically have to build up your ability to hold weight, before you will progress with the actual goal which is rowing.

 

[curgeo]

What Nate said. Just use your normal range of motion. It is normal for the lowerback to get cramped when you begin doing exercises such as this. Your back will get used to it.

 

[blut wump]

I started doing bent rows in January after many, many years of not doing them and was in pretty much the same state you seem to be in. I also started deadlifting at the same time. The first month gave me horrendous lower-back cramps which I'd have to massage and stretch out between sets. I still get them from time to time doing bent rows.

It took me about three weeks with the bent rows before I thought I was doing them mostly ok. I wasn't near enough to parallel and wasn't being explosive but I was headed in the right direction with them. It's now April and I can be flat and explosive until the weight gets a bit heavy and then I find I'm grinding them up and lifting my body slightly.

Just keep at them and they'll improve. Make an effort to get down to 90 degrees to the floor but make more of an effort to find a setting position for your back. For me it mostly involved sticking my glutes out and keeping my head up.

 

[musketeer]

Sound like you need a stronger core and more control of (feel for) your errectors. Do some tough ab work like hanging raises and weighted sit-ups. Do hyperextensions (not the shit ones with a machine arm), the ones where you have to brace your legs and extend into thin air. Go for nice clean reps and get a full contraction before adding weight (maybe after several weeks of foundation).

Good bent rows are as valuable as bench presses to my mind.

 

[jwwpua]

Thanks for the advice guys. What kind of poundages do people generally row compared to benchpress?

 

[musketeer]

Right now I only incline BP and I'm donig like 245 for 6 on about a 35 degree bench.

My (Dorian Yates style) bent rows are around 295 for 6.

Ronnie Coleman (in his videos) does 500lbs for 10 rows and 5 flat bench presses.

 

[Madcow2]

This is an interesting blurb in capacities for rows written by JS182 at meso:

It comes from this post in the Barbell Rows thread linked in my 5x5: http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4391839&postcount=19

I have trained many people who could do this exercise with 350 or more lbs. I myself have done reps with 425, Ed Coan, who also knows how to do them properly, has done reps with over 500lbs without his back ever coming above parallel with the ground. That is stronger than Dorian Yates or Ronnie Coleman, by the way.

I did rows with Coleman once, actually, and I was far stronger than he was. He could not do more than 350lbs strictly although he could do over 500lbs by standing almost all the way up at the completion of each rep. Ed Coan is probably the strongest person on these, although one power-lifter I trained did manage 525 for a double done strictly.

 

[d3track]

Good bent rows are as valuable as bench presses to my mind.

or even more valuable

 

[Tweakle]

good thread... reminds me I need to add bent rows back into my workout

 

[d3track]

hey tweakle
question
you had a pick a while back dl in socks....

a guy at my gym who has been trying to recruit me into strongman told me to do my dl's in socks, but i'm just not sure about it

any words of advice?

 

[blut wump]

Lifting in socks just gets you lower to the ground. Use the 25Kg plates in preference to normal 20Kg ones too since they tend to be a shade larger.

It all helps but the plates if you went to a mett would be out of your control. Does anyone know whether standard Olympic bumper plates are the norm or do you just get what you get.

 

[anthrax]

hey tweakle
question
you had a pick a while back dl in socks....

a guy at my gym who has been trying to recruit me into strongman told me to do my dl's in socks, but i'm just not sure about it

any words of advice?

It's much better to squat/DL in socks than with regular sneakers

I read an article a while back written by an ortopedist who said it's better for your feet and knees

 

[d3track]

It's much better to squat/DL in socks than with regular sneakers

I read an article a while back written by an ortopedist who said it's better for your feet and knees

really?
i was thinking that it would be really slippery

 

[musketeer]

really?
i was thinking that it would be really slippery

Yeah If im taking the shoes off the socks come off too.