Barbell rows.

[SeanHolmz]

Could some post a video of this excersise. I treid doing them yesterday and It just dind't feel right. 135 was real heavy for me and shouldn't be assuming what my other lifts are. Is there suppose to be a full ROM from arms full extended down to touching your chest? Or do you go lower and touch abs?

 

[IronLion]

I like to do them elevated in the exact opposite plane as the Bench Press

 

[muscledog95]

Iron, do you mean laying on your stomach on a bench elevated and rowing from underneath?

 

[IronLion]

yes, exactly

they are a much better bp assistance exercise than just bb rows or dorian rows, both of which I can handle huge weight, but if I am pulling to my sternum from underneath, I can barely do half of what I would use on a regular row, and my lats, rear delts are destroyed...its good stuff

 

[spatts]

That's how we do them too...just an upside down bench.

 

[muscledog95]

awesome....im gonna give that a try on thursday. How high do u prop up your bench?

 

[spatts]

I just do them standing, but the chest supported BB rows I do with the bench just high enough to allow for a full arm extension underneath.

 

[IronLion]

I Put 2 100 lb plates under each side of the bench and that gets me full extension. So I would say about 8"

 

[spatts]

Most of the chest supported rows I've seen in gyms have a variety of grips, and one of them is usually low, in the bench plane. If it's not, you can stack some plates on the platform to raise yourself until the weight is low enough (or wherever your bench plane is).

...or just do it like IL said.

 

[jerkbox]

interesting....I never cared for doing freestanding rows...always killed my lower back....i always used some kind of support....I'll have to try the bench thing

 

[SofaGeorge]

There is a strong arguement that that style of bb rows won't give you the same kind of incorporation as free standing bent over rows. The idea being that the very difficulty of doing the free standing row forces you to incorporate multiple muscle groups to stabalize the movement.

Truthfully, most people don't do bent over rows because it is a very difficult and awkward movement. It took me a long time to make peace with it and start progressing up in weight.

I now consider free standing bent over barbell rows one of the three mandatory exercises for a great back. The other two are deads and pullups.

 

[spatts]

I do them like this

 

[Zander1983]

Truthfully, most people don't do bent over rows because it is a very difficult and awkward movement. It took me a long time to make peace with it and start progressing up in weight.

I now consider free standing bent over barbell rows one of the three mandatory exercises for a great back. The other two are deads and pullups.

What he said

 

[WarriorPL]

I use to do standing barbell rows but they are no where as effective as the ones with your chest supported. The hammer strength row machines are incredible.

 

[IronLion]

I do pull-ups, I deadlift, but I feel it is more functional to do an exercise where i can keep my lats tight and flexed the exact same way I do on the bp, plus I like to give my lower back a rest

 

[Citruscide]

I tend to have a higher stance, less bent over... I pull to my waist... with an overhand grip on the bar... making sure to get a good squeeze with my lats on the pull back motion...

The squeeze is the important part, even if you don't "hold it" --- many people I see just pull back with it and don't actually utilize their lats when they are pulling back with the bar... rather, they will use other muscles to pull it back... either their biceps, upper back or sometimes even traps.

C-ditty

 

[Prime Rib]

I now consider free standing bent over barbell rows one of the three mandatory exercises for a great back. The other two are deads and pullups.

What he said! Bent over rows are ESSENTIAL for a good, strong back.


Josh

 

[Lord_Suston]

take a nice 45degree angle and hold your back nice and tight, no real bounce and let your arms go to full extension then squeeze with your lat and draw the weight up. try to relax your arms and work on concetrating on your lats, yes the weight will be hard but the benfits are worth it...

 

[SeanHolmz]

Thanks everyone. That cleared up a lot of confusion for me. Also, good video, spatts, thanks.