Bodybuilding's best even agrees.......

[BiggT]

I was just at the barber shop getting a haircut and I picked up either STUFF or FHM or some other equally as annoying mag while I was waiting, but regardless it is the new issue with Vida Guererra on the cover.

Anyway, the back has an advice column called "Ask Mr. Olympia with Jay Cutler". One of the topics was 'Puttig on mass'. Cutler said that the majority of a person's size comes from the back and legs and that the most effective way to train them are with deadlifts, free weight barbell rows, and squats. He said something along the lines of those lifts are tough and most gym trainees skip them, which, not coincidentally, is why most gym trainees are small, lol.

I just thought it would be interesting for all the "5x5 is for strength and basic lifts don't build size" 175lb monsters cruising the board to hear it from a bodybuilder.

 

[SgtSlaughter]

Quality.

Maybe they'll believe it if Mr. O says it

It's the most idiot proof way to go about things too, too easy to ignore

 

[Protobuilder]

very very few people dare row, much less from a 90 degree angle . .. "too dangerous" . . . "hard on my back" . . . blah blah blah . . . About 90% of it is just forcing yourself to adapt to the movement and build up the core supportive strength to be able to do 'em securely. Seems like most people want to be able to start a lift today, and within an hour have a pump and feel sore or they drop the exercise. Something like squats, rows, deadlifts can take multiple sessions to really develop teh motor skills necessary to do 'em successfully. I've had friends try something once and say "I can't really feel it" and then drop it.

 

[Kabeetz]

The other week a group of 2 or 3 pretty big guys were doing 415 squats for reps I was doing 90 degree bent over barbell rows right near there squat rack and one of the guys was like dude you're gonna fuck up your back doing that. And I thanked him for his advice, and continued on, watching my form and keeping my back arched.

I hadn't realized that there was such a knock on rows?

very very few people dare row, much less from a 90 degree angle . .. "too dangerous" . . . "hard on my back" . . . blah blah blah . . . About 90% of it is just forcing yourself to adapt to the movement and build up the core supportive strength to be able to do 'em securely. QUOTE]

 

[BiggT]

Most people do what Madcow refers to as the "airhump maneuver" lol. The sad fact is that BB rows are the most misperformed exercise on the planet (save for maybe back squats being butchered with 1/10th reps).

When people stray too far from 90 degrees, they de-activate the lats, which in turn turns the exercise into a shrug....and a jump shrug given most peopl's form on rows.....they would be beter served by putting some real weight on the bar and just jump shrugging.

 

[Protobuilder]

People are scared to death of them. maybe even more so than deadlifts, although it's a toss up between the 2. I think it's b/c people think they must stand in the SLDL position and then row, which is pretty stressful on the back. Or else they just don't want to put forth the serious hamstring/hip effort that's required to really lock in a strong position when rowing heavy weight. Strange thing: my back never feels the least bit tweaked from doing heavy rows. In fact, it feels pretty damn solid when I'm rowing b/c my hams and glutes fire like crazy and I deweight the bar each rep. No worries. Rowing and squats are my favorite exercises.

 

[BiggT]

I will say, I am rarely injured, and aside from a few minor tweaks and dings here and there over the past 14 years, I've never been seriously hurt and out of comission from lifting-related injuries. And I squat multiple times a week ATF with a high % of 1rm.....I pull from the floor multiple times a week, I BB row, I SLDL, I do BEHIND THE NECK overhead work, lol.

Lifting-related injuried among powerlifters, throwers, olympic lifters, sprinters, and strongmen who train so-called "dangerous" lifts heavy and frequently are also VERY uncommon,

NOW....all of the "Joe gym goers" who spend all their time on Hammer STrength machines, Universal machines, and Cybex set-ups and don't row, deadlift, squat, or free weight OHP because it is "too dangerous" are ALWAYS complaining of knee, back, neck, shoulder, ass ,ball, everything, lol injuries.

 

[Rabid_Goose]

Well here is my question for BB Rows, I am still learning them. Is it an over handed grip or underhanded or does it matter? And is it suppost to come all the way to your belly button to touch? I de-weight it every rep but I really haven't found any good videos of BB rows, every is throwing themselves up and then pull their body TO the bar instead of pulling the bar towards themselves.

 

[BiggT]

Goose....if you know throwing your body to the bar on rows is incorrect, then I imagine you have a pretty good handle on how to do them. Pull the bar to the body and touch. Grip isn't a big factor, I prefer double over with straps, and it is probably a bit less risky in the biceps injury department, but lots of folks do well with under hand rows though.

 

[Rabid_Goose]

Alright, I was just curious about the touch because I seemed have trouble finishing the last part of the lift. Now I know I just need to lower my weights down a bit to do the complete movement.

Oh I forgot to add. Does that mean after all the gym guys read this, they will squat, put the bar down and do curls? I see super sets of this in the future at a gym near you.