Help with my BB Row form

[Johnny Horse Face]

I am doing the Intermediate 5x5 and it calls for 90* BB Rows and I have a couple questions:

1. I had some gym monkey come up to me the other day telling me that my grip should be wider than shoulder width to target the lats better. Is there a standard grip width for this exercise?

2. I am only able to get close to 90* when my knees are fairly bent. However, I feel a good stretch in my posterior chain. Is this normal or an indicator of bad form?

Thanks

 

[H_T_]

don't over analyze this exercise. it's awful difficult to be ultra strict while you're bent over and holding heavy weight. i use the wide grip, elbows high pulling technique. i pull to my breast bone, about where the bar touches in a bench press. some people pull with a narrower grip and with their elbows in, and pull into their belt line. either way will provide you with much more growth than lat pull downs or seated cable rows.

 

[Johnny Horse Face]

don't over analyze this exercise. it's awful difficult to be ultra strict while you're bent over and holding heavy weight. i use the wide grip, elbows high pulling technique. i pull to my breast bone, about where the bar touches in a bench press. some people pull with a narrower grip and with their elbows in, and pull into their belt line. either way will provide you with much more growth than lat pull downs or seated cable rows.

What are your thoughts on reloading each rep? Is it necessary?

 

[RottenWillow]

I am doing the Intermediate 5x5 and it calls for 90* BB Rows and I have a couple questions:

1. I had some gym monkey come up to me the other day telling me that my grip should be wider than shoulder width to target the lats better. Is there a standard grip width for this exercise?

2. I am only able to get close to 90* when my knees are fairly bent. However, I feel a good stretch in my posterior chain. Is this normal or an indicator of bad form?

Thanks

Well going wide will remove your bis a bit more from the movement, but it will also shorten your ROM, so it's kind of a judgement call on your part. I usually do my first workset wide, which saves my bis pretty well, but fatigues my lats. Then my 2nd workset I go shoulder width which brings in my bis more and allows them to assist, enabling me to work the lats even harder. Make sense? Alot like doing assisted reps with a partner.

Not being able to comfortably keep your back parallel to the floor is no biggie. Only difference is your form will allow you to pull a bit more weight. I'd just say use a weight that allows you to hold the bar at peak contraction (at your torso) for a half count. That will eliminate momentum.

BB rows are my favorite back movement. I can pull the bar to my bellybutton and really feel the lowermost part of the lat really contracting (something you cant do with pulldowns), or I can pull it higher to the shortribs and hit the mid part of the lat. Great, versatile movement.

 

[al420]

You are speaking of BB rows that are de-weighted on each rep which are more of a compound move than "for your lats".

For me to get to 90 I have to get into a sissy squat. To de-weight the bar (after each rep) I have to get low enough to keep my hands on the bar w/out my lower back arching etc... meaning I have to go down w/ the bar at the bottom. My arms get a full stretch before the weight touches the gorund so I have to squat down.

 

[Johnny Horse Face]

Thanks guys, that helps. One more thing, do you guys find that your posterior chain gets a stretch during this exercise?

 

[mikefear]

of course it does, you're bent over..

btw, i like a wider grip for extra recruitment of lats

 

[Extra_Strong]

I am doing the Intermediate 5x5 and it calls for 90* BB Rows and I have a couple questions:

1. I had some gym monkey come up to me the other day telling me that my grip should be wider than shoulder width to target the lats better. Is there a standard grip width for this exercise?

2. I am only able to get close to 90* when my knees are fairly bent. However, I feel a good stretch in my posterior chain. Is this normal or an indicator of bad form?

Thanks

grip has nothing to do with how it targets the lats!!
it is the same. you will have a fuller range of motion with a closer grip!!

should be a closer grip not wide is better for your shoulders.
and yes should be about the same as bench!!