How do I progress bent over rows?

[bruce9241]

I've been doing these for a little while and haven't progressed much.

I usualy start off with about 95 pounds and do them for 12 reps. I put on 5 pounds each set and keep going. When I get to about 135 pounds I can only do up to 8 reps. When i'm at 145lbs I can do about 5.

Are my reps correct? How can I improve on my bent over row strength?

When doing these, if I use double overhand grip, I do a lot less weight than if I were to use double underhand grip. Also I have a big gut so my range of motion isn't that deep so I use 25 plates instead of 45 plates.

 

[moya]

use lower reps/heavier weight... if you are starting at 95 and adding 5lb per set up to 145, that is waaay too many sets...
i would to 3-4 sets of 5's, not neccesarily to failure...
...also if i stall at ANY lift, usualy eating more does the trick... i have been binge eating 5000+ calories the last week and set a PR that i have been stuck behind for over a year...

 

[burnthiscorpse]

I do underhand grip because i feel it gets more back area "for me" that way. You might want to try doing them on the smith machine for a while. Load the plates, bend over a bit further than you might with BB rows, and pull the bar up and down the front of your quad. The smith will take the effort of keeping the barbell range of motion in towards the waist out of the equasion. You can then concentrate on just really using only your lats to squeeze the weight up and down.
When I started doing these my weight went up quite fast. Last back day I did 310 for 9. just the week prior I only got it for 6. AND....thats after doing dealifts first!
This week I'm gonna go a bit lighter with higher reps. then the following I am expecting 320 for 6. You gotta get psyched up for heavy rows bro.

 

[ExtraMile]

+1 on the amount of sets. 10 sets of BB Rows is way too much

 

[bruce9241]

Okay I'll start treating bent over rows like I do my 5x5 lifts. I've been doing bentoverrows like they're just a supplmental exercise. I'll start treating them like they're deadlifts, squats and overhead presses(main lifts).

Does anyone else get light headed while doing rows? I do. Whenever I'm done rowing, I sorta see stars and feel like I'm going to blank out. Smae feeling I get when I do heavy deads.

 

[burnthiscorpse]

^^^ that is the way you should feel after bent over rows. They are NOT a supplemental movement. They are a major mass builder. Try a back day like this:

Deads
Bent over rows
CLose grip chins

that is my back day (plus i throw in side laterals). I feel like im going to puke after that. Heavy weight, super intensity. You dont need seated cable rows, pull downs, machine rows, any other fancy cutesie crap. (unless your trying to shape).

 

[RottenWillow]

I've been doing these for a little while and haven't progressed much.

I usualy start off with about 95 pounds and do them for 12 reps. I put on 5 pounds each set and keep going. When I get to about 135 pounds I can only do up to 8 reps. When i'm at 145lbs I can do about 5.

Are my reps correct? How can I improve on my bent over row strength?

When doing these, if I use double overhand grip, I do a lot less weight than if I were to use double underhand grip. Also I have a big gut so my range of motion isn't that deep so I use 25 plates instead of 45 plates.

part of the problem could be you're overworking bis. Assuming you do pulldowns and isolation work for bis, the bent rows would be a third major lift heavily activated the bis. Can't say for sure obviously, just throwing out a possibility.

I wouldn't advise underhand as you are probably using more bi that way hence the heavier lift. Two schools of thought on the ROM question you raise: 1)it's not important to hypertrophy, and your focus needs to be on activating the back muscles to pull and getting a good TUT 2)it's essential and you need to maybe lighten up and pull the bar as high as you can compressing your gut with the bar to pull it as far as possible.