Wide grip bent over rows for back width???

[one man gang]

Here's the deal folks, because of a stupid "permanent" shoulder injury that I got (only solution is surgery, and doc's won't guarantee that I'll be able to lift again after it, so that's out) going for a college bench press record a loooooooooooooooooooooong time ago, I can't do ANY overhead movements for my lats. I can hanlde low cable rows and db rows just fine becaue my arms are facing towards the floor, not towards the ceiling. So that covers the thickness part of the back, but not the width part, and I'd really like to work those "wings." So I was just wondering what you all thought about doing some WIDE GRIP bent over rows for trying to get some width in my lats??????? I know that it's generally also considered a "thickness" exercise, but I thought that if I used a little wider than shoulder grip, I might be able to shift some of the work to the "wings." My shoulder can handle this one fine, as arms won't be overhead, so any ideas on if this might do the trick for me??????????????????????????????????????????? O.M.G.

 

[GOHVYORGOHME]

Here's the deal folks, because of a stupid "permanent" shoulder injury that I got (only solution is surgery, and doc's won't guarantee that I'll be able to lift again after it, so that's out) going for a college bench press record a loooooooooooooooooooooong time ago, I can't do ANY overhead movements for my lats. I can hanlde low cable rows and db rows just fine becaue my arms are facing towards the floor, not towards the ceiling. So that covers the thickness part of the back, but not the width part, and I'd really like to work those "wings." So I was just wondering what you all thought about doing some WIDE GRIP bent over rows for trying to get some width in my lats??????? I know that it's generally also considered a "thickness" exercise, but I thought that if I used a little wider than shoulder grip, I might be able to shift some of the work to the "wings." My shoulder can handle this one fine, as arms won't be overhead, so any ideas on if this might do the trick for me??????????????????????????????????????????? O.M.G.

I have found that wide grip BB bent rows do more for my traps and RD's than anything. The wider I go, the more i feel it in my upper back. I'm not sure if you can do these, but try using an underhand grip that is no wider than shoulder width. I always get the best squeeze in my lats doing them this way. I'm not saying you don't use your lats with WG BB bent rows, but I just feel them more in my lats doing them underhand shoulder width apart. GL!

 

[wnt2bBeast]

aside from deads its my favorite heavy back exercise to do..i totally feel it in the lats..make sure your squeezing the shoulder blades together and pulling more from the elbow..i usually go low reps 315 for a few sets of 5 and its all lats and upper back

 

[cwick0]

I love these, but i dont feel they add any width to my back, just thickness in the center. For width i like close grip barbell rows (palms away).

 

[Dave949]

T-Bar rows = width AND thickness.

IMHO....I think it would be quite difficult if not downright impossible to build thick lats without building width just as it would be quite difficult to build width without building thickness. The lat contracts as a whole unit and will grow as a whole unit.

Pump on .....

Anatomy

The lattisimus dorsi is a large muscle with a very broad origin on the vertebrae and ribs of the mid to low back, tapering into a narrow insertion on the anterior (front) of the head of the humerus bone of the arm. From the surface, this muscle runs in a mostly vertical fashion up the sides of the back giving the upper body its "V" shape. All of the muscle fibers in the latissimus dorsi are virtually parallel, making the entire muscle function with the same action on the arm. This is a different situation from the two heads of the pectoralis major with distinctly different fiber angles and actions on the arm (2,3,4). You cannot train "parts" of the latissimus dorsi.

 

[Sub-Zero]

question...

do yall feel deads in the lats?

cause i dont

 

[Texas Ranger]

T-Bar rows = width AND thickness.

IMHO....I think it would be quite difficult if not downright impossible to build thick lats without building width just as it would be quite difficult to build width without building thickness. The lat contracts as a whole unit and will grow as a whole unit.

Pump on .....

Anatomy

The lattisimus dorsi is a large muscle with a very broad origin on the vertebrae and ribs of the mid to low back, tapering into a narrow insertion on the anterior (front) of the head of the humerus bone of the arm. From the surface, this muscle runs in a mostly vertical fashion up the sides of the back giving the upper body its "V" shape. All of the muscle fibers in the latissimus dorsi are virtually parallel, making the entire muscle function with the same action on the arm. This is a different situation from the two heads of the pectoralis major with distinctly different fiber angles and actions on the arm (2,3,4). You cannot train "parts" of the latissimus dorsi.

I think Old School T-Bar Rows with an Olympic bar & Low Row handle are an AWESOME exercise for the Lats!! They should effect both width & thickness.

 

[one man gang]

Thanks for the feed back folks, I'll give everything a try and get back with you in a few months and let you know what seemed to work the best. It sucks having to live with a "permanant" injury like this, but I guess that it's better than not lifting at all. O.M.G.

 

[casualbb]

Try cable pullovers starting from the height where you don't feel pain. Won't be as good as pullups but it's the best way to really hit the lats.

 

[Boss101]

I like doing BB rows standing more upright with an underhand grip like Dorain Yates.