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Barbell Barbell Rows

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Kozushi

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Never done these before believe it or not. Just started some today with 120lbs. They feel really nice - kind of like swings in a way but slow and controlled, or like a kind of deadlift focussing more on just the arms and back.
Anyone else like this exercise or recommend / not recommend it?
 
Yup. I've done bent over rows for moderate-high reps as an accessory for both general strength and weightlifting performance. They feel great but it can be a struggle to stay 'strict' once fatigue sets in and it's very easy to cheat with a little 'body English'.

I've also one these with my chest supported on a t-bar apparatus and it feels like bench pressing in reverse. You can do these on a regular bench with a barbell with a somewhat shorter range of motion or use dumbbells. A great choice for 'variety days' if you're on a minimalist program.

The upright barbell row has a very different feel and hits a different set of muscles. It's effective and has arguably more carry over to oly lifting but it's harder to get the form right IMO.
 
I think the row is a great exercise. Note that there are at least two ways to row it with just the bar; against the legs to the stomach, and to the chest with your torso parallel to the floor. Both good variations.

I don't think a little cheat with some body English is that bad when it comes to the rows. I'm not after doing it as an isolation exercise. To that point, I wouldn't call it cheating.
 
Yes, it seems like a decent thing to do when I don't feel like diong something more strenuous like deadlifts or kettlebell swings. It seems to hit a lot of the same strength system - the back chain.
 
From Pavel in Beyond Bodybuilding (which I’m re-reading right now, and came across this the other day). That book is such a gem, especially if you’re a recovering, former meathead from New Jersey.

Question: I heard that you don’t like bent over rows. How come?

In my opinion they over fatigue the lower back. BORs do not work it nearly heavy enough to get it strong but surely long enough to tire it out, and thus hamper the recovery of this slowest recovering part of your body. If you deadlift and/or squat heavy, this cannot be good news. Besides, I am yet to see good form on this exercise.

I suggest you focus your back training on pullups and deadlifts and throw in a few rows that do not get your lumbars’ attention, as the icing on the cake. You have three basic options. One is the one-arm row with your free hand resting on your thigh or on a bench. The other is the chest-supported row off a bench that is popular with powerlifters. The third is Coach John Davies’ ‘renegade row’. Assume the pushup position on two kettlebells. Shift your weight to one bell and row the other. Any way you row, let the weight slip forward near the bottom of the movement, then bring it in back towards your waist in an arc.

I’ve personally not bothered with Barbell BORs for years, as I find a standard diet of deadlifts, snatches, double kettlebell complexes, and pull-ups to cover my bases. I do some band work as well, mostly “prehab” type stuff for BJJ, like band pull aparts and Crossover Symmetry.
 
From Pavel in Beyond Bodybuilding (which I’m re-reading right now, and came across this the other day). That book is such a gem, especially if you’re a recovering, former meathead from New Jersey.

Question: I heard that you don’t like bent over rows. How come?



I’ve personally not bothered with Barbell BORs for years, as I find a standard diet of deadlifts, snatches, double kettlebell complexes, and pull-ups to cover my bases. I do some band work as well, mostly “prehab” type stuff for BJJ, like band pull aparts and Crossover Symmetry.
This is another idea from another famous coach. I will put it here.

Rows of all types are done at least three times a week. The guys who only bench do rows just about
every workout, which is four times a week. The full powerlifters do even more rows per week.
Chest supported rows are a mainstay. Very heavy weights are used by most. Among the rows
that are performed are the old-fashion t-bar rows with different handles, wide-bar and V-handle
rows, one arm rows across the body, regular barbell rows occasionally with bands, and one arm
dumbbells rows.
 
From Pavel in Beyond Bodybuilding (which I’m re-reading right now, and came across this the other day). That book is such a gem, especially if you’re a recovering, former meathead from New Jersey.

Question: I heard that you don’t like bent over rows. How come?



I’ve personally not bothered with Barbell BORs for years, as I find a standard diet of deadlifts, snatches, double kettlebell complexes, and pull-ups to cover my bases. I do some band work as well, mostly “prehab” type stuff for BJJ, like band pull aparts and Crossover Symmetry.
Thank you for that. Interesting about over-tiring the back. I'd imagine gymnastic ring rows wouldn't be as much of a problem in this sense.
 
I do BB rows pulling off the floor (pendlay row). When I run BB programs my go to is a HLM set up... I do them on my medium days
 
Been doing these past few weeks. They do work low back but since full reset after each rep, they don't seem to be overly taxing to me. I am only doing 3 sets though and those broken up as shorter clusters.

Yeah they're supposed to eliminate the progressively cheating the BB row tends to have... you will also be able to handle more load imo, which is probably a good thing
 
Interesting to me--I've been doing trap bar DL's and so when started doing the rows, I used trap bar; have seen youtube vids of people doing that. But w/ Pendlay version, I was running into my butt w/ the back part of the bar and losing quite a bit of ROM. Switched to regular bb and found I had to reduce the weight. Don't know why that was because unlike DL's with rows, the set up vs the weight and angles is the same. Hmmm, one variable though is that w/ trap bar, my hands are a lot further apart than I grip bb, like ½ way to snatch grip, so that could be it along w/ the increased ROM.
 
I personally like complementing lots of deadlifting with pullups; it might be "broscience" but I like the decompression I feel, esp. when doing them weighted with a pause and full stretch at the bottom.

With that said, I do think rows are a bit better when it comes to building strength and muscle.
 
From Pavel in Beyond Bodybuilding (which I’m re-reading right now, and came across this the other day). That book is such a gem, especially if you’re a recovering, former meathead from New Jersey.

Question: I heard that you don’t like bent over rows. How come?
In my opinion they over fatigue the lower back. BORs do not work it nearly heavy enough to get it strong but surely long enough to tire it out, and thus hamper the recovery of this slowest recovering part of your body. If you deadlift and/or squat heavy, this cannot be good news. Besides, I am yet to see good form on this exercise.
I can personally attest to this. I've had more than a couple of experiences tweeking my lower back doing bent-over barbell rows. I'm done with them.
 
Never done these before believe it or not. Just started some today with 120lbs. They feel really nice - kind of like swings in a way but slow and controlled, or like a kind of deadlift focussing more on just the arms and back.
Anyone else like this exercise or recommend / not recommend it?

I'm partial to the Pendlay row variation for its extra emphasis on explosiveness.

 
I can personally attest to this. I've had more than a couple of experiences tweeking my lower back doing bent-over barbell rows. I'm done with them.

Were you doing them from the floor or from mid-air?

I haven't had an issue when doing them from the floor, weightlifting accessory style, as opposed to bodybuilding style.
 
Were you doing them from the floor or from mid-air?

I haven't had an issue when doing them from the floor, weightlifting accessory style, as opposed to bodybuilding style.
I was first doing them from floor, then I used the safety pins on rack, probably around knee height.
 
I personally like complementing lots of deadlifting with pullups; it might be "broscience" but I like the decompression I feel, esp. when doing them weighted with a pause and full stretch at the bottom.

With that said, I do think rows are a bit better when it comes to building strength and muscle.
Deadlifts and pullups are different enough to not overdo it, but rows and deadlifts might be too similar.
 
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