# who does bent over rows????



## ducky699 (Jul 23, 2012)

Ive heard plenty of times about BOR's being a major exercise in back development but i never really 'feel it'. My technique is spot on i would say and ive tried both over and under hand grips but i never feel anything. i get a much better satisfaction doing low row or wide lat pull downs

anybody else see this????


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## andyhuggins (Nov 21, 2008)

I do BOR's just have to squeeze the lats at the top of the move.


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## gradziol (Feb 21, 2014)

andyhuggins said:


> I do BOR's just have to squeeze the lats at the top of the move.


That and go heavy, ppl tend to go to light on that. Also try to isolate ur back and hold it at the top of the move for second or two when squeezing.


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## OrganicSteel (Feb 4, 2008)

I've never been able to master barbell rows. Machine Rows for me instead.


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## xpower (Jul 28, 2009)

I do dumbbell & yates (orverhand grip though)


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## Simspin (Sep 5, 2011)

I love bor's true story


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## funkypigeon (Mar 3, 2013)

ducky699 said:


> Ive heard plenty of times about BOR's being a major exercise in back development but i never really 'feel it'. My technique is spot on i would say and ive tried both over and under hand grips but i never feel anything. i get a much better satisfaction doing low row or wide lat pull downs
> 
> anybody else see this????







Watch this, i had the same problem not "feeling" it, best thing i did after this was to flare out the elbows a bit and bring the bar to just below your chest to engage the lats more, rather than keeping it close to my quads.


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## nWo (Mar 25, 2014)

I love barbell rows. I do two types; Yates style to work my lats, and widegripped bent over at 90 degrees for upper back. I used to fcking hate them, but until you get the technique right they're gonna feel horrible.



funkypigeon said:


> Watch this, i had the same problem not "feeling" it, best thing i did after this was to flare out the elbows a bit and bring the bar to just below your chest to engage the lats more, rather than keeping it close to my quads.


Weird lol, I used to row like this and had trouble engaging my lats, just felt like mostly upper back. Wasn't until I did them Yates style, elbows in, pulling the bar to the stomach and standing more upright that they worked my lats a LOT better.


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## funkypigeon (Mar 3, 2013)

> I love barbell rows. I do two types; Yates style to work my lats, and widegripped bent over at 90 degrees for upper back. I used to fcking hate them, but until you get the technique right they're gonna feel horrible.
> 
> Weird lol, I used to row like this and had trouble engaging my lats, just felt like mostly upper back. Wasn't until I did them Yates style, elbows in, pulling the bar to the stomach and standing more upright that they worked my lats a LOT better.


I guess it just varies from person to person everyone's got slightly different bio-mechanics


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## aad123 (Dec 7, 2011)

I love BOR but you need to make sure you retract your scapula and squeeze at the top. I also find adding a little more weight and not trying to keep the form super strict helps also, just load the bar up and get into the start position and you can feel the pull without even doing any reps.


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## aad123 (Dec 7, 2011)

aad123 said:


> I love BOR but you need to make sure you retract your scapula and squeeze at the top. I also find adding a little more weight and not trying to keep the form super strict helps also, just load the bar up and get into the start position and you can feel the pull without even doing any reps. This is a video of me doing them last year.


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## Cronus (Jun 5, 2012)

Prefer DB Row. Once you get to 100kg+ on BB Row it personally becomes to much of a risk for blowing out my back.


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## Lotte (Feb 10, 2014)

Absolutely love bent over BB rows. I like to do em with my torso parallel to the floor, slightly bent knees, elbows slightly flared and pulling to the bottom of my ribcage.

Feels great, looks even better when I'm checking it out in the mirror hahaha


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## aad123 (Dec 7, 2011)

Cronus said:


> Prefer DB Row. Once you get to 100kg+ on BB Row it personally becomes to much of a risk for blowing out my back.


I find with DB rows there is too much rotation of my torso as I get heavy and I don't get the same contraction. That said both exercises are great, I just find BOR suits me better.


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## PaulB (Jun 6, 2010)

Lotte said:


> Absolutely love bent over BB rows. I like to do em with my torso parallel to the floor, slightly bent knees, elbows slightly flared and pulling to the bottom of my ribcage.
> 
> Feels great, looks even better when I'm checking it out in the mirror hahaha


Form pics required please


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

ducky699 said:


> Ive heard plenty of times about BOR's being a major exercise in back development but i never really 'feel it'. My technique is spot on i would say and ive tried both over and under hand grips but i never feel anything. i get a much better satisfaction doing low row or wide lat pull downs
> 
> anybody else see this????


The best to do for BOR is to use straps.

When you grip less, you can focus on you back more and arms less. A lot of people's arms fail before their back and hence find the move ineffective


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## DazUKM (Nov 22, 2012)

me i like


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

As the different vids linked in this thread show you can use bb rows to hit the muscles of the back slightly differently - you can make it more lat by flaring elbows, bringing the bar higher to chest, and by leaning at 60 degrees rather than 90 degrees - or you can make it more mid-lower trap and rhomboids by leaning closer to 90 degrees, bringing the bar to the waist and shrugging the scapulae. A reverse/yates grip helps here too. If not looking to feel it in the right place for the form being used then it won't feel right for sure.

An easier row to feel the back in is the one arm db row where you slightly twist your body at the top for a peak contraction and allow a full back stretch at the bottom. Best exercises I think to feel it in the lats specifically are the pullover, and low pulley rows.


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

Haven't done a barbell row in over a year, we've got a hammer strength plate loaded machine in our gym that I use instead and I find it much more effective.


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## PD89 (Mar 27, 2014)

DazUKM said:


> me i like


That corset giff is hypnotic.


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## Prince Adam (Mar 17, 2012)

Set hips

explode up

Squeeze at top

Wear straps if going heavy


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## ducky699 (Jul 23, 2012)

Cronus said:


> Prefer DB Row. Once you get to 100kg+ on BB Row it personally becomes to much of a risk for blowing out my back.


show off :whistling:


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## Mark2021 (Apr 13, 2012)

Love this exercise personally!

Underhand too


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## JR8908 (Aug 17, 2012)

Much prefer pendlay rows.


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## Cronus (Jun 5, 2012)

ducky699 said:


> show off :whistling:


lol hardly. Compared to a lot of lads on here, I lift absolutely fck all...


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## C.Hill (Nov 21, 2010)

Underhand bb rows are superb, really keeps tension on the lower lats, beasty movement.


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## staffs_lad (Mar 10, 2013)

I'm another lover of bent over rows on the flip side to the OP i really feels them and attribute them to a hell of a lot of my back thickness (one of my strong points) I always make sure i squeeze at the top and stretch at the bottom.

DB rows on the other hand i really struggle with.... diffrent stokes and all that


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## Angerfist (Apr 26, 2014)

I'm not a fan of them. I couldn't feel it in my lats at all so I changed the form around, ended up injuring my back


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## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

I do them overhand, underhand, wide grip and narrow grip and super set with single arm rows. Doing that I feel it then big time, but singular I don't feel anything.


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## Prince Adam (Mar 17, 2012)

I love em

Helped my bench no end


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## harryalmighty (Nov 13, 2011)

no. weighted chins, t-bar rows, dumbbell rows. and deads on leg day


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## Kiwi As (Nov 4, 2013)

Yeah bro. For me, with all rows, I aim my elbows towards my hips, they can't go there but aim for them and I feel it mean


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## pfc4life1 (Mar 10, 2012)

Stopped doing them, my right shoulder drops down so much lower when in position so the bar isn't straight even when I think it is...

Individual DB's on a bench here!!


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## Kristina (Apr 12, 2014)

Rows. Love rows. Rows are a staple for sure. Barbell and dumbbell rows alike; both are among my favourite lifts.

I prefer Yates style and generally underhand grip.


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## RowRow (Nov 17, 2011)

Rows are a staple in my back sessions of all varieties, heavier is always better


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## The Sweeney (May 8, 2014)

Probably inexperience and bad form + suspect weak lower back, but I can't get to grips with BB rows.

I get the best feel with DB rows over a bench, seated cable rows for a great stretch and wide overhand pull ups.

I sometimes hit the wide row machines to burn out on to ensure I hit the rear delts correctly.


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## ScouseDrago (May 19, 2014)

Love BORs. One of my fave exercises. Overhand grip. Easily pulled 100kg inc. bar last night which is a PB so far for me and probably could of gone heavier. Making me want to leave work and go the gym right this second :stuart:


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## GGLynch89 (Mar 6, 2014)

not sure if it has been mentioned but Pendlay Rows!!!!!

Do them!


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## solidss (Nov 9, 2013)

I prefer seated cable rows (wide parallel grip)...much safer for my wrecked lower back. :sad:


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## aad123 (Dec 7, 2011)

I broke the 100kg barrier the other day on bent rows  . Deadlifts and bent rows and my top two exercises.


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