New to stronglifts - question about rows
murj22
Posts: 5 Member
I was hesitant to start Stronglifts because I wasn't comfortable with the heavy weights and compound exercises. But I did it for the first time yesterday, and it was great! Less scary than I imagined.
I started with empty bar squats, the smaller barbell for OHP (30 or 35lbs I think? Going to confirm with someone there tomorrow), and 95lb deadlift. It didn't feel as strenuous as I thought it would be while I was doing it, but man, feeling the DOMS today!
Tomorrow I have workout B and I'm trying to mentally prepare, but was a little confused about the rows. Does it matter if I do the row where the weight hits the ground? I won't be using 45lb plates so was wondering if I could do regular bent rows where the bar just goes to your knees. Or if I should be doing some other type of modification.
I've seen some great transformations through this program, so hoping it works for me!
I started with empty bar squats, the smaller barbell for OHP (30 or 35lbs I think? Going to confirm with someone there tomorrow), and 95lb deadlift. It didn't feel as strenuous as I thought it would be while I was doing it, but man, feeling the DOMS today!
Tomorrow I have workout B and I'm trying to mentally prepare, but was a little confused about the rows. Does it matter if I do the row where the weight hits the ground? I won't be using 45lb plates so was wondering if I could do regular bent rows where the bar just goes to your knees. Or if I should be doing some other type of modification.
I've seen some great transformations through this program, so hoping it works for me!
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Congrats on getting through your first workout and enjoying it!
Pendlay rows are supposed to touch the ground in between reps where the 45-lb plate would be. This way you get low enough to the ground. To do one correctly at a lower weight, you want to get the bar about 8-9 inches off the ground. You can accomplish this with smaller plates or the empty bar by setting it on safety pins set to height on a power cage or by stacking plates or boxes under either side of the barbell. Another option if available to you is to use the rubber plates which are all the same diameter but the lower weight plates are thinner.0 -
I stack plates underneath the barbell so I can tap the ground on the extension. I actually love the quick clank -- super satisfying.
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Bent over rows are fine. You can stack plates if you want to, or pull from the rack, like the other posters suggested. I, personally, didn't like the hassle of stacking the plates, so I did bent over rows until I moved to a gym that has bumper plates available.0
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Thanks for the options! I ended up doing them in the power cage, moving the safety pins down. I tried stacking plates but I was having issues getting it to a comfortable height, and it was a workout in itself moving the plates!
How terrible is it to bench press in a cage? It's much more convenient to just do all three exercises there, but don't want to cross any 'gym etiquette' guidelines
. I go early am, so gym isn't very busy and there are three cages, but still I don't want to be 'that person'.
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Thanks for the options! I ended up doing them in the power cage, moving the safety pins down. I tried stacking plates but I was having issues getting it to a comfortable height, and it was a workout in itself moving the plates!
How terrible is it to bench press in a cage? It's much more convenient to just do all three exercises there, but don't want to cross any 'gym etiquette' guidelines. I go early am, so gym isn't very busy and there are three cages, but still I don't want to be 'that person'.
Generally it's ok so long as no one is waiting to use the cage.0 -
way to go getting over that mental hurdle and making a start!
a lot of people bench in the cage where i do most of my workouts. they also bench in the smith machine ;-) nobody seems to resent it, as far as i've seen. i use it myself for overhead press if i can. after a while of hanging around in a specific gym, you start getting a feel for the etiquette and the 'culture' and then these questions are less frightening because you gain confidence that you'll know who and when and how to just ask someone if you're inconveniencing them. my experience anyway.
it's kind of like when you first start out driving and you can't figure out how you're going to *know* what all those other cars might be likely to do. but you do get used to the ways drivers do, and you learn the whole language of those little courtesy signals and interactions that happen. after some time in your gym you start getting used to the way lifters do, in the same kind of way. and then it gets to be kind of cool being a part of it all ;-) i rarely talk to people while i'm working out, but i actually think i might be a little bit sad if i had the option of just lifting at home.
on the rows, i feel you so much about the irritation of building a stack the right height. my regular place doesn't have a cage with adjustable safety pins, so i'm constantly half-assing it to try and figure out something that 'works' too. for a week or two, i was doing one-armed rows with a kettlebell instead because it gave me that consistency in how-far-from-the-floor.0 -
If I'm at the gym I'll bench in the cage depending on how many people are there and how many cages are available. If it looks like I might be in danger of monopolizing the cage (all the others are in use) I won't use it and just ask someone to spot me instead.How terrible is it to bench press in a cage? It's much more convenient to just do all three exercises there, but don't want to cross any 'gym etiquette' guidelines. I go early am, so gym isn't very busy and there are three cages, but still I don't want to be 'that person'.
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