Strong Lifts-Barbell Row

belgerian
belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
On the Strong Lifts site, it states to do the row with your torso horizontal, pulling the weight to your lower chest. Most other information I have read say do it with about a 45 degree angle and sit back and pull it from the floor to your belly button. Which does make more sense to me as it seems it would limit the chances of back injuries. Looking for feed back.

http://stronglifts.com/barbell-row/

Thanks

Replies

  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Stronglifts specifically uses Pendlay rows which are exactly as you describe initially. The second way is a more traditional barbell row.
  • taco_inspector
    taco_inspector Posts: 7,223 Member
    Just a little reading -- I find it easier to maintain proper form with the Pendlay (like I can better feel/control muscle activation)
    http://nattyornot.com/pendlay-rows-vs-conventional-barbell-rows/
  • jaweiss1
    jaweiss1 Posts: 71 Member
    I find the Pendlay rows to be hard on my back. I switched to bent over dumbell rows with a bench a few years ago and haven't looked back.

    E.g.

    http://www.how2muscleguide.com/images/Bentover-dumbbell-rows.jpg
  • I slightly bend my knees and bend over about halfway between 45* and horizontal trying to keep my back flat.
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
    Does it make any difference how you do it?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    More rear delt engagement the closer you are to Pendlay with elbows out. And since going to floor, usually higher weight, so better chance of muscle overload.

    If your body supports getting flat back with chest above mid-foot with straight arms to bar for straight up pull - it can work well.
    That's a lot of tweaking compared to grabbing bar and just tilting over some.
    One site I read said use same hand width as bench or slightly wider - if not changed that around much to feel the difference though.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    jo_marnes wrote: »
    Does it make any difference how you do it?

    Yes, the back has many muscles, some of them very large. Different angles hit different muscles, differently.

    Dope
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    jo_marnes wrote: »
    Does it make any difference how you do it?

    Yes, the back has many muscles, some of them very large. Different angles hit different muscles, differently.

    Dope

    Yup.

    I would add that depending on the athlete and the goal those differences could range from trivial/negligible to significant.

    So for example if I have someone running a linear program and they struggle with either/both barbell row variants, I don't have any issue giving them something like a DB or BB seal row or another replacement pull provided they can do it reasonably well and make progress.