Barbell Rows to Pendlay or not to Pendlay

roxylola
roxylola Posts: 540 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am following stronglifts 5x5 at the moment and really finding the pendlay rows a bit of a problem. I haver repositioned the bar so it is higher and I now can get the correct movement and form and have increased the weight I use as a result. However I am not following it to get stronger. I want to be fitter, healthier, leaner. Strength is just a bonus.

So my issue is that until I figured how to get the bar high enough I was not managing to do Pendlays I was doing just regular barbell rows. I think I prefer them a little, I certainly find it easier to squeeze my shoulders together when doing them more so than Pendlays.

So I want to know what the fitness advantages are of one over the other. If the upshot is they are largely the same I may go back to barbells, if the one is better than the other by any significant margin then I will look at which ever one. But basically I don't know enough to make an informed decision. And what I have found myself on line is basically that you get bigger strength gains with pendlays but as that is not a priority (and could be not correct...) I would like someone who knows more to help me please!

Replies

  • StrictlyPro
    StrictlyPro Posts: 72
    For you I would say it about 100% doesn't matter. Do whichever you prefer. In reality, huge pro bodybuilders use what many people would consider terrible form with lots of hip drive, but it actually works really well.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I had to look it up. Turns out I've been doing Pendlay Style from the beginning. I don't know enough anatomy to tell you which muscles are getting hit harder, but at least for me, there is a noticeably larger "degree of difficulty" with Pendlay over regular barbell rows, so I figure it's got to be good for something! :)
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    Somehow I was under the understanding that since the Pendlays have your torso parallel to the floor you are hitting more of your back than if you were more upright. Also there may be something to setting the bar back down on each rep and "exploding" out of it.
    However I am not following it to get stronger. I want to be fitter, healthier, leaner. Strength is just a bonus.

    Yeah... what? Strength training was given its title for a good reason. I don't understand what the point is unless your goal is to become stronger. Just want to look cool burning a few extra calories?
  • roxylola
    roxylola Posts: 540 Member
    Bigtalljay, I like working out, I like doing weights, 5x5 is a free program which is good for beginners and has structure, progression, and is pretty quick to get through so I can fit it in easily enough and if I have extra time I can do a bit more. If I have to set aside an hour every time I go to the gym I won't be able to go so often. I like having muscles, I hate doing cardio but my primary goal is not to make massive strength gains, I am functionally strong, I am not trying to avoid strength gains but they don't matter to me as much as the other stuff. Your understanding is the same as mine, I just can't seem to get along with Pendlay style well and on the basis that the strength gains you get with the explosiveness are secondary to my goal then I wondered if it would be appropriate to switch them.

    StrictlyPro, thanks for that I may go back to my barbell rows then.

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