Chest supported rows - form question

jemhh

I recently switched from one arm rows to chest supported rows. The trainer I've been seeing showed me them the first day and all went well but now I have this thought that my form might be wrong. I'll see him again on Monday but thought I'd ask here. Anyway, my question is should my arms be down along the sides of the bench or up over the top and does it matter if my legs are out straight or if my knees are bent? I'm seeing a lot of different images online so I'm not sure if any of that matters or not.

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jemhh

bumping

Cherimoose

I think what you're asking is should you do a low row, like the guy in the pic, or row in a higher path of motion. Either variation can be done, depending on which muscles you want to emphasize. For general conditioning, it's good to do both. Keep legs & knees in a comfortable but stable position.

With that said, chest-supported rows aren't the best choice for general conditioning, because they don't simulate how we tend to use our body in the real world - standing & unsupported, and using other muscle groups. A more functional exercise is the bent-over row, with a barbell or 2 dumbbells.

jemhh

Aren't many exercises done using movements other than those we use in real life? Does it matter all that much? I mean, I don't generally lie on my back and push things up over me on a regular basis but I still am going to bench press for strength and overall fitness.

FWIW, I am doing one leg rows in addition to the chest supported rows. That's not really a way I use my body in the real world either. But, in the end, my goal is to be able to do pull ups so I feel like doing what I can as far as back work goes will take me there.

Cherimoose

Aren't many exercises done using movements other than those we use in real life? Does it matter all that much?

Good question. It's sort of like asking does it matter if i ride a bicycle with training wheels. If that's all i ride, the training wheels become a crutch and i might injure myself if i try riding a regular bike.. especially down a mountain trail. Most injuries happen from skill & coordination deficits, not from a lack of isolated muscle strength. So to answer your question, if your lifestyle includes a lot of hard, physical labor in a variety of movements, then it doesn't matter as much if you include functional lifts, because you probably have adequate neuromuscular skills needed for overall fitness. But if like most people, you lead a relatively sedentary lifestyle, then including some unsupported exercises will help keep you prepared for life's challenges.

I'm not the best at explaining this difficult concept, so here's more on it:

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/working-out-for-real-life-functions