Rows?
klrenn
Posts: 245 Member
I am finding the barbell rows very awkward. I'm comfortable with all the other lifts, but this one is pretty difficult for me for some reason.
Do you have any tips? I'm definitely backing off the weight until I get the hang of it, but can't figure out why it is so hard.
Do you have any tips? I'm definitely backing off the weight until I get the hang of it, but can't figure out why it is so hard.
0
Replies
-
I've always had a hard time with that one, in particular keeping it to the pendlay rows instead of doing bent over, though I can lift more with the pendlay version. I sometimes watch youtube videos on it. I like the "train untamed" ones but there are others out there as well. It took me a while to just get used to stacking the plates to get a good height from the floor since I can't do 135 yet and probably won't for months. Maybe others have tips. I just started doing them again now that I'm back to SL type instead of NROLFW.0
-
can you figure out particular things about them that you find hard? balance, back control, something else? i'm not sure that i'll be any help - it seems like my row form varies widely from 'right on point' to 'all over the place'. but you're definitely not on your own with this lift.0
-
I hated the pendlay rows, and am just not good at any barbell rows. So...I do different lat exercises. T-bar rows, lat pull-downs, dumbbell rows, every once in awhile the machines. Different ways to skin a cat...0
-
Thanks for the response...It actually helps to know it's not just me
I can't pinpoint what exactly bothers me about the lift, I *think* it's being bent over so far that feels awkward.0 -
I can't pinpoint what exactly bothers me about the lift
yeah, i know the feeling. of all the lifts, it's the one that seems most counter-intuitive in terms of your lower back. one thing that has helped me a little is to seriously PLANT my feet. i don't know how else to describe it. but i try to make it feel like my weight is totally channneling itself down my body and into the ground the whole time. as a matter of fact, i often finish a set of rows feeling my hamstrings have worked a lot harder than anything else.0 -
Said this in the workout thread, but the first thing you should look into is to find a platform or bumper plates to get the bar to an appropriate level. If your gym doesn't have bumpers, request them. A pair of 10 or 15lbs bumpers is not *that* expensive (heck, a full set for a gym is kind of a must, anyway, and I think they're available in the 200-250$ range, so it's really not a huge equipment expense for a full blown gym. Raise everyone's monthly subscription by 25¢ and it's paid within the first month! lol)
If you can't get the bar up to mid-shins to start, switch to bent-over rows. They work similarly, just a little less explosive because you don't start with a bar that's fully inert and has some slack on it.
2. Your lower body has to be locked down. Knees slightly bent, butt squeezed, toes grabbing at the ground. It'll protect your lower back and make you a lot more stable.
3. Expand your rib cage with a deep breath and keep that locked in as well. Think of your hands as hooks (don't wrap your thumb around if that helps) and lift by imagining there's a rope pulling your elbows back.
4. If all else fails, reverse the cue. Instead of thinking about bringing the bar up to your chest, think about bringing yourself down to the bar. If you're locked into position, your body won't actually move down, and the bar will fly up.0 -
Awesome...Thanks so much for the advice!0
-
#4 sounds really interesting!! Going to have to try tha!0
-
4. If all else fails, reverse the cue. Instead of thinking about bringing the bar up to your chest, think about bringing yourself down to the bar.
this really helps me. i also found that i have to remind myself to look 'down' - down from where my eyes want to be, anyway. if i don't remember that i usually try to sneak a look at myself in the mirror to see if i'm level, back flat etc etc. and rows do seem to go better for me if i keep a more neutral cervical spine.
the lower body locking/foot planting thing . . . what i try to do feels kind of like this. imagine you're standing on a very very steep slope and all you have to keep yourself from sliding downhill is the soles of your feet, pressed into the ground by your own body's weight. if you think about it, having to do that really makes you concentrate ALL of your weight directly into that contact area.
that's kind of the feeling i try to aim for. like i'm keeping myself from tipping over by driving the weight of myself and the bar straight through my legs and straight into the ground, like there are spikes through my feet. idk if it's a kosher approach to the rows, but i do seem to have stronger arms and a stronger pull if i can get that feeling right. keeping a really tight core is part of it, because that also plays a big role in channelling that weight to the place that you want it to go.0 -
I just can't get the hang of these either. I feel like my arms are doing the work and I can't properly squeeze my shoulder blades together when the weight gets heavier. The bar gets to my torso and I don't really feel like my back is doing the work.
Cable rows seem somewhat better. Or inverted rows. 0 -
Said this in the workout thread, but the first thing you should look into is to find a platform or bumper plates to get the bar to an appropriate level. If your gym doesn't have bumpers, request them. A pair of 10 or 15lbs bumpers is not *that* expensive (heck, a full set for a gym is kind of a must, anyway, and I think they're available in the 200-250$ range, so it's really not a huge equipment expense for a full blown gym. Raise everyone's monthly subscription by 25¢ and it's paid within the first month! lol)
If you can't get the bar up to mid-shins to start, switch to bent-over rows. They work similarly, just a little less explosive because you don't start with a bar that's fully inert and has some slack on it.
2. Your lower body has to be locked down. Knees slightly bent, butt squeezed, toes grabbing at the ground. It'll protect your lower back and make you a lot more stable.
3. Expand your rib cage with a deep breath and keep that locked in as well. Think of your hands as hooks (don't wrap your thumb around if that helps) and lift by imagining there's a rope pulling your elbows back.
4. If all else fails, reverse the cue. Instead of thinking about bringing the bar up to your chest, think about bringing yourself down to the bar. If you're locked into position, your body won't actually move down, and the bar will fly up.
Excellent advice right here. I read this in another thread you posted it on a few months ago and I just have to chime in that after focusing on the above tips, I finally felt like I was properly doing rows. Thinking about a rope pulling my elbows back was a huge help.
0 -
YAY!!! I did it!
I took all of the advice and my rows felt so much better today. I also noticed that the bottom bars of the squat rack are the perfect height for the bar - so I did them in there. Since the only other person who used the squat rack today was a big guy curling the bare bar, I didn't feel bad monopolizing it for a bit
Thanks so much! 80lbs...woo hoo!0 -
This discussion has been closed.