Some quick advice on Barbell Rows Please

discombobulate

Could someone give me some advice on form for barbell rows please. I've asked 3 or 4 people in the past week and have been advised to do them all kinds of different ways.

Do I pull to the chest or stomach?

Normal or reverse grip?

Knees bent or straight?

I currently bend my knees a bit try to keep my back straight just over 90 degrees, arse out and pull towards my chest.

cardio,shoot me

discombobulate wrote: »

Could someone give me some advice on form for barbell rows please. I've asked 3 or 4 people in the past week and have been advised to do them all kinds of different ways.

Do I pull to the chest or stomach? Pull to the stomach, elbows tucked

Normal or reverse grip? I believe this depends what you want out of it. I think for more back involvement use a normal grip, more bicep involvement use the underhand grip

Knees bent or straight? Knees straight, hips back, your shins should idealistically be perpindicular to the ground. try to sit back kind of like a squat or deadlift

I currently bend my knees a bit try to keep my back straight just over 90 degrees, arse out and pull towards my chest.

This is all in my opinion, i could be way off the mark :P

squod

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/BBBentOverRow.html

I do 'em like yer man in the link, except my legs are bent more than his. Always overhand, and always pulling to the bottom of my ribcage. For me anyway.

discombobulate

Thanks for the replies lads. Seems to be a difference in opinions everywhere on this. Have looked at 5 or 6 videos online this evening and still confused.

For example on stronglifts.com here they say to go for the chest. A lot of other places seem to aim for the stomach.

I should have made a poll

It probably would have helped if I said what I wanted from them which is to build as much overall upper strength as possible as i'm trying to build a general core strength base at the moment. Normal grip anyway.

Also do you let hit the ground or stop just before? Have also been given conflicting advice on this for deadlifts. Bounce taking from lift etc.

cardio,shoot me

well, thats another arguement again! for one, i dont touch the ground, but Hanley does, they work for him, not for me (hes alot stronger than me though). Theres actually a row called the Pendlay row which starts from the ground.

Generally on deadlifts id start from a dead stop. Thats just personal preference though

brianthebard

If I pull to my hips its more lats, if I pull to the bottom of my ribs its upper back (this holds true for db rows too).

The_Kew_Tour

What do the Barbell rows work anyway? Like to get into them is it just for your back and upper shoulders?

squod

adrian280582 wrote: »

What do the Barbell rows work anyway? Like to get into them is it just for your back and upper shoulders?

It's overall back, lats and rear delts. For bigger weight I use t-bar rows.

The_Kew_Tour

squod wrote: »

It's overall back, lats and rear delts. For bigger weight I use t-bar rows.

Cheers for that

kumate_champ07

I pull to just bellow my chest over the cavity between the ribs, if it doesnt touch skin(technically 3mm below skin) the weight is too heavy

Brian?

discombobulate wrote: »

Thanks for the replies lads. Seems to be a difference in opinions everywhere on this. Have looked at 5 or 6 videos online this evening and still confused.

For example on stronglifts.com here they say to go for the chest. A lot of other places seem to aim for the stomach.

If you're pulling to the chest its more for the rear delts, I always pull barbell rows to the stomach. There are better ways to hit the rear delts.

discombobulate wrote: »

I should have made a poll

It probably would have helped if I said what I wanted from them which is to build as much overall upper strength as possible as i'm trying to build a general core strength base at the moment. Normal grip anyway.

Also do you let hit the ground or stop just before? Have also been given conflicting advice on this for deadlifts. Bounce taking from lift etc.

I never thought about it for BB rows, I never rest the weight. On deadlifts though I always rest the weight between reps, I believe thats why its called a deadlift, you're lifting a dead weight.

NFH

I myself prefer having knees slightly bent, about a 45 degree back angle with a good arch and then using a reverse grip with arms close to body, pull the barbell kinda along the legs into my lower chest and hold for a bit. Really leaves my back feeling pumped.