Hey guys,
A quick question. When doing barbell rows, I’ve noticed that some pull to their chest, while others pull to their stomach. I’ve been doing the stomach rows ever since I started.
I’m wondering, how would rows to the chest be more beneficial, or should I just mix em around from time to time.
Cheers folks.
Some people have a big stomach so pulling to the stomach shortens the range of motion. I’d just pull in the direction that is most comfortable for me, which would be the very top of my stomach. I’m interested in others’ perspective on this as well.
Whatever allows you to pull while maintaining depressed scapulae (no shrugging up). For most people that’s pretty low on the stomach.
I don’t have a definitive answer for you, but when I do barbell rows, I tend to row straight up. This means that the closer I am to parallel, the more I row to my chest. The closer I am to vertical, the more I row to my stomach. So, when I row to my chest, it tends to hit my middle back/lats more, and when I row to my stomach, it tends to hit my upper back/traps more.
Either way can be good, I guess, but that’s only if you do them exactly as I do them.
Higher up means more upper trap / posterior delt involvement, Lower down means more Lat / Rhomboid / Mid Trap involvement so you can use both if you are going for total back development.
Also if you really want to really your mid back i would suggest really focusing on keeping your traps down during the movement (don’t shrug!).
"Higher up means more upper trap / posterior delt involvement, Lower down means more Lat / Rhomboid / Mid Trap involvement so you can use both if you are going for total back development. "
My question…I’m not sure if proper positioning for rowing is torso bent to 90 degrees (parallel to floor), or at 45 degree angle to the floor.
Would the difference in positioning relate to the quoted reply above (i.e. upper traps/posterior delts are worked at 45 degree angle, and lats/rhomboids at 90 degrees)?
I do them like this.
[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
I do them like this.[/quote]
Yeah, I do them like that too. Only I use more weight, heh heh heh. That brings the bar to the top of my abs, I guess.
PS: Nate, just pulling yer leg, OK? 
[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
I do them like this.[/quote]
I do my bent over rows just like Nate Dogg.
When I’m doing upright rows though I’m standing almost perpindicular to the ground and I’m pulling the bar almost up to my chin.
Sometimes I find that doing rows gives me a slight pain in my lower back. Do you think I’m using too heavy of a weight, crappy form, or both?
[quote]uv_deth wrote:
Sometimes I find that doing rows gives me a slight pain in my lower back. Do you think I’m using too heavy of a weight, crappy form, or both?[/quote]
Firstly use lighter weight and perfect your form, then return to the weight you were using. If pain persists, its the weight. If it goes, it was the form.
Nate dogg, do you stop there, or do you pull all the way (it looks like your going to your stomach).
[quote]Shoebolt wrote:
Nate dogg, do you stop there, or do you pull all the way (it looks like your going to your stomach).[/quote]
I pull to my upper abs/diaphragm. That pic was taken during one of my reps.
[quote]Miserere wrote:
Nate Dogg wrote:
I do them like this.
Yeah, I do them like that too. Only I use more weight, heh heh heh. That brings the bar to the top of my abs, I guess.
PS: Nate, just pulling yer leg, OK? :-)[/quote]
Well, aren’t you special? You can lift more weight than me. You’re probably a lot taller than me as well. I bet you have a bigger penis too! And you probably run faster and jump higher! And you are most likely smarter than me and make more money.
Go ahead! Just rub it in my face!!!
LMAO!
I pull to about the middle of abs. It’s not something I really think about conciously. The key point is: concentrate on pulling THROUGH your elbows. Once you figure it out it makes a world of difference in the lat activation you experience.
[quote]Donut62 wrote:
The key point is: concentrate on pulling THROUGH your elbows. Once you figure it out it makes a world of difference in the lat activation you experience.[/quote]
I have always heard this better never really understood, could someone explain.
Generally the bar end up around my upper abdomen. I try to keep the movement as natural as possible.
[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
Well, aren’t you special? You can lift more weight than me. You’re probably a lot taller than me as well. I bet you have a bigger penis too! And you probably run faster and jump higher! And you are most likely smarter than me and make more money.
[/quote]
I bet his hook is a little more extreme, too.
Hey, you might want to take that back. He might want to. 
[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:
Nate Dogg wrote:
Well, aren’t you special? You can lift more weight than me. You’re probably a lot taller than me as well. I bet you have a bigger penis too! And you probably run faster and jump higher! And you are most likely smarter than me and make more money.
I bet his hook is a little more extreme, too.[/quote]
No way! No one hooks to the left like me!
[quote]Go ahead! Just rub it in my face!!!
Hey, you might want to take that back. He might want to. ;)[/quote]
True. I better watch what I say. I don’t want his manmeat in my face.
I always row to a few inches above my waist and don’t keep myself bent over at 90 degrees as I feel this is a great way to fuck up the lower back. When I want to target my upper back/traps I’ll do power cleans or wide grip chins.
Im sure this sounds like more of a novice point of view, but it wouldnt it be most beneficial to make the rows as close to being the opposite of the flat bench press as possible? Which to me would be 90 deg, wide grip, and pulling to the spot you do when you bench?