How Far Do You Lean Over For Bent Row?

[AmazingAJ]

For barbells bent row. I bend my knees a bit. Squeeze shoulder blades together and puff chest out. I can barely manage to get to a 45 degree angle. I can go lower like almost paralel to floor but id have to like stop squeezing shoulders and round my back out. Any advice? Is 45 degrees enough?

 

[Torobestia]

45 degrees is pretty standard. Focus on loading the right muscles and bringing the weight up with your back. Don't hip hinge the exercise or you wont get out of it what you should. While keeping your upper back tight/chest out, you should relax your shoulders at the bottom position of the row, then initiate it by retracting your shoulders then bringing the weight up.

I also bend my knees and sit back. It allows me to get pretty low to the floor, not quite parallel but almost there. Bar sits right below my knees with my semi-wide grip (almost bench grip).

 

[Legacyfighter]

90 degrees. Much greater range of motion therefore much greater growth potential. You'll have to check your ego, but I promise your lats will thank me.

 

[AmazingAJ]

Lol i just cNt hold that 90 degree angle. Even without a bar lol. Im too short

 

[Legacyfighter]

Lol i just cNt hold that 90 degree angle. Even without a bar lol. Im too short

What does being short have to do with it? I'm not exactly tall at 5'8" and I have really short legs compared to my torso, and I have no problems

 

[ZiR RED]

There are two types of bent over barbell rows...two main types, I should say.

There are the standard barbell rows where you angle of the Lumbar-pelvic hip complex is 45 degrees, the bar should be just below your knees, and you pull to your navel.

There are also pendlay rows, where you the LPHC angle is nearly 90 degrees, and you pull to your chest.

The first has a slightly greater lat recruitment, the second a greater rear delt recruitment.

Br

 

[Rodja]

What does being short have to do with it? I'm not exactly tall at 5'8" and I have really short legs compared to my torso, and I have no problems

My palms are touching the floor when I'm at 90 degrees. My rule of thumb is to have the bar at or slightly below the patella at the bottom of the lift.

 

[bdcc]

There is a caveat on flexibility. Some people don't have adequate hamstring flexibility or motor control to reach a sufficient degree of hip flexion without moving into more dangerous levels of spinal flexion.

 

[Jiigzz]

There are two types of bent over barbell rows...two main types, I should say.

There are the standard barbell rows where you angle of the Lumbar-pelvic hip complex is 45 degrees, the bar should be just below your knees, and you pull to your navel.

There are also pendlay rows, where you the LPHC angle is nearly 90 degrees, and you pull to your chest.

The first has a slightly greater lat recruitment, the second a greater rear delt recruitment.

Br

Can the 2nd be used to supplement or replace scapulae retraction work? I.e. either with or instead of face-pulls? I prefer free-weights over machines as they are more accessible.

 

[supermanjow]

The great Dorian Yates advocates a 70 degree angle and an underhand grip. Pull into your hips and not your waist. Trust me, you will feel this very low in your lats. It's how I do them and I feel it almost exclusively in my lower tie-ins.

 

[ThunderHumper]

There are two types of bent over barbell rows...two main types, I should say.

There are the standard barbell rows where you angle of the Lumbar-pelvic hip complex is 45 degrees, the bar should be just below your knees, and you pull to your navel.

There are also pendlay rows, where you the LPHC angle is nearly 90 degrees, and you pull to your chest.

The first has a slightly greater lat recruitment, the second a greater rear delt recruitment.

Br

this right here

and holding the pendlay rows can really **** you over if you dont have th flexibility to hold the position. if youre looking for rear delt recruitment, just do the dumbell rows, you wont pull your back doing that

 

[Legacyfighter]

With the LPHC angle at 90 degrees, you don't have to pull to your chest.. You can still pull to your navel for lat recruitment. I don't have any videos of myself doing it, but I do have this sort of hybrid with DBs... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCkbAsSZu7g&feature=plcp

and yes, I realize that i'm not at exactly 90 degrees, maybe 80, but its better for lat growth than 45 degree if you ask me.

 

[Legacyfighter]

If your palms are touching the floor when you are at 90 degrees then you either have the longest arms in the world or the shortest legs. I would imagine you are bending past 90 degrees. I've never seen anyone in my life with arms as long as their legs, UNLESS they were amputees.

 

[napalm]

i do pendlays at a strict 90 degrees, pull to the top of my stomach and reset completely after each rep.

 

[JD261985]

90 degrees. Much greater range of motion therefore much greater growth potential. You'll have to check your ego, but I promise your lats will thank me.

Yep check that damn ego at the door. Hang it up, throw it away do something with it but don't bring it to the gym. Ego only hurts you while training.

 

[tnubs]

Pendlay style is definitely superior in my experience, i pull to my stomach, tho, and its been amazing at working my lats. Its the only back exercise i have done for the past several months and both my lats and traps have grown from them solo.

 

[AmazingAJ]

Pendalty? Is that the one i cant do?

 

[tnubs]

Pendalty? Is that the one i cant do?

you can do it if you work on it. watch some youtube videos and start light.

 

[ZiR RED]

Can the 2nd be used to supplement or replace scapulae retraction work? I.e. either with or instead of face-pulls? I prefer free-weights over machines as they are more accessible.

I'm not sure if I would replace face pulls completely with pendlay rows. But yes, they are a great scapula retraction exercise.

You can always use bands instead of cables for face pulls too.

Br

 

[napalm]

I'm not sure if I would replace face pulls completely with pendlay rows. But yes, they are a great scapula retraction exercise.

You can always use bands instead of cables for face pulls too.

Br

I do both pendlays and facepulls. These two have done wonders for my shoulders...

 

[Torobestia]

I don't really see any place for Pendlays in my lifting routine right now, or else I'd give them a shot as well. Maybe I'll try throwing them in during an extra workout session.

 

[Legacyfighter]

I'm not sure if I would replace face pulls completely with pendlay rows. But yes, they are a great scapula retraction exercise.

You can always use bands instead of cables for face pulls too.

Br

Agree with Zir here. Also, if you do your facepulls with external rotation, like performing a double biceps pose, then you will be missing out on several things with just doing Pendlay's. Pure scapular retraction should be covered with Pendlays though.

 

[AmazingAJ]

So is 45 degree rows bad?

 

[ITW]

So is 45 degree rows bad?

No. Just row heavy weight, your back will grow.

 

[Rodja]

So is 45 degree rows bad?

Try it for yourself.

 

[supermanjow]

I prefer DY's 70 degrees. Try that sometime too. Go to MD's site and watch Kai Greene's training vid with him.

 

[rw357]

I do them at 80-90 degrees. I would actually rank BB rows at this angle was an excellent core workout as well as back workout.

 

[Rodja]

I do them at 80-90 degrees. I would actually rank BB rows at this angle was an excellent core workout as well as back workout.

IDK how you people get a full stretch at that angle unless you have short arms.

 

[boogyman]

I do the Pendlays. Even with people who I see do them (which is not many in my gym), most don't perform them in an explosive manner, or deload the weight for each rep as in a deadlift. This is a good video showing this:

[video=youtube;ZlRrIsoDpKg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlRrIsoDpKg[/video]

The beginning shows a regular row, the Pendlays start at about 2:30.

 

[NLAFounder]

For barbells bent row. I bend my knees a bit. Squeeze shoulder blades together and puff chest out. I can barely manage to get to a 45 degree angle. I can go lower like almost paralel to floor but id have to like stop squeezing shoulders and round my back out. Any advice? Is 45 degrees enough?

What I find most effective for really adding mass to you back and rear delts is this:
-get into a quarter squat
-bend over at 75 degree angle
-pinch your shoulder blades back and keep your chest and head up
-bring the weight up to touch your top abs
-squeeze and flex your back for a split second before releasing the weight in a controlled fashion.

Start with lighter weight and you will see your strength increase and your back muscles really begin to explode.

Hope this helps,
Justin M

 

[CHAPS]

I trained back today, the way i do it is one arm dumbbell rows on a slight incline and row to my waist for my lat recruitment, then do two arm bent over dumbbell rows at 90' degrees, focusing on thickness

 

[rw357]

IDK how you people get a full stretch at that angle unless you have short arms.

Well, I am 5'9" with 29 inch legs, I am super stubby, and I don't really have a problem. Having said that, I find for back, for me, that getting a really good concentric movement is really important. It is where I think, and I was a prime candidate, that people make the biggest mistakes when it comes to back. And this exercise, I can feel the contraction better than any other back exercise. I also personally enjoy the hamstring stretch.

 

[wrathchild281]

its a slight lean but most importantly its a pull not a yank or a momemtum jerk. Bend knees arch back and tighten lower back