How to Perform the Bent-Over Barbell

[stronglifts]

Article on how to perform the Bent-Over Barbell Row, video is included.

Bent-Over Barbell Row

Comments are welcome.

 

[stronglifts]

Wow, pausing is gonna make it a lot harder. The main thing I have trouble with when I do bent-overs is my lower back. I can't tell the difference between "stress" and "discomfort". Same when I do deadlifts or back extensions.

You don't need to pause on the Bent-over Barbell Row.

Start by watching your form (maybe shoot a video). If you keep your back neutral on the rows, your lower back will be ok.

Depending on how strong your lower back, the feeling will vary. I know the exercise kills people with a weak back. Just persist & keep your lower back straight, it will strengthen.

Work hard on the deadlift in the meanwhile, it's the best exercise for the lower back (if done correctly!)

 

[spesmilitis]

Awesome, just what I'm looking for. Some questions comments:

I can do 7 pull ups with 60 extra lbs of weight. I can deadlift 290x5. But I can only BOR 115x7. Which variation of BOR's should I work on? Wide grip? Under hand? ect.

Many people say that sloppy BOR's are ok. They say that a little bit of body english won't hinder gains in the BOR. Also, what do you think about dynamic rows. http://youtube.com/watch?v=QvyHyDnh9U8

From the video, it seems that the bar never touches your stomach, you stop when your eblows are slightly above your back.

Is not having your torso parralell really that bad? I thought torse angle are just a variation in the BOR, and that most angles will produce results.

What to you think of t-bar rows as a substitude. What about as a supplemental exercise?

 

[stronglifts]

Awesome, just what I'm looking for. Some questions comments:

I can do 7 pull ups with 60 extra lbs of weight. I can deadlift 290x5. But I can only BOR 115x7. Which variation of BOR's should I work on? Wide grip? Under hand? ect.

Many people say that sloppy BOR's are ok. They say that a little bit of body english won't hinder gains in the BOR. Also, what do you think about dynamic rows. http://youtube.com/watch?v=QvyHyDnh9U8

From the video, it seems that the bar never touches your stomach, you stop when your eblows are slightly above your back.

Is not having your torso parralell really that bad? I thought torse angle are just a variation in the BOR, and that most angles will produce results.

What to you think of t-bar rows as a substitude. What about as a supplemental exercise?

7 pullups with 60lbs weight is strong. Keep going. Your BOR is pretty weak compared to your other lifts. I've deadlifted 350lbs for 1RM with a BOR of 200lbs for 1RM.

Increase your BOR & your deadlift & press will increase.

Grip: experiment like I wrote in the article. I like shoulder width grip (22inch) pronated.

The video you're giving are something that looks like power cleans (technique is far from perfect). Powercleans are good for upperback/traps & power. But they are trickier to learn than BOR.

The video: your the second person that tell me I'm not touching my stomach on the video. I can assure you I do. Blame it on the video quality.

Parallel torso alignement = best back emphasis. The more your torso goes incline, the easier the exercise. Try it, you'll feel the difference.

You can't do t-bar rows parallel.

Pendlay Row > Bent-Over Barbell Row > T-bar Row

Barbell Rows done like in the video are hard to perform & very stressful. Definitely one of the hardest exercises after the squat & deadlift. But you must do the exercise right & give it time. The most common error is to let the weight increase be the result of a more favorable position (by standing more upright).

Hope that helps.

 

[spesmilitis]

Whats the difference between a pendlay row and BOR? I think the p-row is the one your demonstrated in your video.

 

[mrRuckus]

7 pullups with 60lbs weight is strong. Keep going. Your BOR is pretty weak compared to your other lifts. I've deadlifted 350lbs for 1RM with a BOR of 200lbs for 1RM.

I beat both of those and still can't pullup for crap... and actually i'm not so bad at chin ups (meaning supinated pullup), which is odd to me.

 

[spesmilitis]

I beat both of those and still can't pullup for crap... and actually i'm not so bad at chin ups (meaning supinated pullup), which is odd to me.

It seems I'm an abnormality when it comes to the pull up. It could be that I've been working on it starting 7 years ago. Only started deadlift a year ago and proper BORS several monthes ago.

If only I'd known about deadlifts and squats 7 years ago. . .

Things that may have contributed to my pull up:
-Doing free weight pulls to high reps (15-20).
-Using lat pull down machine to break platues (increment by 2.5 lbs for a week, go back to the pull up in a month).
-Doing them fast and explosivly (like fedor emelianko if you seen his documentry).
-Going all the way up till the top of very top of the chest touches the bar not just chin over the bar except for the last few reps.

 

[stronglifts]

Whats the difference between a pendlay row and BOR? I think the p-row is the one your demonstrated in your video.

Spesmilitis,

You can't imagin how many times I got this question asked after the article came out

The pendlay row involves an arching of the upper back. This makes the exercise much more explosive. It also involves the lats/back more. Hard to master at first, especially if you lack flexibility. But worth the effort, you never go back to BORs.

Article is for next thursday, video included, you'll see the difference.

 

[stronglifts]

I beat both of those and still can't pullup for crap... and actually i'm not so bad at chin ups (meaning supinated pullup), which is odd to me.

spesmilitis has given you good advice.

You're not the only one who has a strong deadlift/bor but weak pullup. It's just a lack of specific training. I wrote this before: if you want to get better at pullups, start doing pullups.

I do pullups daily. You should start doing this too. Just a month work & you'll be able to grind pullups for rep without any problem.

 

[spesmilitis]

daily pull ups? What about time to recover?

 

[stronglifts]

daily pull ups? What about time to recover?

As long as you stay away from failure, you'll be ok. These are just unloaded bodyweight exercises. Nothing to fear from.

If you overtrain from doing daily pullups, I'd seriously question your overall fitness.

 

[kickureface]

whenever i do these rows, my hamstrings feel VERY tensed. by the end of the workout, im looking for the medicine ball to lie down, is this common or is it my specific problem? sometimes i feel like the hamstrings bog me down from the workout, making me not lift as much weight. bleh?

 

[stronglifts]

whenever i do these rows, my hamstrings feel VERY tensed. by the end of the workout, im looking for the medicine ball to lie down, is this common or is it my specific problem? sometimes i feel like the hamstrings bog me down from the workout, making me not lift as much weight. bleh?

Tight hamstrings. You should start stretching them. Here's a dynamic hamstring stretch: the leg swing. You can do it as warmup before starting your workout.

 

[mrRuckus]

So, stronglifts, when is your article about how to prevent gouging the cord into one's testicles during pullthroughs coming out?

 

[stronglifts]

So, stronglifts, when is your article about how to prevent gouging the cord into one's testicles during pullthroughs coming out?

As soon as you give me more info about your problem. You can pm me if you prefer to keep it anonymous.

 

[Warboss Alex]

As soon as you give me more info about your problem. You can pm me if you prefer to keep it anonymous.

I have the same issue. I feel this should be a public resolution.

 

[stronglifts]

I have the same issue. I feel this should be a public resolution.

I definitely need more info in that case. If two people have this problem, more will.

 

[Warboss Alex]

I definitely need more info in that case. If two people have this problem, more will.

um, it was a joke.

 

[stronglifts]

um, it was a joke.

How do you like the ****y & funny attitude?

 

[mrRuckus]

Well it started off as a joke though i did have the issue yesterday doing them for the first time...

i came home and looked at more videos of it being done and realized i wasn't doing them exactly right. I was more pulling the handle(rope) up to about shoulder height, which would make the cord go up into my groin, rather than leaving the rope down low like in this video:

http://www.midwestbarbell.com/videos/hampullthrough.wmv
-- i go further down and back than that though.

So i was turning the thing into an arm exercise at the end too...

Still kicked the sh1t out of my glutes and hamstrings, though... I'm really trying to do a lot of lower back, hamstring, hip builders lately to help with my squat and deadlift sticking points.