There are exercises that are used within the same sport, and there are universal exercises. For example, such as barbell pull to the belt. Despite her original origins in weightlifting, she firmly established herself first in bodybuilding, and then moved on to other areas of athleticism.
Interesting fact: initially, the bent-over barbell row was used exclusively in a jerk style, which increased its risk of injury. Her task was not to build back muscles, but to help overcome the lower phase of the movement.
Purpose of the exercise
The bent-over barbell row is the second most popular exercise for training back muscles after the classic pull-ups. This was facilitated by:
- polyarticular;
- the possibility of a small differentiation of loads;
- excellent workout of most of the back muscles;
- and the most important thing is irreplaceability.
If you can do with the tools at hand when training the arms, legs and shoulder girdle, then there is nothing for the development of truly impressive latissimus dorsi that can be compared to the bent over rows in terms of efficiency.
Tips for beginners
We hasten to upset everyone who wants to add this exercise to their basic program. Despite its high efficiency and the type of sport (crossfit or bodybuilding), you will have to postpone the barbell for at least 2-3 months from the start of classes.
Why? There are several main reasons why deadlifts and bent over rows are not recommended in the early months.
Reason 1
Unfortunately, without preliminary training, the muscles of a person's back are unevenly developed relative to the central axis. For some, the right side prevails, for others the left. This means that when trying to take even a small weight, the strong side of the back will eat up most of the load, which, in turn, leads to deformation of the spine.
Decision: The first months, while in the gym, do your own weight and exercise equipment, paying attention to light weights with maximum muscle work. This will allow you to develop a more stable and evenly developed muscle corset.
Reason 2
Insufficient development of the muscle corset. The deadlift and the deadlift require a huge range of muscles to be engaged, including the lumbar muscles. With insufficient development of this department, there is a high probability of injury (including protrusions and hernias).
Decision: Hyperextension and abdominal exercises. At the same time, it is important to understand that if you intensively pump the press, then the same amount of attention should be paid to the lumbar region, because these muscles compensate each other, being the main core of the spine.
Reason 3
Specific technique. For those who have not previously taken a heavy barbell in their hands, it is hard to understand how difficult it is to keep track of all the little things on which the effectiveness of the exercise depends. Starting from the position of the knees, hips and ending with the ability to pull with your elbows, not biceps, keeping your back in arch. And this is not a complete list of nuances that reduce injury risk and increase efficiency.
Decision: in the first months, engage exclusively with an empty bar to develop technique, leaving this exercise after the main ones in the program.
After completing basic training (which usually takes 2 training months), you can grab the barbell and use your back 200%.
Note: Regardless of your past progress, it is best to do the exercise without a harness and under the supervision of a trainer in the early days.
Muscles worked
The bent-over barbell row engages almost all muscles, from the back muscles to the back of the thigh (see table).
So which muscle groups work when you pull to the belt?
| Group | Phase | Accent |
| Latissimus, large round muscle, posterior delta | Active phase of lifting and holding with the belt | Main muscle group |
| Rhomboid back muscles | When bringing the shoulder blades back at the top point | Accessory muscles, relatively light load |
| Carpal muscles | Barbell hold | Static load |
| Flexor muscles of the arm (biceps) | Active phase | With the right technique or the use of straps, the accent is almost leveled |
| Trapezoidal | Responsible for the correct position of the shoulders during the approach | Small load, requires additional study |
| Lumbar | Throughout the exercise. Allows you to maintain balance | Muscle stabilizers. High dynamic load |
| Abdominal muscles | Throughout the exercise. Static load | |
| Back of the thigh | In the lower phase of movement, actively participate for small body vibrations | Relatively light load |
| Calf | Due to the tilt of the body, the function of holding the increased weight falls on the calf and soleus muscles | Static load |
| Oblique abdominal muscles | Throughout the exercise. Static load | |
| Cor | Throughout the exercise. Static load |
As you can see, this is a basic multi-joint exercise that engages almost all muscle groups. Moreover, during the approach, you need to control almost every one of them. This determines the complexity of the barbell bent-over row and its effectiveness. Even classic pull-ups carry less stress on the back muscles, since there is almost no stress on the stabilizer and lower back muscles.
What exercises replaces the barbell to the belt?
The classic barbell pull to the belt can replace a whole range of different exercises, namely:
- dumbbell pull to the belt;
- horizontal thrust of the lower block;
- various horizontal pulls in simulators.
The bent over row is an essential exercise for working out the thickness of the back. It is the practice of this movement with a decent weight and the correct technique that can develop the depth of your muscles.
Pullups and pullups on blocks, in turn, work the width of the back. Therefore, the training complex should include exercises from both groups so that the back develops harmoniously. And don't forget about deadlift and hyperextension.
© Nicholas Piccillo - stock.adobe.com
What to combine with?
Such a basic exercise can be used exclusively for warm-up, and by professionals of average to advanced level. Consider the crossfit training complexes with which you can use the deadlift:
| Program | Exercises |
| Program "Circular" |
|
| Diana (pro) |
|
| Fran (pro) |
|
As you can see, most of the training complexes are aimed exclusively at athletes with a high level of training. Classes are aimed at improving strength indicators and strength endurance. Fran's program is aimed at developing explosive strength. Therefore, it is better to use a safety harness for safety.
Execution technique
How to properly pull the barbell to the belt? Most of the visitors to fitness clubs do it incorrectly, not bending low enough, which leads to a small range of motion and the development of only trapeziums (as with shrugs). The correct technique is as follows:
- Place the projectile on the fixing stands. Only then can it be loaded.
- Go to the bar, grab the bar with a straight grip, remove it from the racks. Hands should be parallel to each other and shoulder width apart. Not narrower, not wider, since in this case the load on the back muscles is significantly weakened.
- Bend your legs slightly at the knees and fix them.
- Bend the lower back and hold it throughout the exercise.
- The head should look strictly at the mirror (i.e. in front of itself). This will allow you to control the technique of the exercise, in addition, the presence of a load on the trapezoid depends on it.
- Bend over so that the torso is just above parallel with the floor, no more than 30 degrees from it.
- Raise the barbell slowly. The main movement should be with the elbows. This is the only way to turn off “weak” hands as much as possible and turn on “strong” back. The use of straps is allowed.
- Raise to the belt, bringing the shoulder blades back. In this case, the elbows should be higher than the level of the back, try to take them as far as possible.
- Freeze for 1 second.
- Slowly lower the bar to outstretched arms. Stretch your lats as much as possible and do a new rep. Remember to keep your knees and lower back fixed throughout the exercise. Body movements are also not allowed.
Direct grip
The straight grip technique allows the use of straps or the use of small weights with the lock open (the thumb is not opposed to the rest).
The main goal is to turn off the flexor muscles (biceps) as much as possible. It is not easy for beginners to do this, many still perform most of the movement with their hands. Reverse grip can help here.
Reverse grip
In this version, the bar is taken by the grip away from you. Can be done with a narrower grip than with a straight one. In which version you will feel less biceps - a purely individual thing, you need to try both and choose for yourself the one at which the maximum load on the back muscles occurs.
T-neck
This is a type of barbell-to-belt pull that uses a T-bar bar attached to one side of the floor. There is a variation in which the athlete stands in a T-bar machine with a chest support. The main advantage here is the ability to isolate many muscle masses, in particular, the legs and abs are turned off, since it is not required to maintain the body in one state.
The main feature of the technique is the need to use a neutral grip when the arms are looking at each other, and the use of the T-bar allows you to shock the muscles with a new amplitude.
Precautions
Whatever training and athletic form the athlete has, you need to adhere to a certain number of precautions:
- Always use a safety harness when working with weights over your own. If the goal is to pump up the muscles of the lumbar spine, it is better to use hyperextension with additional weights.
- Never do an exercise in a snatch style, even though it seems easier to lift the barbell in the lower phase.
- Even if you are at the waist, still arch your lower back and keep the correct angle.
Conclusions
Knowing how to properly pull the barbell to the belt, you can protect yourself from traditional sports injuries and forever forget about ineffective in terms of the steady progression of traction in simulators. The main thing to remember is that it requires maximum concentration, so it is better to play it safe - to wear straps and a power belt. In this case, the chances of injury will be minimal.
In CrossFit, the exercise, although rarely used, but in complexes it gives an excellent study of the back, especially when used in circuit training or in supersets that use the pectoral and back muscles.
Do not use heavy workouts with a barbell to the belt too often, the optimal frequency is once a week.
