Bent over row is an exercise designed to strengthen the muscles of the upper back. It, like any other horizontal rods, mainly increases the thickness of the back, due to which the visual volume and massiveness of your torso is set. In addition to increasing muscle mass, the bent-over pull of the bar to the belt helps to increase strength in heavy multi-joint exercises. Many experienced powerlifters consider the bent-over barbell row to be the main and main auxiliary exercise for the powerful deadlift and pay special attention to its development.
What are the benefits of doing the exercise?
Building a truly muscular torso is impossible without doing heavy, basic horizontal rows with free weights. Therefore, the benefits of bent-over barbell rows for increasing muscle mass are clear. The vector of movement is similar to the bent-over row of a dumbbell. We advise you to experimentally choose one of these exercises in which you feel the maximum tension in the broadest muscles of the back. This will be the foundation of your back workout program.
By varying the grip (straight or reverse, wider or narrower) and the angle of the body, you can work all the muscles of the back with just this one exercise. Add a couple of vertical rows, deadlifts, and dumbbell or barbell shrugs to your workout and that's more than enough for a full-fledged hard workout.
Contraindications to deadlift
Since sport is designed to strengthen, not undermine, health, take into account the few contraindications that exist for performing a barbell bent-over row:
Exercise is not recommended for beginner athletes.
Correct and safe for the health of our musculoskeletal system, performing the barbell row in an incline requires strong extensors of the spine and core muscles, which beginners can rarely boast of. First of all, it is better for them to perform lighter isolated exercises in order to strengthen all the muscle groups of the body, to develop a certain strength foundation, to learn how to feel the contraction and stretching of a particular muscle. Only after that, you can begin to perform the barbell thrust in the slope with a small working weight.
If you have back problems
The position of the body during this exercise is anatomically not entirely natural for our body, since a strong axial load on the lumbar spine is created and intra-abdominal pressure increases. For this reason, athletes with diseases of the spine or musculoskeletal system should be approached with extreme caution in performing the barbell pull to the belt in the slope.
The presence of an umbilical hernia
Also, the implementation of this type of traction is contraindicated in athletes with an umbilical hernia. In this case, it is better to replace this exercise with a similar one, but with a lower axial load. The desired result will be a little more difficult to achieve, but you will not aggravate the existing injuries and maintain athletic longevity.
What muscles work?
Let's take a closer look at which muscle groups work when doing bent-over barbell rows. The main muscles to which the dynamic load is directed during the exercise are:
- latissimus dorsi;
- trapezoidal;
- rhomboid muscles of the back.
An additional load is borne by the biceps, forearms, abdominal muscles, spinal extensors and posterior bundles of deltoid muscles.
Exercise options
Depending on which lats segment you want to emphasize the load on, the bent-over barbell pull can be performed in different ways. Among the most effective and common are the following:
- straight grip barbell;
- reverse grip barbell thrust;
- explosive barbell thrust in the slope;
- barbell row in the Smith machine;
- barbell deadlift lying belly on a bench;
- barbell pull to the chest.
Row and Reverse Grip
A straight grip barbell row loads the entire array of lats and is the main tool for building a wide and prominent back.
Reverse grip bent over barbell pulls more load on the lower segment of the latissimus dorsi, due to which the back muscles become more prominent and proportional. It is this variation of the bent-over row that creates the very V-shaped silhouette that the vast majority of gym goers chase after.
Explosive bent-over barbell thrust
Explosive Bent-over Barbell Row - The vector of movement is about the same as a regular barbell row, but after each rep we have to put the bar back on the floor and pause for one to two seconds. You can work with any grip convenient for you. This exercise is great for developing the explosive strength of all the muscles in your torso and increases your grip strength. It should be performed with moderate weight, without using an athletic belt and shoulder straps.
Smith Machine Row
The Smith Machine Bent Over Row allows you to better focus on the peak contraction of your back muscles. Due to a short pause and "squeezing" of the working muscles in the upper position, visually the back becomes more bumpy and worked out.
Barbell Rows lying on a bench
The barbell row on the bench is a more isolated exercise for the muscles of the back, representing a kind of T-bar row with an emphasis on the stomach. Can be performed on a horizontal or incline bench. In this exercise, there is practically no axial load on the spine, so it can be performed by athletes who have medical contraindications for performing a barbell or dumbbell row in an incline.
Row to the chest
The barbell row in an inclination to the chest displaces most of the load on the back bundles of the deltoid muscles and the back of the trapezium, while the latissimus dorsi acts as a kind of assistant in movement. It is recommended to perform this exercise with a light working weight and try to concentrate as much as possible on the contraction of the muscles we need. Remember that the mid and back delts love maximum isolation work, light weights and high reps.
Exercise technique
100% of your progress in sports depends on how thoroughly you follow the correct technique for performing this exercise. The fact is that pulling the bar towards you while standing in an incline is a simple matter, but if you really want to build a powerful and strong back, pay special attention to how to do the barbell deadlift and how to do this exercise with maximum productivity.
Let's walk through the bent-over barbell row technique step by step.
Initial position
Remove the bar from the racks or lift it off the floor. The use of wrist straps is recommended. This will help to put less stress on the muscles in the arms and better focus on contracting the lats. Pick up the grip based on your goals. A straight grip, shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, loads the entire lats area, while a reverse grip narrower than shoulder width works out the bottom of the lats in more isolation. The athletic belt should only be used on really heavy work sets.
Choosing the angle of the torso
Keeping your back straight, lean back slightly to engage the spinal extensors. The stability of your position depends on the tone of the extensors of the spine. Lean forward to the desired angle. The greater the angle of inclination, the greater the range of motion, but the more difficult it is to follow the correct position of the body. The golden mean is about 45 degrees. So you will work in an amplitude sufficient to work out the back muscles, and it will be much easier to maintain balance.
Lifting the bar
Start lifting the barbell. It should be carried out slightly in an arc: at the bottom point, the bar hangs approximately under the chest, at the top point we try to press it to the lower abdomen. The positive phase of the movement should be accompanied by an exhalation. Perform the movement smoothly. Full mental concentration is required on stretching and contracting working muscles. Try to work by bringing your shoulder blades together rather than bending your elbows. If you cannot control movement or feel that most of the work is done by the biceps, reduce your working weight and work, pausing at the point of peak tension. In the process of lifting the bar, a little cheating is acceptable, but only on the condition that you keep your back perfectly straight and slightly change the angle of the body.
Lowering the boom
After a short delay at the top, lower the barbell to its original position. When lowering, remember to inhale and try to stretch your muscles. An important point: when you lower the barbell down, the thoracic region of your spine should not bend down under its weight - this is fraught with injury, and no athletic belt will help you keep your torso motionless. To avoid this, work with more moderate weights and additionally strengthen the extensors of the spine with regular hyperextension and deadlifts.
To increase blood circulation in the lats of the back and achieve more pumping, try to work in a static-dynamic style: do not fully lower the barbell down, thereby maintaining a constant tension in the muscles.
All of these technical principles apply to any of the variations listed above for this exercise. Only the load vectors and which muscle groups receive more stress change.
Useful Tips
The list below contains several useful recommendations, thanks to which you will be able to learn much better to feel your muscles, work with a large working weight and protect yourself from injury by performing the barbell pull in an incline.
- Control the position of your elbows while lifting the bar. At the point of peak load, they should be above the chassis level. This will give the latissimus dorsi the maximum stimulus for growth.
- Maintain natural lordosis in the lumbar spine throughout the approach. Try to statically strain the extensors of the spine - in the pull of the bar to the belt, they serve as a kind of "airbag" that protects you from unwanted injuries.
- Always keep your knees slightly bent when doing bent-over rows. This will relieve stress on your hamstrings and hamstrings.
- Do not change neck position and gaze direction during approach. If you start looking not in front of you, but at your feet, the lumbar spine will immediately round up.
- Do not twist your wrists when lifting the barbell. This reduces the range of motion and shifts the lion's share of the load on the muscles of the forearms.
- To alternate the load on different parts of the back muscles, change the angle of the torso and the width of the bar grip.
Bent over barbell thrust: what to replace?
Some athletes are contraindicated to perform the barbell deadlift in the slope for one or another physiological reason. However, this does not at all put an end to their goal of increasing the volume of the muscles of the back, since there are many other exercises with similar biomechanics.
Review the exercises below. Try a few of them on your next back workout to see which ones you feel best about the load on the working muscles. All of these exercises are horizontal rows. They are performed in block or lever simulators, and in them it is enough just to feel the contraction of the latissimus dorsi muscles.
T-bar row with abdominal support
The T-bar row with an emphasis on the stomach is almost the same exercise as the classic barbell deadlift. Performed on a specialized simulator. The athlete lies down with his stomach down on a surface inclined at an angle of 30-45 degrees, takes the handles of the apparatus and performs a pulling movement upward, directing the shoulder blades towards each other and trying to raise the elbows above the level of the body. Can be performed with both wide and narrow grip. Typically, T-bar row machines have a lever design and simulate free weight work, which makes the movement even more efficient. What is the best choice for an athlete who does not have injuries and problems with the spine - the T-bar row or the bent-over row row? It makes sense to do both of these exercises. They perfectly complement each other and set a heavy and complex load on the entire array of back muscles.
Horizontal row in a lever trainer
The horizontal row in a lever trainer is a rather difficult technical exercise for working out the broadest muscles of the back. You can work with one hand or two hands at the same time using different handles. The only problem is that not every gym is equipped with a really well-designed horizontal traction machine, most of them are absolutely not suitable for working out the back - the back deltas, biceps or trapezius muscles are loaded more.
Horizontal thrust on the lower block
The LRR is an isolated exercise for targeting different sections of the muscles in the upper back. Its main advantage is that due to the block device of the simulator, the load does not leave the muscles throughout the entire approach, and they remain tense even at the point of maximum stretch. In this exercise, you can work using a variety of handles - from a narrow parallel to a wide straight grip. By varying the handles, you can work your latissimus dorsi across their entire surface without doing a lot of work. It is advisable to work in the most strict technique, without helping yourself with the body.
Rowing
Rowing is more functional than all of the above exercises, but also well suited for our purpose. The fact is that working on a rowing machine, we perform a movement similar to a horizontal row from the lower block with a narrow parallel grip. Try to concentrate more on your latissimus dorsi while pulling the handle towards you, and you will pump your muscles with blood perfectly, developing your endurance and coordination along the way.
Narrow parallel grip pull-ups
Pull-ups with a narrow parallel grip are perhaps the only vertical row that works more for thickness than back width. It is most convenient to perform it with the help of a narrow handle from the block trainer, hanging it over the crossbar. This exercise should be performed in the greatest possible amplitude. Try to reach the handle with the bottom of your chest - the load will be isolated on the bottom of the lats. It is possible to perform a similar movement on the upper block using a narrow handle, but technically it will be much more difficult.
Pullover from the top block
Pullover from the upper block is a combined exercise that combines load elements for the width and thickness of the back. It develops the thickness of the back well, since in the upper half of the amplitude we fully stretch the latissimus dorsi muscles, and in the lower half we contract and "push" them as much as possible. This style of work significantly increases the blood flow to the muscle, which has a beneficial effect on its volume and strength. It is recommended to perform with a rope handle.
Crossfit training complexes
Listed below are several functional buildings, which you will give a complex load on most of the muscles of your body.Be careful: such a load is not intended for beginner athletes, since the stabilizing muscles do too much work, beginners simply risk injury. Beginners should vary the load depending on their level of physical fitness, it is best to start CrossFit classes with lighter complexes.
