Seated cable row Vs. Bent over barbell row

Pguard · 11-07-2009, 02:13 AM

My back routine right now is:

Dead lift
Bent Over barbell row
Shrugs
Pull ups

I kind of feel bent over barbell rows work more the upper section and the traps, making shrugs possibly redundant.

Do you think seated cable rows would be effective for the lower section of the middle back?

Tyrbolift · 11-07-2009, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pguard

My back routine right now is:

Dead lift
Bent Over barbell row
Shrugs
Pull ups

I kind of feel bent over barbell rows work more the upper section and the traps, making shrugs possinly redudant.

Do you think seated cable rows would be effective for the lower section of the middle back?

Absolutely. It helps in a big way if you keep your hands "low", but ultimately it's your mind-muscle connection that will tell those muscles to pull during the movement.

Pguard · 11-07-2009, 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyrbolift

Absolutely. It helps in a big way if you keep your hands "low", but ultimately it's your mind-muscle connection that will tell those muscles to pull during the movement.

I didn't think about the mind-muscle connection. I think I'll drop the shrugs for cable rows anyway

Thanks

itsaburgerrun · 11-07-2009, 02:31 AM

shrugs as in for your shoulders ? i do both seathed and bent over dumbell rows and i have yet to feel my traps during those movements

CaliforniaKing · 11-07-2009, 02:39 AM

I think you're confusing shrugs for a back exercise. Shrugs are for your shoulders

hellawaits77 · 11-07-2009, 02:56 AM

Not really. Shrugs are "part" of your back, in that the trapezius is a back muscle. It starts mid back and goes all the way to the base of your skull. They should be treated as their own body part, not as part of your shoulders or back; as for as training goes.

In short, yes you should add a couple sets of Shrugs at the end of your back workout. Seated Cable Rows are great indeed, so you should work those in as well.

Hope this helps.

Pguard · 11-07-2009, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellawaits77

Not really. Shrugs are "part" of your back, in that the trapezius is a back muscle. It starts mid back and goes all the way to the base of your skull. They should be treated as their own body part, not as part of your shoulders or back; as for as training goes.

In short, yes you should add a couple sets of Shrugs at the end of your back workout. Seated Cable Rows are great indeed, so you should work those in as well.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, I wasn't sure if cable rows would demand a lower portion of the back compared to barbell rows, but it seems so.

I see quite a lot of people doing shrugs on shoulder day but it's clearly a back/neck excercise.

Persi@n · 11-07-2009, 03:18 AM

not sure why everyone does shrugs on shoulder today, i do it on back because it doesn't really make any sense to me on a shoulder day lol

GuyJin · 11-07-2009, 03:37 AM

If you want to emphasize the lower lats, then do cable rows/1-arm rows. Bent rows are a great exercise, but many guys tend to pull the bar to the lower chest area--which is fine--but that will not really get at the lower lats the same way cable rows/1-armers will. If you do a Yates-type row--underhand grip, standing a bit more upright and pulling the bar to where your naval is--then that can hit the lower lats, too. Only problem is many dudes tend to jerk the bar and this puts the biceps in a bad position to get torn if too much weight/bad form is emplyed. FWIW, I'd stick to the cable rows--safer for your bis and just as effective in building them up. Also, with shrugs, remember that the trap area extends down your back and isn't "just" around your neck, so you could include them on back day to finish off all the work you're doing there.

ridley89 · 11-07-2009, 03:42 AM

Grip is a huge factor the wider the grip the more of the upper lat is used the closer the grip the more the bottom is used.

So you can do bent rows with a wide grip then seated rows with a close grip.

Also shrugs work your traps which is part of your back so don't know why people think they are a shoulder exercise.

lift4today · 11-07-2009, 06:28 AM

my opinion-

-shrugs are a back exercise and I perform them on back day
-no type of rowing movement is very effective at developing the traps--unless your performing them in a damn near vertical stance, which is basically a shrug.

-your trap development will lag without some bb or db shrug work

EPMD · 11-07-2009, 08:10 AM

If you already have a well-developed back, then adding cable rows or other types of rows can help you get the volume in. But if you are just beginning to build up your back, deadlifts, pullups, and rows may be all you need. I'd rather do those three exercises more frequently than do 4-5 back exercises just once a week.

kgcolbyIII · 11-07-2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pguard

Thanks, I wasn't sure if cable rows would demand a lower portion of the back compared to barbell rows, but it seems so.

I see quite a lot of people doing shrugs on shoulder day but it's clearly a back/neck excercise.

they are confused heh

camou562 · 11-07-2009, 11:50 AM

When I do bent over rows, if I dont keep my elbows tucked in a bit, it feels like more of a leaning shrug then a lat workout. Just keep them in a little bit and you should feel a squueze in your lats