Why does no one do BB Rows :(

[dbcb314]

I never seen them in the gym I go too. I have seen ONE person other than myself do any type of bb row (pendlay, 45*, or yates). Why is this? people are working there back in the gym, but never with bb rows. Tons of people use the hammer strength back machines. There is an ok amount doing pull ups/chins, there is a decent amount doing lat pull downs... but never any bb rows.

I thought to myself "maybe the magazines don't even mention them." but then, all during this week I have been reading bbing magazines (i take my girlfriend tanning and while she tans i go to teh bookstore and read teh magizines... im not buying those things) both flex and MD mentioned bb rows over and over. each time it would say something.. "all these people int eh gym use hammer strength machines, but for the back nothing compares to the bb row... they are the most essential back builder." This was said by the pro articles (i know the ronnie article and freeman article did right off the top of my head).

does anyone still bb row.. or am i all alone

[ScrillaKeith]

Originally Posted by dbcb314

(i take my girlfriend tanning and while she tans i go to teh bookstore and read teh magizines... im not buying those things)

LOL. Well it seems to me that most people in the gym just copy what others are doing and unfortunately they haven't taken it upon themselves to copy you yet. Or maybe their "free workout with a trainer" didn't cover BB rows.

Probably most people on here do em though. I do Yates rows. Have to agree though, I think I've actually seen more people deadlifting than doing BB rows at the gym.

[digitorum]

I feel the same way. Barbell rows seem to be being replaced by weaker variants such as the cable row. Soon those same people may be replacing squats with the leg press, which is stupid.

The excuse is a weak lower back

[timmy47]

i do them all the time. i think maybe its too hard to do or people think it is so they stay away. people may have weak lower backs and it might hurt them to go heavy enough on them. or perhaps they just prefer to do the machines. maybe they dont want everyone looking at them when they do rows. i work out at home so it doesnt matter what i do.

it their loss though. its an awesome exercise and a great lat builder despite what people say.

[deserusan]

I do heavy rows 222lbs + and people look at me like I'm nuts in my gym. With the advent of machines and swiss balls no one really looks to the basic movements anymore. I say f-ck em because I'm huge

[John Prophet]

I'll tell you exactly why bro....because they are hard!!!

bent bb rows are one of the hardest exercises IMO....hard to breath, hard to hold the position, for me hard to feel anything in the back working, lol...just...hard period

I have been doing some lately though....I found that a belt helps me majorly....just like with a squat, you push the gut out against the belt and use that to sort of help you hold the position

seated cable rows are SO much easier....I have always loved seated cable rows....but we only have a hammer seated row machine..its great, but the stack only goes to like 245 or something like that..so once you can do like 17-20 reps it gets a little pointless

we also have a hammer chest supported row....THATS hard too...again its hard to breath cuz that pad is crushing the chest etc.....I remember last year
when I was doing a westside program and I would do hammer chest supported rows....Id dread it the whole time, lol

overall its the same reason people do leg press instead of squat...or leg extension instead of leg press, lol

same reason they do one arm standing tricep extensions instead of heavy decline extensions etc



also...back work in general is hard...thats why so many guys come in and do bench and preacher curl only.....this is America..land of the lazy...we go to the gym to sit down, lol

I like what one of the strength coaches said....something like "do as much work while standing on your feet as possible"

[Khryz]

I agree with John, nobody does them because they're hard. And if I do see someone doing some sort of a free-weight row variant, it's mostly a Yates' type row with horrendous form, jerking the weight up using momentum, legs sprawled out like a sumo squat, etc, especially using extremely light weights. Same as deadlifts at my gym. Squats are actually popular at my gym, even though most of the time they're quater squats, every once in awhile I'll see someone squatting to parallel or below.

Don't worry man, keep doing the rows and keep pushing your back to get bigger while everyone else takes the easy way out.

[Cdem]

i've seen 2 or 3 other people doing BB rows at my gym.

[gy1]

Nothing hits my back better than bb rows so I always do bb rows they rock, and Im the only one that does them in my gym. I dont remember the last time when I did cable rows but its a long time ago and all I can say that to me cable rows are crap when it comes building a huge back. Guess what people are saying at my gym..."hey, man your back is getting bigger all the time!". Im like I know the key.

[PaHulkster]

I do them quite often, but deadlifts are almost always my first back exercise so some days my low back is just too sore to do them.

[Tyrbolift]

Barbell rows are extremely effective, but there's the balance issue, the diversion of working the lower back plays with your focus, and the availability of so many alternatives: machines, hammerstrength, t-bar supported and unsupported most often used.

[Ryan Zielonka]

Bent-over barbell rows and deadlifts are the absolutely hardest exercises to teach form on. Sedentary and even athletic individuals can have the most horrendous postural deviations. Coupled with a weak core, it makes this exercise nigh short of impossible for some individuals.

[John Prophet]

Originally Posted by ZDrax

Bent-over barbell rows and deadlifts are the absolutely hardest exercises to teach form on. Sedentary and even athletic individuals can have the most horrendous postural deviations. Coupled with a weak core, it makes this exercise nigh short of impossible for some individuals.

I agree....there is this "kid" in my gym (im old now, so kid means like 19-20).....he sort of has the "mirror" body...arms, chest

when I have seen him attempt deads/stiff dead/romanians or even T bar rows his upper back rounds over quite alarmingly, lol...basically bends in half.....its like, no erector strength at all

thats why I think all newbs should be forced to powerlift for the first year or two, lol

[JCVP]

I think there are two reasons why no one does BB rows:

1) Difficult to feel it in the back

2) Difficult to hold bent-over position while performing exercise

I personally do not feel the full ROM when doing BB rows. I feel like when the load is too heavy; I am urged to cheat. I lighten the load, and the intensity isn't enough to feel it in the back. Instead, I prefer doing 1-arm DB rows on a bench, that way, I can fully extend my arm to the rear in parallel with the back.

[dbcb314]

Does everyone know there are different types of bb rows haha. you dont have to do the 45* kind (which I agree are the most stressful on the backk). Yates rows are so straight up i dont feel them in the lower back at all. Pendlay rows are an even better option since they are off the floor... there is no "lower back hold " involved.


it also seems that instead of people fixing there horribley weak lower back... they woudl rather just avoid anytihng that uses it and go do hammer strength instead.


you bodybuilders and your "i cant feel it in my back" crap... grrrr


i also feel a slight, built in cheat is good for rows. when i made myself use perfect form, the weight never increase, my back didnt get stronger, and it was a waste of time. when I allowed myself a little cheat (not humping of course but a slight cheat) my weight moved up, my back got stronger, and my back got bigger.

[John Prophet]

hehe, I have never particularly felt any back moves in my back...but I do em anyway..my back is decent

I figure...there are only so many muscles that COULD be providign the motion...so I know SOMETHING is being worked, lol


but yeah.....peeps should just fix the lower back with hypers, some rack pulls, even heavy shrugs

thats one thing I dont get.....people say "I can tlift weights...I have a bad back"....DANG, they are the ones who need it the most!

like I tell people....I can deadlift 440, squat 425, Good morning over 300, bent row probably 275ish for reps, "shrug" 5 something...do you think ill EVER throw my back out picking up a gallon of paint or moving furniture?????

but they dont get it.....its the guy who do nothing all year, then they go to throw football with their kids and they end up flat on their back on painkillers out of work, lol

[GoJu]

Originally Posted by ZDrax

Bent-over barbell rows and deadlifts are the absolutely hardest exercises to teach form on. Sedentary and even athletic individuals can have the most horrendous postural deviations. Coupled with a weak core, it makes this exercise nigh short of impossible for some individuals.

you have never done an olympic lift, if you had you would know that the learning curve for rows and deads are **** compared to that of a clean or especially a snatch, and no one would have back problems if they incorporated heavy olympic lifts in their programs in the first place, plus weighted hypers, stiff leg deads, and good mornings!

oh, but the best things people can do for themselves is:

STOP WHINING!

I also feel alone, NO ONE does any olympic lifting anymore damn whiners!

[Lee_5]

for anyone else like me who didnt know how to perform a yates and pendlay rows, heres som vids.

yates rows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqsfLT7Gj-Y


pendlay rows. very nice vid ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di3sVtkdQR8

[de_barathrum]

for those of you who have trouble balancing or just dont feel normal BB rows in your back pendlay rows are an excellent alternative.

[Big_G1986]

Originally Posted by GoJu

I also feel alone, NO ONE does any olympic lifting anymore damn whiners!

I did 4 sets of powercleans today :P



Most people who goto gyms dont know what there doing exactly, they are generally shy/afraid of freeweight exercises beyond benchpress bicep curls and the occasional dumbell military press.

this is nothing new.


I have seen 1 person clean, and it was a hangclean, I saw a dude do a bb row once, I have seen 2 people do full squats, never seen a snatch, never seen a from the ground deadlift.

you get used too it.


On that note, I rowed 265 for a single 2 weeks ago (I took 2 weeks off because I hurt my back a bit) God did I feel badass.

[grapemaster]

Originally Posted by GoJu

you have never done an olympic lift, if you had you would know that the learning curve for rows and deads are **** compared to that of a clean or especially a snatch, and no one would have back problems if they incorporated heavy olympic lifts in their programs in the first place, plus weighted hypers, stiff leg deads, and good mornings!

oh, but the best things people can do for themselves is:

STOP WHINING!

I also feel alone, NO ONE does any olympic lifting anymore damn whiners!

i love cleans, unfortunately there is no place to do them at my current gym (we only have one squat rack) but... its only a block walk, so i stay. :P

that being said i've seen one other person do a bb row, never seen anybody deadlift except me... (this is in 6 months)
i did see somebody frontsquatting heavy the other day though.

[Wayneizgod]

I see alot of people in my gym doing them..including myself

[r~iddick]

I agree with dbcb314

I think the key to doing the standard barbell rows is to keep your lower back straight but stretch your lats to make it an effective excercise. Thats the difficult part.

I personally have swapped them for t-bar rows in my routine at the moment - I always start with deadlifts which are the most exhausting excercise.. ever :P

[dbcb314]

Originally Posted by Wayneizgod

I see alot of people in my gym doing them..including myself

wow strong gym... my gym sucks stupid college...

[mike_d]

Originally Posted by dbcb314

it also seems that instead of people fixing there horribley weak lower back... they woudl rather just avoid anytihng that uses it and go do hammer strength instead.

Thats why like 99% of people have lower back problems these days. Especially people who dont work manual labour, their back just goes idle and all their strength wastes away. They end up slouching for 8 hours because they cant even support their torso in an upright position. For the average person, going to the gym wont fix this, because they'll get a trainer who will give them some routine with zero lower back work.

Yeah I do barbell rows, and sometimes cable rows. Chest supported rows crush my chest too much lol. 45 degree rows are my favorite personally, they are one of my strongest lifts.

[JNo20]

I do bb rows

[bodyhard]

My back workout is NOT complete without BB rows man they add thickness to your lats!

[ScrillaKeith]

Originally Posted by dbcb314

it also seems that instead of people fixing there horribley weak lower back... they woudl rather just avoid anytihng that uses it and go do hammer strength instead.

Which leads us to another question how many people in your gym do good mornings? Or even back extensions for that matter....

[New_Kid]

I do them, and highly recommend them. I can't believe how weak I felt doing them at first!

[ActionBastard]

They're hard. But deadlifts where too a few months ago... As are pullups because Im tall and heavy...

Once deadlilfts are done Im gonna start on BB rows... DB rows have gotten a little easy.

That Pendlay row looks like it recruits a whole lot of arms though...