How do you do your bent over rows? and why?

[archive_HULK1550]

Im just interested in everyones' responses on this. I have always done my bent overs with an overhand grip. Mostly because im stronger like that and wanted my back to feel more weight.
Now im wondering what different muscles are stressed more overhand versus underhand. Another reason i stayed away from underhand was because i felt it worked my biceps too much. But as far as back muscle recuitment and development goes, what are the differences between doing them overhand vs underhand.
Thanks
HULK

"Everybody wants to be a body builder but don't nobody want to lift no heavy ass weight"
-Ronnie Coleman

	ASS Nelson Montana

[archive_Ulter]

Neither. I can't grip a straight bar under without hurting my wrists, which is what I used to do way back, so I use dumbbells and turn them sideways and bend all the way over.

[archive_Mickey]

I used to do them overhand like yourself until I hurt my shoulder and had surgery. Since then I only do them underhand and I feel it puts less stress on my shoulders for some reason. I also feel like it hits my entire back better. The overhand seems to work my upper back more as opposed to underhand where I feel it in the upper and lower.

"Come on, get serious!" Arnold in Pumping Iron

[Pharm Animal]

I like feeling the bent rows in my mid/upper back. With that in mind, I bend to about 70 degrees instead of 90, and really keep it strict. If I can't do another without swinging, I rack the weight. Last workout I got 275 for 12.

"Never blindly follow the herd."

[Curious George]

I usually don't do barbell rows anymore....most of my stuff is chest supported, but check this out. It was written by a pretty good strength coach on another board.

John Smith on Rows
TOPIC 7: ROWS

Rows: Well, the best way to do them is to start with the bar on the floor every single rep. Your middle back will have slight bend to it. You pull the bar off the floor quickly with the arms, and by a powerful arch of your middle back. You finish by touching the bar to your upper stomach or middle stomach. At no time is there any movement of the hips or knees, no hip extension at all, all that bends is the middle back and the shoulders and elbows.

This is hard to do and you have to have good muscular control to do it, or you'll end up straightening up at the hips along with the arching of the back. But if you can master doing them this way you will get a big back. This works because the lats actually extend (arch) the middle back in addition to other functions, just like with glute-ham extensions compared to leg curls…you always get a stronger contraction when you move both the origin and insertion of a muscle, flexing it from both ends so to speak.

The bar returns to the floor after each rep. The bent row is actually best done as an explosive movement and the bar is moved fast. I have trained many people who could do this exercise with 350 or more lbs. I myself have done reps with 425, Ed Coan, who also knows how to do them properly, has done reps with over 500lbs without his back ever coming above parallel with the ground. That is stronger than Dorian Yates or Ronnie Coleman, by the way.

I did rows with Coleman once, actually, and I was far stronger than he was. He could not do more than 350lbs strictly although he could do over 500lbs by standing almost all the way up at the completion of each rep. Ed Coan is probably the strongest person on these, although one power-lifter I trained did manage 525 for a double done strictly.

Rows look at an anatomy chart. if the scapula and upper arms are held in a constant position, shortening of the lats WILL result in arching of the middle and upper back. i AM NOT saying that the lats are primarily responsible for upper back flexion... what i am saying is that they can assist in this.

i also HAVE done EMG work on various different rowing techniques... and there is not doubt that rows performed as i describe them will activate the lats more completely than done any other way i have ever seen. i have done EMG work on a large quantity of people for rows... and ive always found that these kind of rows activate the lats most completely. and besides, even if you dont buy the fact that they activate the lats better, hell, you can always be content with the fact that your getting an erector workout.

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"No one is completely worthless. They can always serve as a bad example." -Brian Oldfield

[joepalooka]

I don't do barbell rows because I am to low to the ground. The distance the bar travels doesn't seem to be enough for me to activate anything. But when I did, I used to tip over because I didn't have the stabilization or strength I needed to use the weights I needed to do. And I am not joking about the falling over thing. The over hand seem to work my grip more and under hand I would pull with my biceps more. Since I had these difficulties, it seemed that barbell rows did little for me. So I had to be creative and do something else.

[archive_Killer]

Yeah, good excuse for flinging yourself into the fitness model doing straight leg deads

I am just waiting for the day when one asks me to spot her on those.

[This message was edited by Curious George on 01-17-05 at 08:18 PM.]

[Monster]

I do em at 45 degrees and underhand, it hits my lower lats really well.
I never saw the point of doing them at 90 degrees... you might as well do a seated row.

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"Will it not be felt that Virtue, however beautiful, becomes the worst of all attitudes when it is found too feeble to contend with Vice..."

[joepalooka]

Killer I can only dream that would happen but did come close doing standing abs. I was doing standing abs and infront of this machine was a machine lat row and when she got up and stepped back, she almost got a nice suprise I just barely missed having her sitting on my head! This would of been good times!

I forgot to mention I did 90 degree bent over rows

[archive_Killer]

[joepalooka]

The owners moved the machine lat row to the other side of the gym and away from where we do standing abbs

[archive_Killer]

Damn gym owners. It is a conspiracy I tell you!

[Curious George]

I'm sorry Killer....I didn't edit your post on purpose....I musta hit the wrong button.....I'm sorry about that.

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"No one is completely worthless. They can always serve as a bad example." -Brian Oldfield