Thread: bent over BB row

Bro, if you can FEEL your lats contracting, and you can feel that SQUEEZE at the top of the lift, then you're doing it right.
I'm a fan of slightly changing angles to hit more of a certain muscle group. I personally feel much more of a stretch and contraction when I do rows Yates style, slightly bent, hands closer together, slower negative, and exploding up. But everyone's muscle attatchments/angles are different. Just mess around with different angles/hand separation/etc. and the movement that you can feel the MOST in the muscle at work is definitely what i'd go with.

Make the mind to muscle connection brotha! The seperation between your hands can be an issue for hitting the muscle you are looking for so play around with that. Good Luck!

I know about yate rows, more geared for your lats. I feel it more in the middle of my back in between my lats. I keep my grip tight and my elbows close to body. I'm trying not to use my lats for this lift. So that sounds solid like im doing it right?

If you want to hit the middle of your back just do T-Bar Rows man. Bent over B.B. Rows are supposed to hit your upper/lower lats depending on which hand grip you use

Assesing your form on a movement that can't be seen is impossible. All we can do is speculate, and do so in the absence of any evidence at all.

Originally Posted by Noheawaiian

Bro, if you can FEEL your lats contracting, and you can feel that SQUEEZE at the top of the lift, then you're doing it right.
I'm a fan of slightly changing angles to hit more of a certain muscle group. I personally feel much more of a stretch and contraction when I do rows Yates style, slightly bent, hands closer together, slower negative, and exploding up. But everyone's muscle attatchments/angles are different. Just mess around with different angles/hand separation/etc. and the movement that you can feel the MOST in the muscle at work is definitely what i'd go with.

thats how i do mine. just doesnt feel like im doing anything if i do it any otherway

ok thanks for all your input. I think I'll switch out these rows for t-bar rows at some point in the near future.

All great advice! I personally don't go 100% parallel to the floor but stay bent over enough to work the lower lats to. Just focus on the mind - muscle connection and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the lift.

Originally Posted by SuperLift

All great advice! I personally don't go 100% parallel to the floor but stay bent over enough to work the lower lats to. Just focus on the mind - muscle connection and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the lift.

this is what i do. all of my questions are stupid lol

I feel like reversing my grip gets the middle lower better to be honest.

Overhand grip is typically what I use - there's no "right" angle to be at.

Back is one of the toughest groups to get the mind/muscle connection down. Once you do though you dont have to worry about form quite as much (with the exception of keeping good form not to injure yourself).

I usually do over hand grip, but here lately have been doing underhand and it changes the lift completely. You can definitely feel it a lot lower in the lats. Give it a shot if you dont already.

As LiftBig14 said, I'd recommend going with T-Bar Rows if you want to hit your lower traps rather than lats. Barbell rows will primarily target the upper or lower lats depending on angle, though you can definitely target rhomboids, rear delts, and traps my focusing more on those muscles and changing grip/angle. By using a parallel "hammer" grip with T-Bar rows you get much more Trap involvement and can really work the depth/thickness of the inner lats, lower traps, and rhomboids - one of my favorites for this purpose

I get the most out of this exercise with an overhand grip while keeping my back almost parallel to the floor. At the bottom of the lift, I really try to stretch my lats when I let the bar hang.

LOWER TRAPS = HIGH CABLE ROPE PULLS!! LETS GET IT!!!


But in the video he is sitting down on the Cable seated row. I find this exercise is better on the pully's where you would do crossovers. Also keep elbows high and squeeze. Good luck!