Seated cable row question.

[SteveDeBeave]

I always get my lower back into the seated cable row with a V bar. I have been told lately that you should not work your lower back or bend forward and pull back with some back motion.

What do you think? Lower back or keep it straight?

 

[Scotty the Body]

Its better if you keep your back straight, it keeps you from using momentom to pull the weight back.
I find it a much better workout pulling the weight slowly back rather than a good jerk, you'll have to use lighter weight though.

 

[Arnold]

Stay straight.

 

[dmonty]

Keep your back straght! Alowing a curve in your back puts a wrong stress on your lumbar, and can do damage to your spinal erectors. Especialy if you do your rowing about midway through your back workout, because the muscles are all fateged.
You can lean slightly forward, and still keep your back straight by keeping yopur head up. Make like youare looking about 4 feet higher than your eyes.
The farther forward you lean the lower you work the upper back. So then the farther back you lean the higher you work the upper back, along with the posterior deltoids.

 

[craig777]

I would say keep it straight because no matter how hard you try not to you will have some momentum going and I believe in strict form.

 

[dmonty]

YES!!!!!

 

[I Are Baboon]

Like everyone else said, keep it straight. It drives me nuts to see people butcher this exercise with bad form.

 

[Arnold]

Originally posted by I Are Baboon
Like everyone else said, keep it straight. It drives me nuts to see people butcher this exercise with bad form.

Rows and pull downs have to be the most common exercises that beginners do completely wrong!

 

[dmonty]

Without a personal trainer to get us started we all play monkey see monkey do.

 

[rks1969]

Originally posted by dmonty
Without a personal trainer to get us started we all play monkey see monkey do.

You don't need a trainer to make sure you do it right,you can read can't you.PICK UP A BOOK!!!

 

[dmonty]

Yes I did read to know all that I do now , and I continue to read . and reevaluate everything. Tecnology in this sport changes buy the day. It sure would have been easier with a p.t. though.

 

[Scotty the Body]

Originally posted by dmonty
Yes I did read to know all that I do now , and I continue to read . and reevaluate everything. Tecnology in this sport changes buy the day. It sure would have been easier with a p.t. though.

I agree, its one thing to read and see pictures but its another to do it.
I would recomend any beginner to seek a PT when they first start out to help them with proper form and skip the chance of possible injury that can occour with bad form.

 

[SteveDeBeave]

Well after all your comments I still bend my lower back.

The bending is done with the lower back, and not by curving the spine. When the lower back is bent forward then during the contraction you get the Erector Spinae as a synergists muscle. All this helps build up for real life rowing as I use for white water rafting.

So really you can bend during a seated row, just try not to curve your spine by leaning to far forward. Bring your shoulders back during the contraction to keep you straight and bend at the lower back only.

 

[fitness4life]

I would keep the back straight because when you bend forward you use yur erectors while pulling the weights back which strain the lower back.