Bent over row vs seated rows vs pulldowns

Try Pullovers for lats.

If you want to emphasize your arms and work on your back, I would choose bentover rows. I haven't tried seated rows, though, so I don't know if they work your arms as well as bentover rows do.
 
I never tried pullovers, but the thing is i dont think ill be able to lift heavy ( thus less increases throught the cycle )... not only that but my gym has 10lbs increases barbells starting, the lightess one is 20lbs... can you do them with ez-curl bars , we have ezcurls bar that we can load with whatever weight we want but im not sure the movement is going to be the same ( its going to be harder and less efficient ??)
i wish there was a pullover machine at my gym...
 
You could do it with an ez-curl bar. I don't see why not.

You don't really need to do a ton of weight with pullovers. They are great for getting a stretch in the lats, so don't feel bad if you can't do 100 lb pullovers. Just accent the eccentric on them and you should get loads of microtrauma in your lats.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]or what do the different grips do ?
Click to expand...

I have been wondering about this myself, except my question delt with the grip on the pullup (palms facing or supinated). I am thinking that there might just be some different synergist (?) muscles involved in each.
 
Yeah, I would recommend chins too, although I think I recall you saying that you have a hard time with them? If so, I would just wait until the 5s to do them. Even if you can only do 3 reps or so, just stick with that and your strength with them should increase after a short while.
 
I have had good luck in the past with 1 or 2 sets of pullups, wide grip. Then chins, narrow grip for the next 1 or 2 sets. If the pullups tire you out, chins are still normally possible after and they put a lot of weight on the biceps. JMHO. I have gone from 4 to 25 pullups in 4 months and I am 40 and not a particularly gifted weightlifter. Now I follow pullups with seated rows. I would highly recommend, but I have not done much bent over rows, always seemed tough on the lower back. Always used a db with 1 hand and knee on the bench.

Re grips: I believe wide grip works more of the lats. and narrow more the arms(biceps) and probably more of the inside of the lat, similar to wide vs. narrow bench. That is what it feels like to me, but do not have any science to back it up.
 
Two new exercises I have begun experimenting with are;

The 45 degree Pulley Pull First workout with this today and it felt great, albeit I also did Pull Downs and my own exercise I call Lat presses.

Lat Press, kind of the reverse of DB shrugs. Narrow Stance on parallel or V dip stand, let shoulders relax so shoulders rise, then using only the lats bring your shoulder girdle back level. Incredible contraction of the lats, I started today with BW, but will be progressing with dip belt and weights.

Kindergarten stick fiqure sketch of lat press below. If anyone else knows what these are really called let me know.
 
i dont really understand how you do the lat presses... my english isnt perfect, whats a shoulder girdle ...

( im a french canadian, not 100% bilingual , only about 80-90% hehe)
 
Picture it this way, when you do a shrug, you are raising the shoulder girdle, if you squeeze your lats down and back you are lowering (depressing) the shoulder girdle. Hope that helps you.
The primary movers in lowering (depressing) the shoulder girdle are the Lats, Pec Minor, Pec Major and lower traps. The primary movers in raising the shoulder girdle are the Upper Traps, Middle Traps, Levatator scapulae and the Upper Serratus anterior.

From a French online translator, hope it helps

L'imaginer cette façon, quand vous faites un haussement, vous élevez la ceinture d'épaule, si vous serrez votre lats en bas et de retour vous abaissez (déprimant) la ceinture d'épaule. Espérer que cela vous aide.

Les déménageurs primaires dans abaisser (déprimant) la ceinture d'épaule est le Lats, le Mineur de Pec, le Commandant de Pec et abaisse des pièges. Les déménageurs primaires dans élever la ceinture d'épaule est les Pièges Supérieurs, les Pièges de Milieu, les omoplates de Levatator et le Serratus Supérieur antérieur.

Someone who speaks French tell me if it's close. ;)
 
ahah yeah online translator are funny,
I think i understand the english version better...
anyways no matter how many words you use to describe the movement i think i need to see it to really understand it...
anychance you could record this on some digital camera and upload it ?
 
I could but I doubt it would make a difference. Do this, sit in a chair relaxed with your arms hanging down at your sides. Now try and pull your shoulders down and back. What muscle do you feel contracting, it better not be your calve :D , you should feel your lats contracting. Now take that same movement, but instead of sitting in a chair, hold yourself up on a dip bar with your elbows locked and shoulders relaxed, now squeeze your lats to bring your shoulders down, raising your body up.
 
The best exercise you could do out of those three would be bentover rows. Any machine work will severely pale in comparison to free weight movements. The best way to perform a bentover row would be with your torso parallel to the ground. If you think about it, this puts the resistance perpendicular to your body. This best simulates a real row.

One needs a good deal of core strength and stability in order to move any sort of weight in the position, so some may first feel uncomfortable. To add to it, you need to have the flexibility to get that low. All I can say is, the closer you are to 90 degrees, the better off you are. None of that 45 degree bullshit that you see people doing at the gym.
 
Im a big fan now of the Pendlay Row (Not sure why I call it a Pendlay row lol) However, its basicly a very strick bent over row where you do not go past 90degrees during the movement.

Those and pull ups are my primarly movements for lat work.

Kc
 
It's okay to come a bit above the 90 degree mark when rowing. In fact, the movement should always be done explosively, to best simulate actual rowing. If you watch someone row, they're not entirely perpendicular to the resistance the whole time, you constantly keep applying energy to generate more power, and often tilt back, which is similar to raising up slightly.

The difference between Pendlay Rows (named after Glenn Pendlay) is that one is advised to set the bar down between each rep, bringing the spinal erectors into the movement. It's the same as pausing between deadlift reps - no touch-and-go. Pure, dead lifting. It makes it much more effective.
 
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