I`ve been doing those lying barbell rows for quite a while now and my back looks better than ever.
No momentum involved and you really feel it in your back..............great exercise.
Hurt my back doing rack deads so any bent over row is out.
Agreed, both the lying rows and hammer row machine are viable alternatives to free weights that can in fact be more effective due to the isolation, despite all the claims that free weight, unsupported traditional exercises are always best.
Standard barbell rows are some of the least effective, potentially most injurious back exercises out there from my experience having done them for years, in addition to being exhausting. Anyone who does free weight unsupported rows is better off with T-bars and one-arm rows, the other arm supporting the back IMO, in terms of effectiveness and reduced lower back strain.