Cable rows

[coltrane]

THoughts on seated cable rows:

Should you lean in forward during the movement and then pull back, or should your upper body be pretty stable and just use your arms?


thoughts?

[jpm101]

Just my view, but leaning forward you get a better stretch to the lats, with more involvement with the total back area. For a different version might try one hand at a time cable rows. Extra good stretch. Good Luck.

[Montague]

I come forward some on the negative, but it’s more of a pull than a lean - in other words, l let the weight pull me forward via a stretch.

When I return to an upright position on the concentric, I avoid leaning back too far.
And, as always, I make sure to keep the focus on the primary back muscles that are "supposed" to be working rather than making the movement into some kind of half-assed seated hyperextension/total body workout that many are fond of doing on various machines.

[Montague]

Just my view, but leaning forward you get a better stretch to the lats, with more involvement with the total back area. For a different version might try one hand at a time cable rows. Extra good stretch. Good Luck.

Do you ever vary the height into which you pull the bar?

[coltrane]

Do you ever vary the height into which you pull the bar?

i do place a pad on the seat so that i'm higher up.  I feel it more in my back.

JPM:  i have been doing the one armed versions.  Love them.  Really good stretch.

[jpm101]

Don't adjust the height but do adjust the grip and where the pull ends up at. Sometimes pull into the gut. Sometimes to the chest, etc. Also use a curl grip approach, when seems to affect the back in a different way. But again, I do think the stretch can be  almost as important as the actual pull to the body when wanting to build muscle size.

To me the one arm pull has certain advantages over the 2 hand pull. Even in most other exercises.  Like; one arm overhead presses, rows, lateral raises, etc. If into sports, try one arm DB benches. Sport training centers have different machines, cables, devices,etc to focus on one side or the other of the body.Wanting to insure equal strength and balance to opposing sides of the body.  One arm Dl's and one legged squats/step ups  can be an excellent movement for BB'ing of strength. And of course sports. Good Luck.

[coltrane]

I also have a lot of luck with pausing the one handed row for a sec or two at my side (at contraction).


Thanks for the input guys!