Curved row: benefits and how to do it –

There are many exercises to develop back muscles, but few are as effective (or as satisfying) as the classic bent-over row. This specific variation of the row allows you to carry a large amount of weight on the bar, get a good grip, and be able to pull the bar up to your chest. The move is classic for a reason: it works really well, allowing you to build muscle and strength.

That said, there are some specific tips to follow to get the most out of your effort. Below, we tell you everything you need to know.

WHICH MUSCLES ARE ACTIVATED IN THE BEND ROW

This is an excellent exercise to strengthen your back muscles. More specifically, you’ll work your mid- and upper-back muscles, such as your lats, rhomboids, traps, and posterior delts.

Your rotator cuffs and other shoulder stabilizers will also be involved.

Thanks to the curved position, you’ll also have to engage your glutes and abs more than you’d expect.

Finally, it will also challenge your biceps, brachialis, and forearms, making barbell rows a low-key arm day feature, too.

WHAT CURVED PAD IS USED FOR

If you’re thinking about real-world benefits, this type of rowing is an excellent way to train the fundamental movement of rowing with a heavy load, which will pay off in real-life situations when you pull anything toward your torso. .

If you spend most of your time sitting with your shoulders rounded forward, barbell rows can also help you adjust your posture to bring your shoulders back.

HOW TO DO THE CURVED PAD

Necessary accessory: bar.

● Load a barbell with plates, then approach it like a deadlift: stand with your feet hip-width apart, then push your butt back and bend at the hips to bend over and grab the bar.

● Make an underhand grip when holding the bar. This will allow you to involve the biceps more in the pulling motion and will help you avoid an internally rotated position.

● Keep your head in a neutral position, looking at the floor. This helps prevent the lower back from going into extension.

● Squeeze your glutes and abs to create tension. Slightly lift your torso to lift the weight off the floor.

● Move the elbow and shoulder to row the bar to the top of the ribcage. Try to bring the bar against your chest, stopping at the top position if you can.

● Control the weight back to the starting position, maintaining the posture.

WHAT WEIGHT TO USE IN THE CURVED PADDING

This is a move you can eventually do a lot of weight with. But don’t overdo it and try to carry a weight that only allows you to do 3 to 4 repetitions.

When you put a lot of effort into this exercise, it becomes very easy to default to bad posture, which can destroy your lower back.

A good sweet spot is to try a weight that will allow you to do 8 to 10 reps.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE OF THE FOOTPRINT IN THE CURVED PADDING

In general, you will see the barbell row being taught with an overhand grip (with your palm facing you for this exercise).

However, the underhand grip (palm facing out) is the best way to do the movement if you’re just starting out. This is mainly because it allows you to recruit more biceps.

WHAT REPLACES THE CURVED PAD

There are many more good “rowing” exercises out there. Let’s look at some of the most popular ones and how they compare.

The seated row is very similar to the barbell bent-over row in terms of the muscles worked; you’re pulling in a similar direction with respect to your torso, and you hit a lot of the same muscles in your mid-back.

The main difference is the lack of load on the lower back. Although the lower back is still slightly involved in seated rows, it is not at the same level as in barbell rows. This can be beneficial if you want to work your upper back without straining your lower back.

Seated Machine Row

Rowing sitting on the machine, which is available in some gyms, is a rowing exercise that almost completely unloads the lower back. This makes it easier to focus on the muscles that work your upper back and isolate them in your training.

This exercise is a good alternative if you have lower back problems, don’t want to increase your lower back training volume, or if you want to focus and isolate your upper back muscles.

The dumbbell row is a unilateral rowing exercise, unlike the barbell row, which is bilateral. This typically allows for greater focus on the muscles on each side, but at the added cost of doing twice as many sets.

Another benefit of dumbbell rows is that you can often get a greater range of motion in this exercise compared to other rowing exercises, which is good for muscle growth.

This is yet another exercise where the lower back is not loaded as much as with the barbell row, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage.

The T-bar is another variation of the classic barbell line.

The t-bar makes the exercise more stable, which usually means you can use more weight and tax your muscles more.

You still need to engage your lower body and abdomen to maintain the position.