II. The Exercises
** A. The Main Exercises
*****1. The Squat
*****2. The Bench Press
*****3. The Deadlift
*****4. The Power Clean
*****5. The Press
*****6. The Row, Part 2
**B. Accessory Exercises
**C. Other Questions
5. The Row, Part 2
Question - I use a lot less weight on these than on normal barbell rows. I'd rather do them with more weight
Far be it from me to stand in the way of a fellow and his ego. You want to use more weight, then go for it. I won't stop you.
While you're at it, go ahead, load up an extra 45 on either side of the bar, and do partial squats. Stick an extra couple of 10s on either side and bounce the bar off your chest while benching.
Here's one that should hit home...stick 45s and some change on the end of a barbell and see how well you do the
reverse-grip power clean a.k.a. "the power curl"
Anyway, i'm being facetious here. You use less weight on these than with regular rows because the perfectly parallel position keeps your traps out of the motion. Your traps are an enormously powerful muscle, and they have a tendency to overwhelm the lats in a variety of exercises. You will see some people with seemingly perfect technique on bent rows doing some pretty tremendous weights, yet their lats are "fair", whereas their traps are bulging.
If this describes you, then stay away from the regular "45 degree" barbell rows and especially from the yates rows, as they tend to incorporate a lot of trapezius action if you're not careful. It took me FOREVER to learn how to do these suckers properly. Yes, my traps were always big. Yes, my lats sucked for years.
Seriously though, no one is telling you to do bent rows this way FOREVER. You will, however, receive payback for your diligence in this exercise by developing a very powerful set of lats.
Why do you recommend rows in place of power cleans?
Rows are NOT an "official Rippetoe Starting Strength" exercise, but it found its way onto the "adjusted writeup" that I did. The power clean is the ideal pull of choice to alternate with the deadlift in this program. However, I recommended the row in place of the power clean for a vareity of reasons
1) It's an easier exercise to perform
2) It is a FAR easier exercise to "teach" online - it is a controlled exercise, so the whole "mind/muscle connection" thing can be emphasized a bit better than with a fast lift like the clean.
3) Proper rowing is more easily duplicated by watching videos, such as those found on youtube, whereas watching videos of a power clean won't yield the same positive results because the exercise is, when performed properly, too rapid to really observe for an untrained eye
4) It's easier to sell barbell rows to an aspiring 16-year old bodybuilder by showing pics of Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman, who are both proponents of the barbell row. Most of the best guys in the world at the power clean are probably not built the way the "bicepts peak"-seeking teenager wants to be built.
5) A final advantage of including rows in this writeup is because it is more closely associated with the highly coveted and elusive "hypertrophy response" which most young guys are interested in.
Pulling a barbell from the floor is an important skill to develop in the weight room from the start, and although the power clean is ideal for this (Especially if you have a football strength coach who hounds you about your power clean), the row is an "easier sell" to the average kid who wants to be big and strong and is easier to teach online and via text.
The row can fill the same niche as the clean because the row can be done in an explosive manner, just like the power clean. It can be performed as a pull from the floor that is a lighter alternative than the deadlift, just like the power clean. It develops the upper/midback musculature, shoulder girdle, and traps, as well as the posterior chain, just like the power clean. It is also a "strength benchmark", just like the power clean.
The original program in
Starting Strength does not contain any references to doing any type of rows, although it is listed as a useful and desirable "semi-core" exercise in both
Practial Programming and the updated/next-edition version of Starting Strength (due sometime in early-mid 2007). Direct discussion with Mr. Rippetoe reveals that he finds the bent row a suitable substitute for the power clean if the clean simply cannot be performed safely/properly.
I don't necessarily recommend cleans INSTEAD of rows because "rows are always better for everyone." I present them as an alternative. Choose whichever you like, whichever suits your goals. Strength athletes, such as football players, will probably be better served by doing power cleans. In fact, I almost guarantee your coach wants you to do power cleans. Recreational lifters and bodybuilders will almost definitely prefer the barbell row because it has a more direct carryover to their probable physique goals. In the end, learn how to do both properly, and find a place for both in your program as you advance in your training experience and conditioning, and you will be better off than if you had neglected one or the other.
Can I do DB rows, T-Bar rows, 45-degree rows or Yates rows instead of Pendlay rows?
All of these exercises are outstanding free weight exercises and can be used as benchmark strength exercises for many trainees. They develop overall body strength, especially in the posterior chain and "pulling" muscles.
In this program, however, the bent row is more than just a "lat exercise", it replaces the power clean. As such, it must replicate the PURPOSE of the power clean. Muscular recruitment between the 2 exercises is somewhat similar (i.e. rows and cleans works the upper back, lats, rear delts, traps, and spinal erectors, as well as the grip and, to a certain extent, the elbow flexors). However, the explosiveness that the clean develops is very difficult to replicate with most versions of barbell rows.
The bent barbell row, when performed with a deweight between repetitions, allows for the development of explosiveness and helps develop the trainee's ability to produce force rapidly. As such, it is the preferred barbell exercise for this program.
It isn't necessarily "better" than any of the other barbell/DB/T-Bar row exercises. It is, however, a more suitable exercise for this program. Deweighting between reps is a very useful tool in your barbell training arsenal. Like any tool, you use it wisely and in the right situation.
Question - Can I do cable rows or Hammer Strength rows instead?
No.
These are popular exercises for physique athletes, as well as powerlifters who wish to train their upper back while resting their lower backs. These machines have their uses, but they do not belong in the program of a novice barbell trainee. Take these up in a few months after you've spent time mastering the bent row