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EricT · 02-12-2008, 10:57 AM

Ross, on the rows I've been though this all. Don't worry about JS rows versus this or that. Do what you have to do. Don't let someone tell you what is better for you. If you need chest suported rows then do them. The good thing about that is it's a row that is centered all in the upper back pulling muscles. Don't be afraid of variety. Nothing wrong with cable rows if you can do them properly. They are not as tough on your back. You can do one arm dumbell rows which are great. You will feel them in your lower back "muscles" but not in the spine since you will have support. Hell, you can do supported rows with dumbells off a bench. All sorts of other options. They will all be good. My only thing to warn would be not to rely all the time on a machine with a fixed range of motion.

There is nothing magical about JS rows. I did them for a long time. The fact is while I got somewhat stronger on them as an exercise I didn't see much other benefit. At the same time they aggravated not only my lower back but screwed up my upper back. But I was doing them to the letter. Not just straight barbell rows from the floor.

Do what you gotta do. It will all be good. It will all "work". And remember, why would you use 'variety' in pushing movement but only ever use one row? It's ludicrous. The ideas behind variety in this case is to help keep the shoulder girdle healthy and not varieity for the sake of it or to "shock" the muscles.

P.S. IMHO, 'extreme stretching is a crock of shit. BS pseudoscience. It may help with recovery a bit but the only other thing it will do is rob you of power. Don't underestimate the devoted disciple effect and the power of placebo. Good way to hurt yourself. Most of the stretches are not even good stretches to start with. They overexted the joints by the time you get a stretch in the muscle.