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When you draw the shoulders back to pinch the scapula that could be interpreted as a kind of shrug, I guess. But I would like to see the shoulders and upper back have more mobility. I don't see anything that looks remotely like a shrug in that. I don't even see ENOUGH of something that looks a bit shruggy, if you catch my drift.

High pulls are an olympic derivative. Essentially the portion of the clean before the clean but without actually doing the clean. I do them all the time. They are a power movement and not comparable to what he is doing. Maybe a cross between an upright row and a "barbell row" but they are both called rows so that further begs the question.

As far as mixing if it is bicmechanically sound, healthy for the shouldlers and will help stengthen the back then why the hell not do whatever you want? Frankly I'm getting sick of the double standards when it comes to exercise selection. The one where you have 3 million choices for bench press, for instance, but only one on rows. This usually comes from an "authoritarian" stand point, imo, rather than an educated one. In other words, Big Dude X says so rather than "a bunch of qualified people, including coaches, say so.

I notice that people really like that Bruce Lee quote about using what works and throwing away the rest. But I don't think that most really understand it. It is precisely this kind of dualistic thinking he was trying to get away from. The idea that this one way is "better" than this one other way. I.E. there is no best way there is simply what has value to you the individual and that which doesn't. I think people misinterpret this as "looking for the best way" but it is exactly the opposite. It is considering all ways but having no one way of thinking. Taking just the aspects of as many different modes of thought as you can and determing for youself whether it is a keeper or a throwback.

But again I agree that for this I would like to see the angle be lower. But there is nothing wrong with such an angle as a variation. If you saw some of the stuff I did row wise you would definitely question the point. Yet everything I do has a point and I would say anyone is allowed to do whatever the hell they want if they think it has a valid point. And there is always a point to not always plugging away at the same basic movement for years on end.

He is rowing. Just like if you do an incline bench or a decline, or a board press you are still bench pressing. Why ever do a front squat? Or any other type of squat that has you using less weight than a back squat? Why ever do anything except one variation of everything? I do all sorts of rows at different angles. I don't do them to win row contests.

He also does face pulls. That is also basically a row. There is a huge point to that also although I guarantee that between barbell rows and face pulls people will be using much lighter weight with face pulls. And although I this instance I don't like the high body angle I see nothing wrong with someone doing that as a variation. When it comes to movements around the shouder complex variation is a very good thing. Doing the same row all the time can eventually lead to problems for many, me included.

Hell, I don't even do barbell rows anymore because it just got to be too aggravating to my lower back. I do more variety than ever and my back, shoulders are stronger and healthier than ever and all without the help of the "best" row (barbell row). The best is what works for you at any given time and what keeps you healthy and productive for the longest period.