Back it up
■Wanttogetevenbetteratrows?
Then do this assistance move. “My
favourite assistance exercise for
thebarbellrowisthebraced
dumbbell row,” says Wright. “Place
onehandonabenchandtakea
wide stance with your feet,
bracing through your trunk. Let
thedumbbellhangdown,thenpull
backandupsoittravelsalonga
curved path to the bottom of your
ribcage. Rowing with one arm
allows greater range of movement
andisalsogreatfordeveloping
your obliques and core.”Get set
■Ifyouwanttoliftadecentweight
andactivatethetargetmuscle
groups effectively, your start
position is incredibly important.
“You should always initiate the row
by‘setting’yourshoulderblades,”
says Wright. “To do this, pull them
back and down by squeezing
themusclesbetweenthemand
expanding your chest, then let
your elbows follow through to
yoursides.Thinkofyourhands
ashooks-theyaresimplythere
to hold the weight, not to pull it.
You can even try a thumbless grip.
Thiswillengageyourlatsand
helpyougetabetter contraction
in the muscle.”
Think back
■It may not seem like a
complicatedmovebutthereare
some common mistakes that you
can avoid. “The first is not pulling
with the back and instead using too
much biceps,” says Wright. “You
must first activate the muscle you
want to use and then move through
the full range of movement.
Secondly, loading up the bar with
toomuchweightwillcauseyouto
lose form and decrease the range of
movement. Performing reps too
quickly can also hinder progress.
Remember,timeundertension
should be approximately 40
seconds for muscle growth, so
controltheweightandkeepthe
tension on the muscles.”Underhand tactic
■Onceyouknowhowtodothe
move perfectly, you can begin
to play around with variations to
get a different training effect.
“If you’re looking to build your
lats — your big back muscles
— in particular try using an
underhandgripwithanarrow
hand placement because this will
target your lats and lower back,”
says Wright. “As well as greater
latrecruitment,italsousesmore
ofthebicepstoo.Rowshavebeen
showntobemoreeffectivefor
building your lats than even lat
pull-downs.”68 MEN’S FITNESS APRIL 2017PERFECT FORM
Hold the bar with a
shoulder-width grip,
bending your knees
slightly, then bend at
the hips until your torso
is at a roughly 45° angle
to the floor. Pull the
bar up to touch your
stomach and then lower
under control. If you’re
moving your upper body
to shift the bar, the
weight’s too heavy.07.Bent-over row
TARGE T SBICEPS, LATS, CORE
Youshouldbespendingthesameamountoftimetrainingyourbackasyoudoyourchest,andthekeymove
is the bent-over row. “The barbell row is a great way to develop a strong upper body and add size to your back,
and it’s the only exercise to work all the different muscles that make up the rear of your torso,” says Wright.
“The move requires not only a strong pull but also the ability to keep yourself fixed in the bent-over position,
which takes strong spinal erectors — technically part of your core muscles.”
“Use a narrow
hand placement
ifyouwanttotarget
lats and lower back.”