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How to Barbell Row with Proper Form: The


De nitive Guide
Last updated: July 5, 2019 by Mehdi

How to Barbell Row with proper form: pull the bar from the oor against your chest while you’re bent over.

Here’s how to Barbell Row with proper form:

1. Stand with your mid-foot under the bar (medium stance)

2. Bend over and grab the bar (palms down, medium-grip)

3. Unlock your knees while keeping your hips high

4. Lift your chest and straighten your back

5. Pull the bar against your lower chest

Return the bar to the oor. Breathe. Straighten your back, take a big breath, hold it. Then do
your next rep. Barbell Row ve sets of ve every StrongLifts 5×5 workout A.

Barbell Rows are a full body, compound exercise. They work your upper-back, lower back,
hips and arms. They build a stronger, muscular back and bigger biceps. Barbell Rows are one
of the most effective assistance exercises you can do to increase your Squat, Bench Press
and Deadlift.

To avoid back pain, keep your lower back neutral. Don’t let it round or you’ll squeeze your
spinal discs. Don’t hold the bar in the air between reps or your back will tire and round. Rest

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the bar on the oor between reps. Set your lower back neutral before you Barbell Row the
next rep.

Barbell Rows are easy to cheat. You can lift heavier weights by using your hips. But your
upper-back should do most of the work. If your torso rises too far above horizontal, the
weight is too heavy. Lower it to work your upper-back mostly, not your hips. Barbell Rows
aren’t Deadlifts.

This is the de nitive guide to proper form on the Barbell Row.

Free: download my Barbell Row checklist to get the most important tips to Row with
proper form. Review these tips between sets and you’ll increase your Barbell Row
without getting hurt. Signup to my daily email tips to get instant access to the
checklist. Just click here.

Contents [hide]

1 Introduction
1.1 How to Barbell Row
1.2 Barbell Row Form 101
1.3 Muscles Worked
1.4 Lower Back Safety
1.5 Barbell Row Videos
2 Barbell Row Technique
2.1 Stance
2.2 Feet
2.3 Grip
2.4 Grip Width
2.5 Wrists
2.6 Elbows
2.7 Torso
2.8 Lower Back
2.9 Knees
2.10 Hips
2.11 Chest
2.12 Shoulders
2.13 Head
2.14 Way Up
2.15 Way Down
2.16 Breathing
2.17 Between Reps
3 Common Issues
3.1 Lower Back Pain
3.2 Hitting The Knees
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3.3 Cheating
4 Barbell Row Variations
4.1 Pendlay Rows
4.2 Yates Rows
4.3 T-Bar Rows
4.4 Machine Rows
4.5 Dumbbell Rows
4.6 Inverted Rows
5 Barbell Row vs Power Cleans
5.1 Barbell Rows Are Safer Than Power Cleans
5.2 Proper Form on Barbell Rows Is Easier Than Power Cleans
5.3 Most Gyms Don’t Have Equipment for Power Cleans
5.4 Barbell Rows Build More Upper-Body Muscle
5.5 There Are Easier Ways To Build Explosiveness
5.6 Power Cleans Won’t Increase Your Deadlifts
5.7 No Power Cleans Then?
6 See Also

Introduction
How to Barbell Row

How to Barbell Row with proper form. The bar starts on the oor on each rep. It returns to the oor on each
rep.

The Barbell Row starts with the bar on the oor. And the bar returns to the oor on every rep.
You don’t keep the bar in the air between reps (those are Yates Rows). You pull from the oor
so you can set your lower back neutral, breathe and use your hip muscles. Proper form on
Barbell Rows is similar to Deadlifts: each rep starts and ends on the oor. Here’s how to
Barbell Row with proper form in ve simple steps…

1. Walk to the bar. Stand with your mid-foot under the bar. Don’t touch it with your shins.
Medium stance, toes pointing out.

2. Grab the bar. Use a medium grip width. Narrower than on Bench Press, wider than on
Deadlifts. Hold the bar low in your hands.

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3. Unlock your knees. Keep your hips higher than on the Deadlift. Bend your knees but
keep them back so the bar can’t hit them.

4. Lift your chest. Straighten your back. Don’t move the bar. Don’t drop your hips. Don’t
squeeze your shoulder-blades together.

5. Row. Take a big breath, hold it and pull the bar against your lower chest. Lead with
your elbows and pull them to the ceiling.

You can raise your torso at the top to lift heavier weights. But your Barbell Rows can’t turn
into Deadlifts. If your torso rises more than 15° above parallel, the weight is too heavy. You’re
shortening the range of motion to make it easier. This is like turning Squats into half Squats.
Your upper-back works less which turns Barbell Rows into an ineffective strength and
muscle builder. Lower the weight to keep your torso down.

Barbell Row Form 101

Pull the bar from the oor against your chest until your elbows pass your torso.

Your build determines how your Barbell Row form should look like for maximum
effectiveness. People with shorter arms must usually grip the bar narrower than people with
long arms like me. Don’t mimic the Barbell Row technique of someone else unless you both
have the same build. Follow these general Barbell Row guidelines instead, then tweak them
as you gain experience…

Bar Path. Vertical line from your mid-foot to your lower chest

Barbell. On the oor, over your mid-foot, at the start of each rep

Stance. Medium, wider than on Deadlifts but narrower than on Squats

Feet. Whole foot at on the oor, turn you toes about 30° out to the side

Knees. Unlocked, back and pushed out to the side so the bar can’t hit them

Grip. Full grip. Both palms face you. Bar rests low in your hands. Squeeze the bar

Grip Width. Medium, narrower than on the Bench Press, wider than on Deadlifts

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Wrists. Keep them straight to avoid wrist pain, use a full grip and squeeze the bar

Elbows. Locked elbows at the bottom, pull them to the ceiling and behind your torso

Chest. Raise it at the bottom before you pull the weight to avoid lower back rounding

Shoulders. In front of the bar at the bottom when viewed from the side, let them hang

Shoulder-blades. Over the bar and your mid-foot at the bottom, squeeze them at the
top

Head. Neutral, inline with the rest of your spine. Don’t look up, don’t look at your feet

Torso. Horizontal with the oor at the bottom, raise it on the way up but not more than
15°

Lower back. Neutral, natural arch like when you stand. No rounding or excess arch
ever

Hips. Higher than on the Deadlift, not too low or the bar will hit your knees and shins

Setup. Bar over mid-foot, shoulder-blades over bar, hips high, bent knees, back neutral

Breathing. Take a big breath at the bottom, hold it at the top, exhale/inhale at bottom

Way up. Pull your elbows to the ceiling, keep your knees back, raise your torso 15°
max

Top. Bar against lower chest, elbows behind torso, torso slightly above horizontal

Between reps. Bar on the oor, don’t bounce, rest a second, get tight, pull again

Way down. Lower the bar fast but under control, keep your knees back

Free: download my Barbell Row checklist to get the above cues in a handy pdf. Signup
to my daily email tips to get instant access to the checklist. Just click here.

Muscles Worked

The Barbell Row works mostly muscles that you don’t see. When you stand in front of the
mirror in the morning, the rst thing you see is you chest, arms and abs. That’s why most
people focus on these muscles while ignoring their back and legs. It’s also what leads to
imbalanced, funny-looking physiques. A big chest with no back is weird. Train Barbell Rows
hard so you look great even when you turn around. You’ll work these muscles:

Upper-back. You must pull your shoulder-blades back at the top to get the bar to your
chest. This works your broadest back muscle that give you a v-shape: your lats
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((latisimus dorsi). It also works your traps, rear shoulders and all the small muscles of
your upper-back.

Lower back. Your lower spine must stay neutral when you Barbell Row to avoid disc
injuries. Gravity tries to bend your back by pulling the bar down. Resisting this force
strengthens the muscles along your spine: your erectors. They protect your spine
against injuries.

Abs. Your ab muscles support your lower back to keep your spine neutral when you
Barbell Row. This strengthens the “six pack” muscles that run over your belly, the
rectus abdominis. Strengthening a muscle increases its mass. And if you eat right, it
becomes visible.

Hips. Your hamstring and glute muscles work when you raise your torso to get the bar
moving off the oor. But they also work to keep your lower back neutral. Barbell Rows
strengthen your hip muscles using dynamic and static contractions (with and without
movement).

Arms. Your forearm muscles work to hold the bar in your hands when you Barbell
Row. Your biceps works to bend your elbow and lift the weight. Your triceps works to
bring your upper-arm behind your torso (the long head is attached to your shoulder-
blade).

Barbell Rows are more than a lat exercise. You don’t need to hit your back from every angle
like a bodybuilder with pulldowns, pullovers, shrugs, rear raises, hyper-extensions, etc. This
takes too much time. It doesn’t strengthen your body as one piece. And it keeps the weight
low by isolating your muscles. Barbell Rows and Deadlifts are more effective to build
strength and muscle mass. They train your whole back with heavier weights.

Lower Back Safety

Left: lower back rounded, bad for your spine. Middle: excess lower back arching, also bad for spine. Right:
neutral back, safest way to Barbell Row

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Barbell Rows will strengthen your back if you use proper form. But they’ll hurt your lower
back if you do them with bad form. Don’t Barbell Row with your lower back rounded. Don’t
over-arch it either by hyper-extending your lower spine. Both squeeze your spinal discs and
can cause lower back injuries like herniated discs. Keep your lower back neutral. Barbell Row
with a natural arch like when you stand and you’ll be safe.

What about the “shear force”? Keeping your torso horizontal while you Barbell Row does
apply force in opposite directions on your spine. There’s upward force on one part,
downward on the other. This shear force is why people will tell you to raise your torso and do
Yates Rows instead. Their thinking is that shear force during Barbell Rows can cause vertical
sliding of your spinal discs. A bad lower back injury…

But anyone who has done heavy Barbell Rows knows no sliding of your discs ever takes
place. Your trunk muscles contract when you Barbell Row. This contraction locks your spine
in position. It protects it against shear. If your trunk muscles aren’t strong enough to hold
your spine in position, your back bends. Rounding your lower back during rows is bad, you
shouldn’t do it. But the point is no sliding of your discs happens.

In fact, in Anatomy Without a Scalpel Dr Lon Kilgore Phd wrote that it takes 336lb of pressure
for the spinal discs of a cadaver to slide. The people concerned about shear force are
unlikely to Barbell Row weights that heavy. But let’s say you can. It will take even more
pressure for your discs to slide. Because you can contract your trunk muscles to protect your
spine more. The cadaver can’t because it’s dead.

Stress has gotten a bad reputation. It’s common nowadays to avoid anything “stressful”. It’s
also why so many people are weak. What you don’t use you lose. Shear force is part of every
day life and sports. You’ll bend over with high hips at one point, for example when picking up
something. And you’re more likely to suffer a lower back injury if you spent your life sparing
your spine instead of strengthening it so it can handle shear.

The best way to protect your back against injury is to strengthen the muscles that support it.
And to practice keeping your lower back neutral while you lift from the oor. Dumbbell Rows,
Inverted Rows, Machine Rows and Pullups don’t train this. These exercises work your upper-
back but not your lower back. Only Deadlifts and Barbell Rows do. And if you do them with
proper form, you’ll build a strong and healthy lower back.

Barbell Row Videos

Here’s a video where you can see me Barbell Row with proper form as part of the StrongLifts
5×5 Workout A. I’m also answering common questions about the Barbell Row at the same
time. Watch from 22:40 for the Barbell Row tips.

StrongLifts 5x5 Workout A: Squat/Bench Press


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StrongLifts 5x5 Workout A: Squat/Bench Press…
Press…

Here’s a video of Tom doing Barbell Rows as part of StrongLifts 5×5. His lower back remains
neutral. His torso comes up at the top but remains quite horizontal to the oor. His elbows
come higher than his torso when the bar touches his chest. His head stays neutral.

StrongLifts Member Tom - Barbell Row Techni…


Techni…

Barbell Row Technique


Stance

Medium Stance. Barbell Row with your heels wider apart than on Deadlifts but narrower than
on Squats. The exact stance depends on your grip (more on this below). The narrower your

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grip, the narrower your stance must be so your legs don’t push against your arms when you
Barbell Row. The wider your grip, the wider your stance can be. Your heels should be wider
apart than your hips, but narrower than your shoulders.

Feet

Setup for Barbell Rows with the bar over your mid-foot.

Bar over mid-foot. Setup with the bar over your mid-foot like when you Deadlift. This is your
balance point. The most effective way to Barbell Row the weight from the oor to your chest
is in a vertical line over this balance point. If the bar starts over your forefoot it will pull you
forward and out of balance. Or it will move back over your mid-foot and hit your knees. If the
bar is too close to your shins, it will scrape your shins.

Feet Flat on The Floor. Your whole foot must stay on the oor when you Barbell Row. You
have better balance standing on your whole foot than on your toes or heels. Better balance is
better bar control and better technique. This improves effectiveness so you can Barbell Row
more weight. Don’t let your heels come off the oor or you’ll fall forward. Don’t raise your
toes either. Keep your toes, heels and forefoot on the oor.

Toes out 30°. Point your toes in the same direction as your knees. Your knees should point
out, to the side, when you Barbell Row. They can’t point forward or you’ll hit your them with
the bar. Push your knees out to keep them out of the bar path. Point your toes out as well to
make this easier. You’ll stop hitting your knees and shins with the bar when you Barbell Row,
especially if you have long thighs like me.

Grip

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Left: underhand grip, dangerous. Middle: thumbless grip, ineffective. Right: full grip, recommended for
Barbell Rows.

Full Grip. Wrap your thumbs around the bar. You can squeeze the bar harder when you use
the full grip. The harder you squeeze the bar, the less it can move in your hands. Squeezing
the bar also contracts your arms and shoulders more. It engages more muscles. It makes
the weight easier to Barbell Row. The thumbless grip may help you “feel” the exercise better.
But it’s not effective for doing heavy Barbell Rows.

Double Overhand. Grip the bar with both palms facing you (pronated). Don’t grip it with your
palms up (supinated). Barbell Rows with your palms facing up works your biceps more. But it
does it by putting your wrists and elbows in an awkward position. You can easily get wrist
and elbow pain, especially if you grip the bar wide like on the Bench Press but with your
palms up. Grip the bar like on Deadlifts, with both palms down.

Hold The Bar Low. Grip the bar close to your ngers, on top of your main calluses. Don’t hold
it in the middle of your palm. The skin of your hands will fold between the bar and your
ngers. This will hurt and you’ll get bigger calluses that can tear. Hold the bar lower in your
hands, close to your ngers. Squeeze the bar so it can’t move. This grip may feel weaker than
holding the bar mid-palm. Give it time, you won’t go back.

Straps Are Okay. You cannot Barbell Row with the mixed grip because facing one palm up
will irritate your wrist and elbow. Your hands must face down. This means if the weight is too
heavy for your grip to hold, your only options are chalk, straps or the hook grip. Few people
will Barbell Row weights heavy enough to need this. But if you do, use straps on your heavy
sets only. Do your lighter sets without to build grip strength.

Grip Width

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Narrow vs. wide vs. medium grip. The wider the grip, the more your torso drops. The narrower, the longer
the range of motion.

Medium Grip. Barbell Row with your grip narrower than on the Bench Press but wider than on
the Deadlift. Gripping the bar wider like when you Bench Press makes the weight easier to
Barbell Row. A wide grip shortens the range of motion by putting your arms incline. But it
also drops your torso and can put it below horizontal to the oor. If you have short arms, a
wide grip can cause your lower back to round when you Barbell Row.

Narrow Grip if Your Back Rounds. If your lower back rounds, narrow your grip when you
Barbell Row. This puts your arms more vertical to the oor. It raises your torso and keeps it
horizontal to the oor. The weight will be harder to Barbell Row because the range of motion
is longer. But your back will be safer. Narrow your stance so your legs don’t push against
your arms when you pull the weight from the oor.

Wrists

Left: T-Rex Rows with bent wrists. Right: Barbell Rows with straight wrists.

Straight Wrists. Keep your wrists straight when you Barbell Row. Wrap your thumbs around
the bar using the full grip. Squeeze it hard until your knuckles turn white. Lock your wrists in
position so you have a straight line from your elbows to your wrists to the bar. Don’t let your
wrists bend back or they’ll hurt. If your wrists bend, your grip is loose. If it isn’t, the weight is
too heavy and you’re cheating by doing T-rex rows.

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No T-Rex Rows. One sneaky way to cheat the Barbell Row is to bend your wrists at the top.
Instead of using your back muscles to row the weight to your chest, you’re using your wrists.
You’re bending them back at the top to get the last few cms/inches of range of motion your
back muscles can’t get. This is cheating (and makes you look like a T-rex). Lower the weight
and keep your wrists straight before they hurt.

Elbows

Left: elbow aring, bar touches chest too high. Middle: elbows too close against torso, ineffective. Right:
elbows tucked like on the bench.

Locked At The Bottom. Bending your elbows at the bottom shortens the range of motion. It
drops your torso and can cause lower back rounding. It also builds bad habits for Deadlifts
where starting each rep with locked elbows is crucial to avoid biceps injuries. Straighten your
arms before you Barbell Row the weight. Your elbows won’t hurt as long as you don’t hyper-
extend them. Your back will be in a safer position.

Behind Your Torso At The Top. Touch your chest with the bar by pulling your elbows behind
your torso at the top. Videotape yourself from the side to check your form. If your elbows
don’t come behind your torso, the weight is too heavy. Don’t bend your wrists back to bring
the bar to your chest. Don’t drop your chest to meet the bar either. Both are cheating. Lower
the weight so you can pull your elbows behind your torso.

Pull with Your Elbows. Barbell Rows aren’t Reverse Curls. The weight is heavier and your
arms aren’t strong enough to lift it alone. You must use your stronger back muscles. Don’t try
to curl the weight. Setup with straight elbows. Take the slack out of the bar by pulling on it
until it touches the top of the plate holes. Lift the bar by bending your elbows and driving
them to the ceiling. They must end behind your torso at the top.

Tuck Your Elbows. Keep your elbows 75° in at the top, like when you Bench Press. The exact
angle will depend on your build, back angle, grip, etc. But your elbows can’t be perpendicular
to your torso. That moves the bar over your forefoot and off-balance. Your elbows can’t
touch your torso either because that moves the bar too close to your legs (you’ll hit them).
Move the bar over your mid-foot by tucking your elbows.
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Torso

Left: torso too high, turns Barbell Rows into Deadlifts. Right: torso closer to parallel, upper-back does most
of the work.

Horizontal. Setup for Barbell Rows with your torso horizontal with the oor. You should see a
straight line from your head to your hips from the side. That line should be parallel to the
oor. If your hips are lower than your chest, you’re bending your legs too much. Straighten
your knees to raise your hips. If you chest is lower than your hips, your elbows are bent or
your grip is too wide. Fix it to put your torso horizontal.

Raise It 15° Max. Your torso can rise when you Barbell Row. This makes the weight easier to
lift by engaging your hip muscles. You can row heavier weights if you move the bar off the
oor by opening your hips. Your torso will rise when you do this. As long as it doesn’t rise
more than 15° above horizontal, your hips won’t take too much work away from your upper-
back muscles. But you’ll work them with heavier weights.

No 45° Back Angles! Raising your torso 45° above horizontal is cheating. It turns your Barbell
Rows into Deadlifts by using too much hips. It makes the weight easier to lift by taking work
away from your upper-back. Your hips can help you move the bar off the oor. But they can’t
do all the work. If you can’t keep your torso from raising more than 15° above horizontal, the
weight is too heavy. Lower it so you work your upper-back.

Don’t Be a Purist. You can’t cheat your Barbell Rows by raising your torso 45°. But you can’t
try to be strict by keeping it horizontal on every rep. This doesn’t work anyway. Your torso will
always rise when you hit your chest with the bar at the top. The only way to keep it horizontal
is if you stick with light weights. But light weights don’t strengthen your upper-back. Don’t be
a purist. Let your torso rise. Just limit it to 15°.

Lower Back

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Keep your lower back neutral when you Barbell Row. No rounding or excess arching.

Lower Back Neutral. The safest way to Barbell Row is with your lower back neutral. This
doesn’t mean a at back. You should have a natural arch in your lower back when you stand.
But you shouldn’t over-arch it or let it round. Both squeeze your spinal discs and can cause
lower back injuries like herniated discs. Set your lower back neutral before you Barbell Row
the weight off the oor. Keep it neutral throughout the lift.

Raise Your Chest. The easiest way to keep your lower back from rounding is to raise your
chest. Setup for Barbell Rows and open your chest by lifting it to the ceiling. This will
straighten your upper-back and your lower back will follow. If you do it right, you’ll have a
straight line from your head to hips. Squeeze your lats (armpits) to lock your chest in
position. Then take a big breath and row.

Knees

Unlocked. Setup for Barbell Rows with bent knees. Your legs should be almost straight,
straighter than on Deadlifts, with high hips. But your knee joint should be unlocked. The more
you bend your legs, the easier to reach the bar and grab it. The less you bend your legs, the
more your knees stay back and the less likely you are to hit them with the bar. Unlock your
knees but keep your legs as straight as you can.

Knees Out. Don’t Barbell Row with your knees forward or you’ll hit them with the bar. Keep
your knees out of the way by pushing them to the side like when you Squat. You can’t do this
if your feet point forward. Setup with your toes out 30°. Then push your knees in the same
direction as your toes when you Barbell Row. The bar will go up without hitting your knees.
Especially if you have long thighs like me.

Don’t Cheat with Your Knees. Don’t straighten your bent knees to get the bar moving off the
oor. You can use your hip muscles. And some knee movement is inevitable when you
Barbell Row heavier weights. But your upper-back should do most of the work. If your knees

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straighten when the bar leaves the oor and then rebend at bottom to drop you chest, the
weight is too heavy. Lower the weight and do it right.

Hips

Left: hips too low, like on Deadlifts, you’ll hit your knees. Middle: hips too high, your back will round. Right:
hips high with horizontal back.

High Hips. Setup for Barbell Rows with your hips high. They should be higher than on
Deadlifts. The exact height depends on your build and how much you bend your knees. But
your torso should be horizontal to the oor so your upper-back muscles do most of the work.
And your legs should be almost straight to keep your knees back and out of the way of the
bar. Unlock your knees while keeping your hips high.

No Low Hips. Bending over at your hips with straight legs can be challenging if you lack
exibility. You may have to bend your knees more to reach the bar. But keep in mind this puts
your knees more forward. You’re more likely to hit them with the bar, especially if you have
long thighs bones as I do. Try to keep your hips as high as your exibility allows. It will
improve as you keep doing Barbell Rows.

Don’t Cheat with Your Hips. You can use your hip muscles to Barbell Row heavier weights.
You can open them to get the bar more easily off the oor. But your torso can’t rise higher
than 15° above horizontal. If it does, the weight is too heavy. Your upper-back must do most
of the work, not your hips. These are Barbell Rows, not Deadlifts. Use your hips. But don’t
cheat. Lower the weight if your torso rises too far above horizontal.

Chest

Raise Your Chest. Your lower back is less likely to round if you Barbell Row with your chest
up. Raise your chest to the ceiling when you setup. Do NOT squeeze your shoulder-blades at
the bottom. Squeeze your lats (armpits) instead to lock your chest in position. Your chest will
drop between reps. Raise it again before doing your next rep. That’s why you must Barbell
Row each rep from the oor: your can use better form.

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Hit Your Chest. Pull the bar from the oor against your lower chest. The exact position
depends on your build, grip and back angle. But you should move the bar in a vertical line up
because that’s the most effective way to Barbell Row. And the bar should start over your mid-
foot because that’s your balance point. If it moves in a curve, you’re hitting your chest too
high or too low. Or the bar isn’t over your mid-foot at the bottom.

Don’t Hold It At The Top. You don’t have to hold the bar against your torso at the top. You
don’t have to squeeze your shoulder-blades and upper-back to “feel” your muscles better.
Just pull the bar from the oor fast and slam it against your lower chest. If you do it right,
your elbows will end behind your torso at the top. This means your upper-back did their work
to Barbell Row the weight from the oor.

Shoulders

In Front of Bar. Setup for Barbell Rows with your shoulders in front of the bar. This keeps
your torso horizontal, hips high and knees back. Setting up with your shoulders over the bar
doesn’t work. Your hips end too far back which is bad balance. Or your knees are too bent
and in the way of the bar. Your shoulders must be in front of the bar like when you Deadlift.
But your hips should be higher so your torso stays horizontal.

Head

Don’t look up when you Barbell Row. But don’t look at your feet either. Keep your head inline with the rest of
your spine.

Head Inline with Torso. Don’t look up when you Barbell Row. This squeezes the spinal discs
in your neck and can injure it. Don’t look at your feet either or your back will round. Keep your
head inline with the rest of your spine. From the side you should have a straight line from
your head to your hips. If this feels weird, keep practicing and be patient. You’ll get used to it
and get stronger without hurting your neck.

Avoid Mirrors to Check Form. It’s ineffective and causes bad form. You can’t see your back if
you Barbell Row in front of mirrors. And you have to look up which over-archs your
neck/back and can hurt them. Even worse is to Barbell Row aside of mirrors and turn your

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head to check your form. This twists your neck and can hurt it. Videotape yourself to check
your form. Face the mirror away to avoid bad form.

Way Up

Barbell Row by pulling the bar off the oor while your torso rises 15°. Lead with your elbows and pull them
behind your torso so the bar touches your chest.

Pull with Your Elbows. Setup with straight arms and locked elbows. Then pull the bar off the
oor by pulling your elbows towards the ceiling. Keep pulling until they end behind your torso
at the top. Don’t try to Barbell Row the weight by just bending your arms. They aren’t strong
enough to curl the weight. Use your stronger upper-back muscles by leading with your
elbows. Pull them back and behind your torso.

Use Your Hips. Open your hip when the bar leaves the oor. Use your stronger hip muscles to
get momentum at the bottom. Your knees shouldn’t move, just your hips. If you do this right,
your torso will raise above horizontal. It will then stay there while your elbows move back to
complete the movement. Don’t be strict by keeping your torso horizontal. Use your hips so
you can Barbell Row heavier weights.

Hit Your Lower Chest. The exact position depends on your build and form. But the bar must
move vertically over your mid-foot while your torso stays horizontal. Hitting your upper-chest
is usually too high. It means the bar started too far forward and your elbows are too far out.
It can throw you off balance. Bar to belly usually means you’re raising your torso too much.
This takes work away from your upper-back muscles.

Raise your Torso 15° Max. You should raise your torso when you Barbell Row. This allows
you to lift heavier weights by engaging your stronger hip muscles. But your torso shouldn’t
rise more than 15° above horizontal. If it does, you’re working your hips not your upper-back.
You’re turning your Barbell Rows into Deadlifts. If you can’t lift the weight without rising your
torso more than 15°, it’s too heavy. Lower the weight.

Way Down

Lower The Bar Fast. Return the bar quickly to the oor after it hits your chest. It must go
down faster than it went up. Don’t lower it slowly to feel your muscles more. You’re tiring
them for the way up which matters most on Barbell Rows (like on Deadlifts). This doesn’t

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mean you should drop the bar. You should hold it. But lower it fast. Barbell Row on rubber
mats to reduce the noise of the plates hitting the oor.

Breathing

Breathe at The Bottom. Take a big breath, hold it and row. This increases pressure in your
torso, protects your lower back and keeps your chest up. Your blood pressure will increase
when you hold your breath. But it will return to normal when your set is over. And the stronger
muscles you build by doing heavy Barbell Rows will decrease your blood pressure. They put
less demand on your heart. Big breath, hold it, row.

Hold Your Breath at The Top. Don’t exhale on the way up or at the top of your Barbell Rows.
You don’t want to lose torso stability, round your lower back and suffer a spinal injury. Hold
your breath until the weight is back on the oor. If you feel like passing out, you’re waiting too
long at the bottom. Get tight, take a big breath and row the weight. Don’t wait ages to pull
after you’ve inhaled air.

Between Reps

Don’t keep the weight in the air during your Barbell Row reps. Return the bar to the oor on each rep.

Weight on The Floor. The plates must touch the oor at the start of every rep you Barbell
Row. Pull the weight from the oor against your lower chest, then return it to the oor. Don’t
hold the bar in the air between reps. Your lower back will tire, can round and you’ll Barbell
Row less weight. Return the bar to the oor like when you Deadlift. Use the short rest
between reps to set your lower back neutral, raise your chest and breath.

Don’t Bounce. Barbell Row dead weight from a dead stop. Lower the bar to the oor. Pause
for a second. Set you lower back neutral, get tight and breathe. Then row the weight to your
lower chest. Don’t bounce the weight off the oor. Your muscles must lift the weight, not the
rebound off the plates. Barbell Row dead weight like when you Deadlift. This will be harder.
But you’ll build a stronger, more muscular upper-back.

Common Issues

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Lower Back Pain

Doing Barbell Rows with a neutral back will prevent back pain and injuries

Bad form is the main cause of back pain on Barbell Rows. Your lower back must stay neutral.
Keep the natural arch in your lower back like when you stand. Rounding your lower back is
bad because it squeezes your spinal discs from the front. Excess arching of your lower back
is also bad. It squeezes your spinal discs as well but from the back. The safest way to
Barbell Row is with a neutral lower back.

To stop lower back rounding, raise your chest. Lift your chest towards the ceiling when you
setup for Barbell Rows. Don’t squeeze your shoulder-blades yet. Squeeze your lats (armpits)
instead to lock your chest in position. Take a big breath and pull the bar to your chest. Return
the weight to the oor and raise your chest for the next rep. Don’t keep the bar in the air
between reps. Your lower back will tire and can round as a result.

If your lower back rounds despite raising your chest, arch harder. Pull your lower back to the
ceiling to get that natural arch. This will be hard. You may feel it pull in the back of your legs
(hamstrings). Do your best. If your back still rounds, raise the bar. Use big plates of
45cm/17″ diameter so you bend over less. If you only have small plates (or aren’t strong
enough yet), raise the bar by putting plates at under the weight.

Some people get back pain because they arch too much when they Barbell Row. This
squeezes your spinal discs in the opposite direction than when you round your back. Hyper-
extending your lower back is bad. Stay neutral by keeping your head neutral and squeezing
your abs. Tense them as if you were going to be punched in the stomach. A belt can cue you
to squeeze your abs by giving them something to push against.

Belts provide your lower back extra support. They help you lift more weight. But they don’t
protect against bad form. Rounding your back increases the risk of injury with or without
belt. The injury can be worse with belt because of the heavier weights it allows you to lift.

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Don’t Barbell Row with a belt to make up for bad form. Don’t mask the pain with painkillers
either. Always focus on lifting with proper form.

Most people can x lower back pain by improving their form. If you hurt your lower back and
can’t Barbell Row, you can substitute it while your back recovers. Just don’t expect bad form
to improve without practicing Barbell Rows. You can do Inverted Rows or Dumbbell Rows
meanwhile. They don’t train your lower back. But that’s also why they’re less effective for
building strength and muscle. They train less muscles.

Hitting The Knees

The bar will hit your knees if you put it too close to your shins. The proper way to setup for
Barbell Rows is with the bar over your mid-foot. This is your balance point. Moving the bar
over your mid-foot is the shortest way up, the most effective way to Barbell Row and stops
the bar from hitting your shins. Setup with the bar over the middle of your foot. If it touches
your shins when you stand in front it or bend over, you’re too close.

The bar will also hit your knees if your hips are too low. The lower your hips, the more your
legs are bent and the more your knees and shins come forward. This gives the bar no other
way than to hit your shins and knees on the way up when you Barbell Row. Raise your hips.
Raise them higher than when you Squat and Deadlift. Your legs should be almost straight
with your knees unlocked and your torso horizontal.

Long thigh bones like mine put your knees more forward and in the way of the bar. You can
arti cially shorten your thigh bone by pushing your knees out when you Barbell Row. Don’t let
your knees hang forward. Push them to the side like when you Squat. Setup with your toes
turned out about 30° to make it easier to push your knees out. This will make your feet and
knees point in the same direction.

Cheating

A sneaky way to cheat on Barbell Rows: bar goes almost all the way up. But chest drops to meet the bar and
nish the movement.

Cheating is tempting when the weight is too heavy to Barbell Row with proper form. If you
can’t get the bar to your chest, the normal thing to do is count it as a failed rep. You repeat
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the weight, maybe deload, and work your way back up. This is what you do on Squats. You
don’t turn them into half Squats when the weight is too heavy to go all the way down. But
Barbell Rows are easier to cheat, in all kinds of sneaky ways.

Raising your torso more than 15° is the rst way to cheat. This is lifting the weight using your
hips instead of upper-back. It also shortens the range of motion: the bar touches your body
lower, at your belly. This turns your Barbell Rows into a Deadlift-Shrug hybrid that works your
hips and traps more than your upper-back. Your torso doesn’t have to stay horizontal. But if it
rises more than 15°, the weight is too heavy.

Dropping your chest is the second way to cheat. Instead of pulling the bar all the way up to
your chest, you nish the rep by dropping your chest to touch the bar. This shortens the
distance the bar moves. And it takes work away from your upper-back muscles in the
hardest part of the range of motion. Your torso can raise 15° when the bar leaves the oor.
But its angle must remain constant after that until the bar hits your chest.

Using your knees is the third way to cheat. You start with bent knees and high hips. But you
pull the weight off the oor by straightening your legs. And you then quickly rebend your
knees to drop your torso. The former is like Squatting the weight. The latter shortens the
range of motion. Both take work away from your upper-back. Your knees should be bent. But
if they move when you Barbell Row, the weight is too heavy.

Example: this guy Barbell Rows 135kg/295lb using great form overall but with some
cheating. He rebends his knees to lift the weight. He also drops his chest to nish each rep.
Now he Deadlifts 272kg/600lb so I’m sure he knows what he’s doing. Cheating has bene ts
for advanced lifters, you can use heavier weights to break plateaus. But most people
shouldn’t cheat because it’s a slippery slope that builds bad habits and can cause injury.

Pendlay Rows Set 2 #295

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How much cheating is too much? Purists say only your arms should move. Ego lifters say
anything counts as long as you hit your chest. I say your torso can rise but not more than
15°. This is the issue with Barbell Rows: some are stricter than others which makes
comparing hard (not that you should do that…). That’s why they’re an assistance exercise,
and why people rarely care about how much you Barbell Row.

What matters is consistent Barbell Row technique. Don’t raise your torso higher each
StrongLifts 5×5 workout so you can keep adding weight. If you can Barbell Row twice the
weight 12 weeks later, but your torso is now 45°, did you get stronger? No. You shortened the
range of motion and used more hips. That’s like turning Squat into half Squats: fake strength
and half the gains. Use consistent form and consider deviations fails.

Barbell Row Variations


Pendlay Rows

Coach Glenn Pendlay was rst to recommend Barbell Rows with a horizontal torso and the
bar returning to the oor on each rep. He wrote about it online more than a decade ago
which is how I discovered this technique. Some called this a “Pendlay Row” to differentiate
from the Barbell Row form bodybuilders usually use. But as Glenn Pendlay said, all Barbell
Rows should be Pendlay Rows because it’s more effective.

The difference between Pendlay Rows and the Barbell Row you typically see in gyms is that
the bar starts on the oor on each rep. You don’t keep the bar in the air between reps. Your
torso doesn’t rise 45° either. It stays close to horizontal with the oor. This makes the
Pendlay Row a more explosive exercise. And it works your upper-back, lats and lower back
muscles harder than bodybuilding-style Barbell Rows.

The Barbell Row form described in this guide you’re reading is therefore a Pendlay Row. It’s
the form I use and recommend on StrongLifts 5×5. Your torso should never rise more than
15° but stay close to horizontal with the oor. And the bar must start and return to the oor
on each rep, like on Deadlifts. This is safer for your lower back because you can set it neutral
between reps when the bar is on the oor.

Here’s video from coach Glenn Pendlay showing how to Pendlay Row with proper form.
Notice the bar starts on the oor on each rep, unlike with bodybuilding-style Barbell Rows.
The torso stays horizontal to the oor and doesn’t rise more than 15°. Lower back and head
stay neutral, straight line from hips to head. Chest stays up while the elbows go back and
behind the torso at the top.

Pendlayrow.wmv
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Yates Rows

Yates Rows are Barbell Rows with an upright torso and underhand grip. The weight hangs in
the air and doesn’t return to the oor until your set is over. Your torso is 45° incline instead of
horizontal. The bar touches your body lower, on you belly. Your grip is narrower with your
elbows close to your body. Most people do Yates Rows because that’s what all the
bodybuilding magazines and websites teach.

Yates Rows are named after the bodybuilding champion Dorian Yates. He won the Mr
Olympia 5x and was known for his back development. Dorian Yates used Yates Rows to
emphasize his “lower lats” (more on that in a second). He stopped doing Yates Rows with an
underhand grip after tearing his left biceps. Here’s a video of Dorian Yates showing how to
do Yates Rows. He uses a normal grip instead of the reverse grip…

Dorian Yates demonstrating bent over Barbell …

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I don’t recommend Yates Rows. Dorian Yates was an amazing bodybuilder. I remember
watching his training videos when I started lifting, what an intensity! But Dorian Yates has
admitted using steroids for 12 years. He gets my respect, I wish more people were honest
about that. Because what worked for him won’t for people training naturally like us. We’ll get
better results with Barbell Rows than Yates Rows. Here’s why…

Targeting the “lower lats” is a waste of time. Your lattissimus dorsi is one muscle that runs
from your arm to your lower back. How low it attaches to your spine depends on your
genetics. Backs with high lats look smaller just like high calves like mine look smaller. Yates
Rows can’t change your lat attachments. Yates Rows can’t turn tendons into muscle. The
only thing you can do is increase the size of your lat muscles as a whole.

The best way to train your lats is with heavy Deadlifts and Barbell Rows. Deadlifts force you
to keep the bar close using your lats. Barbell Rows force you to lift the weight using your lats.
Strengthening your lats increases their muscle size. It gives you a v-shape because your lats
are your broadest back muscle. Your genetics determine the nal shape of your back. But
combined with a healthy self-esteem, you’ll be happy with the result.

Yates Rows are indeed easier than Barbell Rows. The underhand grip on Yates Rows uses
more biceps. This makes Yates Rows easier for the same reason Chinups are easier than
Pullups. More muscles working is more strength. But few wrists and elbows can handle an
underhand grip on Yates Rows. They’ll usually hurt, especially if you grip too wide and lack
exibility. Dorian Yates stopped rowing underhand after tearing his biceps.

Yates Rows are also easier because the range of motion is shorter. Your torso is incline and
the bar touches your belly. On Barbell Rows the bar starts on the oor and your torso is
horizontal. You must move the bar over double the distance to hit you chest. Barbell Rows
use more muscles and strengthen them over a longer range of motion. That’s why they’re
harder but also more effective to gain strength and muscle mass.

Barbell Rows are a more natural movement than Yates Rows. Barbell Rows are similar to
rowing on a boat. Your torso stays perpendicular while you row the resistance to you. Your
torso moves slightly back and forth to add momentum. This helps your upper-back and arms
row the weight. You wouldn’t row a boat by keeping your torso incline like on Yates Rows.
You row like on Barbell Rows because it’s more effective.

You can’t use your hip muscles on Yates Rows. Your back starts incline and remains incline
for the duration of the set. Your upper-back and arms have to lift the weight alone. With
Barbell Rows each rep starts on the oor. You can open your hips to get the bar moving. This
helps your upper-back and arms handle heavier weights. And as long as your torso doesn’t
rise more than 15°, it won’t take work away from these muscles.
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Yates Rows are stressful on your lower back. Your torso stays incline the whole set. Your
lower back must stay neutral to avoid compression of your spinal discs. If your trunk
muscles get tired mid-set, your spine will bend. This can cause injury. Barbell Rows are safer
because each rep starts on the oor. Your lower back gets a break between reps. And you
can set it neutral and tight to avoid lower back rounding on your next rep.

Barbell Rows are safer and more effective. Don’t do Yates Rows. Do Barbell Rows.

T-Bar Rows

T-Bar Rows are Barbell Rows done on a T-Bar machine. You setup on foot stands with the bar
between your legs. The bar is xed on one end and has a T-shaped handle on the other end.
You grip the handle and row it to your chest. Some T-Bar machines have chest support to
rest on. You can also do T-Bar rows without machine by putting the bar in a corner. Pull the
other end to your chest using a v-handle.

Most people do T-Bar Rows like Yates Rows. Their torso rises 45° on each rep. Or it stays
incline during the whole set. Raising your torso 45° takes work away from your upper-back by
using more hips. Keeping your torso incline stresses your lower back and may cause Injury.
It’s safer and more effective to T-Bar Row like you Barbell Row: horizontal torso at the
bottom, 15° max at the top, bar on the oor between reps.

T-Bar Rows are easier than Barbell Rows because the range of motion is shorter. Unless you
have long handles, the bar will hit your chest before your elbows go all the way back. Your
upper-back and arms can’t get a full contraction at the top. The range of motion is even
shorter if you do T-Bar Rows with an incline torso. This is like doing half Squats instead of
full Squats. More weight but half the work and half the gains.

Barbell Rows are easier to setup than T-Bar Rows. You don’t need a machine. You don’t need
a v-handle. You don’t need to block one end of the bar to prevent it from tilting over. You
control where the bar goes which leads to a safer and more effective bar path (straight
vertical). There’s no good reason to do T-Bar Rows instead of Barbell Rows. Barbell Rows are
simpler and more effective. Stick with Barbell Rows.

Machine Rows

Machine Rows are Barbell Rows using a machine. You sit upright on a bench with your chest
against a vertical support and row the weight to you. Or you lie incline on a T-Bar machine
with chest support while rowing the weight. Or you raise the bench you use for the Bench
Press and pull the bar from underneath you to your chest. Machine Rows emphasize your
upper-back and arm muscles.

Machine Rows work less muscles than Barbell Rows. Your lower back, hips and legs do
nothing. You don’t have to balance the weight, the machine does it. You don’t have to
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balance yourself, you’re sitting. With Barbell Rows, your lower back and abs must keep your
spine neutral. Your hips and legs must keep you balanced. Barbell Rows work more muscles.
That’s why they’re more effective for gaining strength and muscle.

Machine Rows only make sense if some lower back injury prevents you from doing Barbell
Rows (but Inverted Rows are better, see below). If your lower back is ne, do Barbell Rows.
You want to strengthen your back, not keep it weak. If you hate Barbell Rows and can’t gure
how to do it right, do more Barbell Rows. Practice is how you x bad form and how your least
favorite exercise often turns into your most favorite.

Dumbbell Rows

Dumbbell Rows: pull the dumbbell against your chest. Look at those guns btw. No curls ftw

Dumbbell Rows are a single-arm Barbell Row using dumbbells. The usual way to do them is
on a bench. Put your left knee and left hand on the far ends. Your torso should be horizontal
with the oor like when you Barbell Row with proper form. Grab the dumbbell in your right
hand and row it to your chest. I prefer to rest the dumbbell on the oor between reps. But
some people keep the dumbbell in the air like with Yates Rows.

Dumbbell Rows emphasize your upper-back like Machine Rows do. The range of motion is
longer, you get a bigger stretch at the bottom. But your hips, lower back and ab muscles
don’t have to balance you and the weight like on Barbell Rows. Dumbbell Rows can help you
train around a lower back injury. But for gaining overall strength and muscle, Barbell Rows
are more effective because they work more muscles with more weight.

Progressing is also harder with Dumbbells. You have to add weight each workout to get
results with StrongLifts 5×5. Small increments work longer than big ones. But dumbbells
usually go up by 2kg/5lb. Few gyms have dumbbells with smaller increments or adjustable
ones. You have to add 4kg/10lb each workout instead of 2.5kg/5lb or less with Barbell Rows.
You’ll plateau faster on StrongLifts 5×5 if you use dumbbells.

Inverted Rows

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Inverted Rows aka horizontal pullups aka fatman pullups.

Inverted Rows are horizontal Pullups. Lie with your back on the oor in the Power Rack. Grab
the bar, raise your butt and straighten your torso. You should hang from your arms with only
your heels touching the oor. Now pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar. Pull with
your elbows so you use your upper-back and arms, not your legs. Unlike Pullups, Inverted
Rows train horizontal rowing (the opposite of Bench Press).

Most people aren’t strong enough to do Inverted Rows with proper form the rst time. Don’t
be surprised if you can’t touch the bar with your chest without cheating with your legs.
Inverted Rows force you to lift your body-weight, like Pullups do. They’re easier than Pullups
because your torso is more incline (some call them “Fatman Pullups“). But they’re harder
than Barbell Rows where you can start with lighter weights.

Progression is also harder with Inverted Rows. You start out by trying to get more reps each
workout. Once you can do sets of ten reps, you elevate your feet to shift your center or
gravity and make it harder. When that gets easy, you add weight using an x-vest or loaded
rucksack or chains. All of this works. But it’s more complicated and time-consuming than
Barbell Rows where you just add weight on the bar.

Inverted Rows are like Dumbbell Rows: they don’t train your lower back, hips and legs. They
only train your upper-back and arms muscles. Inverted Rows can be a helpful temporary
substitution exercise if some lower back injury prevents you from doing Barbell Rows. But it
also makes them less effective for gaining overall strength and muscle. Barbell Rows use
more muscles, with heavier weights. This is always better.

Barbell Row vs Power Cleans


Barbell Rows are safer than Power Cleans. Many people injure their wrists, elbows and
shoulders doing Power Cleans because they lack exibility. Power Cleans require more time
and effort (and often a coach) to master proper form. Barbell Rows are easier to learn and
build your upper-body muscles more than Power Cleans do. Many gyms lack the equipment
to drop the bar safely on Power Cleans.

Power Cleans can be useful for athletes who must be explosive for sports. But you can
develop power faster and more easily by increasing your Squat and Deadlift. Power Cleans
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are fun if you’ve spent the time and effort to learn proper form. But if you just want to get
stronger and build muscle, Barbell Rows are better. That’s why Barbell Rows are part of
StrongLifts 5×5.

Barbell Rows Are Safer Than Power Cleans

Power Cleans consist of pulling the bar from the oor on your shoulders. The top position is
like a Front Squat with horizontal upper-arms. But you need exible wrists to keep your
elbows high. If your wrists are tight, they’ll carry the bar and bend under the weight. The bar
will stretch and hurt your wrists and elbows. The weight of the bar can also hurt your
shoulders if you have existing issues like shoulder impingement.

You don’t need exible wrists and healthy shoulders to do Barbell Rows safely with proper
form. Your hips must be exible to keep your lower back neutral while you bend over and row
the weight. But you can easily x that by raising the bar. Load it with big plates of 45cm/17″
diameter. Or put plates at on the oor under the weight. You’ll bend over less and need less
exibility. Power Cleans don’t have such quick xes.

Lower back injuries are less likely on Barbell Rows. The movement is slower. This makes it
easier to lift with proper form. Power Cleans are faster. Many people pull the bar to their
shoulders by doing a reverse curl and leaning back. This squeezes your spinal discs and can
injure them. You can do Barbell Rows wrong too and hurt your back by rounding it. But
Barbell Rows are easier to do right because they’re slower.

Barbell Rows are safer to fail than Power Cleans. If you can’t lift the weight, you just lower
the bar back to the oor. If you fail to rack the weight on your shoulders with Power Cleans,
you’ll have to drop the bar. It will drop from a higher position than with Barbell Rows. It will
make more noise, especially if you Power Clean without bumper plates or platform. And the
bar can hit your arms and legs on the way down which will hurt.

Power Cleans are safe if you’re exible, use proper form and have the right equipment. You
can work on improving your exibility. You can spend time and effort mastering proper form.
And you can buy bumper plates or build a platform to drop the bar. Or you can just Barbell
Row. They need less exibility, are easier to learn and require the same equipment you use to
Deadlift. Barbell Rows are safer for most people.

Proper Form on Barbell Rows Is Easier Than Power Cleans

Barbell Rows are a slower movement than Power Cleans. You can’t Power Clean slow. You
have to be explosive. But the faster you lift, the harder to control the bar and your body. The
more your form can breakdown and cause injury. The Barbell Row is also a shorter
movement. The bar moves half the distance. Less things can go wrong. Barbell Rows look
less intimidating and complicated than Power cleans, and they are.

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Many people say you need a coach to learn how to Power clean. This is true if you want to
become an Olympic Weightlifter. It’s false if you just want to get stronger. All it takes is
stretching, videotaping yourself, watching videos, comparing your form against them and
tons of practice. That’s how I did it. Most people don’t have time for that though. They want
results fast. Barbell Rows give faster results because they’re easier to learn.

Don’t do Power Cleans if you’re new to lifting weights. Learn to Squat, Deadlift and Barbell
Row with proper form rst. These movements are slower and easier to learn. They’ll teach
you to move your hips properly and keep your lower back neutral. After three to six months,
when you can Squat 100kg/220lb and Deadlift 140kg/300lb, you can try Power Cleans. Build
a foundation of strength and technique rst.

Most Gyms Don’t Have Equipment for Power Cleans

Power Cleans require you to drop the bar from your shoulders to the oor on each rep. You
can’t do this with regular iron plates. It breaks the bar, the plates and the oor. It makes a ton
of noise and will piss off your gym manager. You need bumper plates made of rubber to
absorb the shock when you drop the bar. But few gyms have bumper plates because they
cost 50% more and take more space (they’re thicker).

The only way to Power Clean without bumper plates is to drop the bar on your thighs. Drop
the bar from your shoulders to your mid-thighs while doing a quarter Squat. Keep your hands
on the bar to slow it down. Your legs will absorb the weight. Now lower the bar to the oor
like on the way down of Deadlifts. This is how people used to Power Clean before they
invented bumper plates. I’ve done it and it works.

But it hurts. Heavy weight will bruise your thighs on every rep. I Power Cleaned without
bumper plates for months. The bruises on my thighs I could take. But not how lowering
heavy weight stretched my biceps and lower back on each rep. There were no bumper plates
for sale in Belgium at that time. I had to ship them internationally which was crazy expensive.
So I quit doing Power Cleans after reaching 100kg.

Most gyms won’t allow you to Power Clean because it breaks the equipment and makes too
much noise. You can drop the bar on your thighs but it will hurt once the weighs are heavier.
You can stay away from failure but that limits your progress. You also switch to a gym with
bumper plates or buy your own and build a home gym. Or you can just do Barbell Rows using
the equipment you use already use on Deadlifts.

Barbell Rows Build More Upper-Body Muscle

Power Cleans are mostly a hip movement. The bottom is like a Deadlift. Your knees and hips
straighten to lift the bar and create momentum. The top is like a Front Squat with your
shoulders catching the bar in a Quarter Squat like position. Your traps shrug under the

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weight while your lats keep the bar close. But your arms don’t curl the weight but just hang
on the bar. Your legs do most of the work.

Barbell Rows work your upper-body mostly. Your lats, traps, rear shoulders and the rest of
your upper-back pull you shoulder-blades back to lift the bar to your chest. Your arms work to
bend your elbows behind your torso. You can use your hips to get the bar more easily off the
oor and lift more weight. But your torso shouldn’t rise more than 15°. Your upper-body does
most of the work on Barbell Rows.

StrongLifts 5×5 with Power Cleans instead of Barbell Rows makes the program imbalanced.
It adds more exercises for your lower body. It can turn you into a frog with big legs but small
arms. Here’s a quick comparison of the weekly volume your body gets with Power Cleans vs
Barbell Rows:

StrongLifts 5×5 with Barbell Rows: 80-85 reps for lower body (Squat, Deadlift). 100-
125 reps for your upper-body (Bench, Press, Row).

StrongLifts 5×5 with Power Cleans: 110-130 reps for lower body (Squat, Deadlift,
Power Clean), 75 reps for upper-body (Bench, Press).

StrongLifts 5×5 with Power Cleans is 50% less volume for your upper-body each month. Big
difference. And you lose the biceps work you get from Barbell Rows (by bending your elbows
back on each rep). Unless you don’t care about bigger arms, you’ll have to add Barbell Rows
or Chinups on top of Power Cleans to work your arms. But this increases how much time you
spend in the gym. It’s simpler to just stick with Barbell Rows.

There Are Easier Ways To Build Explosiveness

Power Cleans build explosiveness. They develop the ability to generate force fast. In physics,
Power is how much work you can do in a given time (P=W/t). You’ve done work if you applied
force to the bar and it moved (Work = Force x Distance). You can move that bar slow or fast.
If we both Deadlift 200kg, we’re equally strong. But if it took you ten seconds to lift but me
only two, I have more power.

You must be strong and fast to be successful at sports. You need the strength to apply force
against opponents. Think of grappling in martial arts or pushing someone away in football.
Stronger is better. But you need to generate that force quickly. You need to be fast. You can’t
do a Power Clean slow. The only way to pull the bar on you shoulders is if you’re fast. That’s
how Power Cleans develop power for sports.

But increasing your strength increases power too. Remember, Power is Work / Time. Double
your Squat and you increase how much work you do in the same amount of time. You’re
therefore more powerful. It’s a myth that lifting weights make you slow for sports. You don’t

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become “muscle bound” if you get stronger. And a quick look at basic high school physics
shows why. More strength is more power.

The other way to increase power is to decrease the amount of time it takes you to do the
work (again, Power = Work / Time). But it’s much harder to decrease the Time part of the
Power equation. In The Sports Gene, David Epstein wrote reaction times are around 200ms
whether you’re a pro athlete or average person. The bottom limit is 150ms. You can double
your strength. But you can’t halve your reaction time.

The simplest and fastest way to build explosiveness for sports is therefore to get stronger.
Double your Squat from 60kg/135lb to 140kg/300lb and you’ll be stronger and faster at the
same time. Practice your sport so you can apply the strength and power you’ve built with
Squats, Deadlifts and Barbell Rows. You’ll be a more explosive and competitive athlete
despite never doing Power Cleans or plyometrics like box jumps.

Power Cleans Won’t Increase Your Deadlifts

Some people Power Clean to increase their Deadlifts. There are oldschool no-Deadlift
programs which claim you can increase your Deadlift by not Deadlifting. The thinking is that
Deadlifts overtrain the lower back. You should therefore avoid it and do Power Cleans and
Goodmornings instead. Power Cleans build power from the oor. Goodmornings strengthen
your lower back. Put together, your Deadlift magically increases…

But it doesn’t work. The best way to increase your Deadlift is to Deadlift. Just like the best
way to get better at playing guitar is by playing guitar. You don’t get better at guitar by playing
violin. It doesn’t matter if they’re both string instruments, they’re not the same. Yes, Deadlifts
and Power Cleans are both barbell exercises. They both involve pulling weight off the oor.
They look alike. But they’re not the same movements.

Speci city is key to getting stronger. To get good at something, you must practice it.
Technique on Deadlifts is different than on Power Cleans. The movement is shorter and the
weight is heavier. Strong Deadlifters always have great technique because that increases
e ciency. The only way to improve your Deadlift technique is to practice Deadlifting. It won’t
improve if you never Deadlift but Power Clean instead.

No Power Cleans Then?

Of course not. If you’re interested in Olympic lifting, Power Cleans are a great introduction.
Power Cleans are also the only way to get the bar from the oor to your shoulders on the
Overhead Press if you have no Power Rack. And Power Cleans are fun if you know how to do
them right. But the learning curve is bigger, you need bumpers and you can get stronger
without Power Cleans. Most people should just Barbell Row.

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See Also
Barbell Rows vs Power Cleans

How to Squat with proper form

How to Deadlift with proper form

How to Bench Press with proper form

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