Bent-over T-bar row – working the back muscles. T-bar row for deep work of the back T-bar row in a bent-over position what muscles

It consists of fixing one end of the bar. As a result, there is no need to control the trajectory of the bar and only the back muscles are involved in the work, excluding the work of the stabilizer muscles. There are several simulators for performing the element, allowing you to work from a lying or standing position. In the absence of the latter, you can connect a regular rod to the work.

Execution technique

The technique for performing bent-over t-bar rows is as follows:

1. We take a barbell and install the required number of weights on one end. We fix the other end of the equipment in a corner or rest it against something solid on the floor. We attach a handle from a horizontal row machine to the bar next to the weights. In the absence of the latter, we take the bar with both hands closer to the pancakes. In this case, we place one hand a little closer to the pancakes, and the other a little further. After each approach, the position of the hands must be changed.
2. Place the barbell between your legs with your knees slightly bent. We bend over, keeping our back straight with a natural arch in the lower back. We tense the muscles of our legs and abs and take the end of the reef in our hands. We direct our gaze forward.
3. We pull the barbell towards ourselves, exhaling. The latissimus dorsi muscles should work. We linger at the top point for a few seconds, while bringing our shoulder blades together. The contraction of the back muscles should be felt.
4. Slowly lower the barbell while inhaling to its original position. At the same time, the muscles relax, the elbows do not fully extend, and the pancakes do not touch the floor.
5. We do three sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Important! When performing the element, monitor the work of your back muscles. The legs should only accept static load. Control over the trajectory of the elbows is also necessary: ​​they should always be close to the body.

Exercise options

Before you start training, you need to decide on the load, depending on what part of your back you are going to train. In accordance with this, the following variants of the element are distinguished:

Bent-over bar row to chest

This version of the bent-over T-bar row is used when it is necessary to emphasize the load on the upper back. In this case, you just need to stand away from the part of the bar on which the weights are attached. At the same time, try to calculate as accurately as possible the distance at which you should stand, otherwise you risk receiving a careless blow to the head when you jerk the bar sharply.

Bent-over bar row to waist

This type of exercise is used to pump the lower part of the latissimus dorsi muscles. Here you should take a position as close as possible to the edge of the simulator, i.e. to the end of the bar with attached weights.

The grip is also of great importance. The wider it is, the stronger the teres minor and major muscles will work. Parallel and close grips engage the latissimus dorsi muscles more. A reverse grip will allow you to work deeper on the lower part of the latissimus muscles, connecting the biceps to the work.

In order for the exercise to bring the best results and not lead to possible injuries, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

1. Correct initial position. Particular attention should be paid to the angle of inclination. The smaller it is, the greater the load on the lower lats. As the angle of inclination approaches straight, the upper back will be worked out more strongly. Whatever angle of inclination you choose, you must keep your back straight with a natural arch in the spine.
2. Choice of weights. Don't overload yourself: start with light weights and gradually increase the load. For heavy weights, you can use an athletic belt. But remember that it makes it difficult to keep your back straight and prevents proper breathing. Choose plates with a smaller diameter: large plates interfere with your grip and reduce the range of motion.
3. Control over technology. Make sure that while performing the element, you work your back, not your biceps. Watch your elbows and the position of your back: the first should always be closer to the body, and the second should remain straight at each point in the execution of the element.
4. Pace. Choose the most comfortable pace for the exercise. Avoid jerking, all movements should be smooth: slowly lower the bar and quickly raise it.

Conclusion

Bent-over bar rows are a very popular exercise among athletes. It does not require serious physical training or complex equipment, and is simply ideal for pumping up the back. Take weights that are comfortable for you and start training: the result will not take long to arrive!

Article last updated: 08/30/2014

Good day to all! In that article, we will look at such a wonderful basic exercise for the back muscles as the T-bar row. This exercise is very effective and allows you to achieve good results when performed correctly. It is excellent for promoting hypertrophy of back muscle fibers.

Muscles involved: the latissimus muscle area, trapezius, biceps, brachialis, and wrist flexor muscles.

This exercise quite effectively increases the width of the back muscles. Of course, to increase the width of your back, bent-over barbell rows are more suitable. If you take these two exercises, in my opinion, the T-bar row is much easier to perform than. This simplicity is due to the fact that in our exercise the apparatus is fixed, while the barbell can move in different directions, at different angles, and we have to hold it at the correct angle throughout the entire exercise. This makes the task very difficult, and the weight that can be put on the barbell is significantly less than the weight that we can put on the T-bar.

By and large, the T-bar row is aimed at working the latissimus muscles, namely the inner part. This allows you to focus on the thickness and massiveness of the back muscles. Also, this exercise develops muscle strength well.

As mentioned above, in performing the exercise, in addition to the back, other stabilizer muscles (abs), as well as pulling muscles (biceps), are also involved in the work. To make the T-Bar Row more effective, you need to concentrate as much load on your back as possible. Sometimes an athlete does an exercise incorrectly, distributing the load between the biceps and back incorrectly. In this exercise, the pulling muscle such as the biceps should be almost eliminated from the exercise, that is, the lifter should pull the weight with the back muscles and not the biceps. Remember an exercise like this, the principle is very similar.

There are also two types of simulators for performing this exercise, namely: a simulator with an emphasis and without an emphasis. An exercise machine with an emphasis allows you to maximize the use of your back muscles, as it eliminates the work of many stabilizer muscles, and also helps to keep your torso stationary, allowing you to significantly increase the load on your back. As for the simulator without support, then performing the exercise will be a little more difficult, because you will have to watch your back, keeping it straight and your torso, keeping it motionless.

TECHNIQUES OF PERFORMING THE EXERCISE “T-BAR PULL” ON A BENCH WITH STOP

1. Adjust the emphasis in the simulator to suit your own height so that it is convenient for you to perform the exercise. Your chest should rest against a special support.

2. Stand on the foot platform, lean your chest against the support, and grab the handle with your hands. The handles can be for a direct or neutral grip, each of which loads one or another part of the back. A neutral grip loads the lower back, a straight grip loads the upper back.

3. Remove the bar from the racks and hold it with outstretched arms. The back is straight.

4. When the starting position is accepted, hold your breath and raise the bar. Remember that the pulling muscles are the back muscles, not the biceps. At the peak, exhale, then slowly return the bar to its original position. At the lowest point, you cannot lower your arms completely, you need to keep the back muscles stretched, make a slight bend in your elbow joints and do not straighten them completely.

5. Complete the required number of repetitions.

TECHNIQUES OF PERFORMING THE EXERCISE “T-BAR PULL” ON A BENCH WITHOUT SUPPORT

1. Take the starting position. We stand in the exercise machine with our feet on the platform. To keep your back straight and make a slight arch in the lower back, you need to move your buttocks back, your back is straight, your legs should be bent at the knees. If the athlete's back is rounded, the back muscles will not be able to fully contract during the exercise.

2. Take the handle with your hands, take a deep breath, hold your breath, and pull the bar towards your chest. At the top point we exhale. While lowering the T-bar, we exhale, then, repeating the movement towards the chest, we inhale.

3. The required number of repetitions should be performed.

TIPS FOR PERFORMING T-Bar Rows

1. While moving to the peak point, do not lean back, this will be cheating, and the back muscles will not receive the necessary load.

2. If you have weak forearms, you can use special straps to hold the bar. To ensure that such a need does not arise, you should:

3. To increase the amplitude, in some simulators you need to use plates with a smaller diameter.

4. If you cannot perform the exercise without cheating for at least 8-10 repetitions, you should reduce the weight, since the one you are using is too heavy.

Good afternoon, happy hour, glad to see you here! Wednesday is the day of technical notes on the project, and today we will talk about such an exercise for pumping up the muscle mass of the back as the T-bar row. After reading, we will look at why it is worth doing it, how to do it correctly and what mistakes should be avoided. In general, make yourself comfortable, my dears, an article in the best traditions of this genre awaits us.

So, if everyone is ready, then let's get started.

T-bar row exercise: what, why and why

As you remember, in my previous post this I said that my mossy gym was closed for summer renovations. So, in connection with this, I decided to visit the camp of a competing company, i.e. to another rocking chair. I came, started training, and after the training I immediately ran to write this article - T-reef deadlift. And the thing is that in the hall I was simply stunned by how some people performed this exercise. We all know (or we can guess), that it is designed to work the middle of the back. The movement should be performed by bringing the shoulder blades together and moving the load to this target zone. In the options from the outside, I’ve seen enough that it’s simply dumbfounding. People loaded 60-80 kg per projectile and, groaning, they pulled with one hand, someone connected their shoulders, rounded their back, in general, it was quite a spectacle :).

And it’s okay if there were mistakes 1-2 from 10 people, but the statistics reached 5-6 , and this is a serious hint at the complete lack of managerial control of the coaches. As several readers recently wrote to me on: I came, paid, but they didn’t even pay me 5 minutes, treated like a money bag. Well, okay, today we are not talking about that, but about a specific exercise.

Note:

For better assimilation of the material, all further narration will be divided into subchapters.

Why is the T-bar row an important exercise?

If through a man’s eyes it looks like an hourglass and a pear, then a man’s is a wide V-shaped conical back and a narrow waist. To achieve such proportions, appropriate accentuated exercises are needed. And dumbbell, barbell, and T-bar rows are some of them. In addition to developing the thickness of the back muscles, the athlete’s posture also improves and the risk of injury to this muscular unit is reduced. Also, the T-pull allows you to use smaller, deeper areas of the back that cannot be “hooked” when working with the classics of the genre - or. The result is a more detailed and deep back.

Benefits of Exercise

T-traction allows:

• use a neutral grip (when palms face each other). From a biomechanical point of view, this is a stronger position for pulling, and the back muscles can be more stressed;
• effectively outline the contour of the middle area of ​​the trapezius and highlight the “little things” of the back muscles;
• use a lot of muscle mass. Although the exercise is isolated, in addition to the middle of the back, the lower back receives load, and the abdominal muscles are also well stimulated.

Muscle atlas

Rows involve the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, teres major, rear deltoids, and biceps. As for the T-bar row itself, the muscle masses that are involved in the work are as follows.

T-bar row: execution mechanics

Not many beginners (and not only) know that the main secret of a massive back is its volumetric load and working with extreme weights. Needless to say, I myself have sometimes been lukewarm about pumping up my back, but this is a large muscle group that requires either devoting a full-fledged separate day to it or working on it in 3 basic exercises with free weights (dumbbells, barbell). To work with extreme weights, you must first master the correct technique. Step by step it looks like this.

Step #1.

Go to the T-bar machine. Thread pancakes onto the free end. Stand so that he is between your legs. Grab the handles (grip slightly wider than shoulder width), place your feet firmly on the footrests, bend your knees slightly, keep your back straight, and look forward. This is your starting position.

Step #2.

As you exhale (effort), begin to pull the T-bar towards you. At the end point of the trajectory, squeeze your back muscles together, pulling your shoulder blades towards each other. Inhaling, slowly return the weight to the starting position, without letting it touch the platform of the machine.

Step #3.

Complete the prescribed number of repetitions.

In the picture version, all this disgrace looks like this.

Dynamically, the T-bar row with a neutral grip is...

Of course, not a single exercise can do without its subtleties; the T-shaped deadlift also has them. So remember:

• the body must be at an angle in relation to the projectile 45 degrees;
• at the end point the bar should almost touch the chest;
• control the weight throughout the entire range of movement, move it smoothly;
• carry out the movement continuously along the entire trajectory of movement, without any stopping points or pauses;
• a palm-facing grip will allow you to lift more weight;
• at the top of the trajectory, squeeze your shoulder blades and hold them in this position for 2 accounts;
• string pancakes of a smaller diameter onto the bar, so the amplitude of movement will be greater;
• perform the exercise in front of a mirror to monitor your technique;
• carry out the movement by bringing the shoulder blades together, and not by pulling with the biceps;
• When pulling, keep your hands as close to your body as possible;
• at the beginning of the exercise, it is important to properly balance the stance so that when lifting the weight does not pull you forward, so select adequate weight and look for a stable position;
• When you reach failure on the last set, reduce the weight by 20-30% and complete as many reps as you can.

T-bar row: variations

There are different types of T-bar rows, in particular, three main ones can be distinguished:

No. 1. Reclining row with chest pressed

An exercise with emphasis on the machine takes the load off the lower back and makes the exercise less traumatic. When performing, make sure that the chest is “sealed” to the support with the weight of the weight.

No. 2. Pull of one end of the bar

Not all gyms have a T-bar rowing machine. In this case, you need to take a regular barbell, drive one end of it into a corner and fix it (so as not to move), and hang a weight on the other. Place your hands as close as possible to the plates of the plates and begin to perform rows to the chest. To increase the amplitude, you can use the step platform.

No. 3. Neutral grip row

In this variation, you use narrower, parallel to each other, handles on the machine. At the same time, the palms each look at themselves, the execution technique does not change.

Well, that’s probably all I’d like to report, all that remains is to sum up all this chatter and say goodbye.

Afterword

Technical Note The T-bar row has come to an end. Now you know about the most effective back exercises and can start building it.

That's all, until we meet again, comrades, I was glad to see and hear everyone in good health, good luck in the hall!

P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it in your social network status - plus 100 points for karma, guaranteed :).

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

In strength sports, the T-bar row has gained a reputation as one of the best exercises for the back. It allows you to work with heavy weights, perfectly develops the width and thickness of your back, and most importantly, it is characterized by increased safety compared to other movements. Nevertheless, it is very important to perform the deadlift correctly, otherwise its effectiveness will be significantly reduced, and the risk of injury, on the contrary, will increase. In this article, we will study in detail all the nuances of deadlifts, important features and the correct execution technique, the observance of which will allow you to get the maximum benefit from deadlifts.

The effectiveness and benefits of the bar row

The first place to start is that the T-bar row is one of the most natural movements from an anatomical point of view. It is present in the lives of most people and thanks to regular training, the back will not be susceptible to injury (protrusion, hernia, slipped disc, etc.). Also, this exercise is one of the main elements of creating an aesthetic V-shaped figure, which today is valued not only among men, but also among women. Deadlifts play a particularly important role for beginners. The exercise allows you to quickly progress in muscle mass and increase strength in all pulling movements. The main problem is that bent-over T-bar rows are actively avoided not only by beginners, but also by advanced athletes. Sometimes the problem is the lack of an appropriate simulator, although most often the cause is an incorrectly designed training program. The deadlift is a staple exercise for most professionals and can provide the following benefits:

• a basic movement that uses a large number of muscle fibers (and therefore develops the muscles of the whole body, and not just the working groups);
• ideal for increasing muscle mass and strength in the back;
• works almost the entire back and rear delts;
• allows you to highlight each back muscle and outline the divisions;
• significantly improves posture;
• minimal risk of injury and no compression effect on the spine.

It is important to remember that all these benefits will only be realized if the correct technique is followed. Otherwise, it is better to do a simpler exercise, for example, a lever pull, in which the body is already secured and it is very difficult to make technical mistakes.

If you evaluate a movement based on which muscles work when performing it, then using a T-bar will stand out from other back exercises. It involves:

• latissimus dorsi muscles (main load);
• trapezoid;
• rear deltoids;
• small of the back.

Also, part of the load is taken on by the arms and abs, but the main task when mastering the technique is to exclude the biceps from the work as much as possible. The better the athlete masters this, the more effective the deadlift will be.

Technique and features of traction

There are two main types of rows: in the simulator and using a regular barbell. In the first case, everything is simple, you fix the body with the help of a machine (if it has a chest pillow) or simply remove the weight from the stand and perform the exercise. In the second case (if there is no simulator), you will have to do T-bar rows with emphasis on the wall. This option is no worse, and sometimes even better, than the training option. It allows you to better control the weight, and avoid one of the main disadvantages of exercise machines - grip handles. Research has shown that athletes can lift the most weight in an exercise only with a neutral, narrow grip. That is, this is the natural grip with which you can grip the barbell. The presence of handles, on the one hand, can be a plus, for example, changing the neutral grip to a straight one (palms facing you), but in this case it would be better to pull the barbell at an angle towards the waist. This is a completely different exercise that is best done with a wide grip.
The correct deadlift technique would look like this:

1. Walk up to the bar and stand over it so that it lies flat between your legs. Lean forward and grab it with your hands, towards the top end (in front of the plate clamp).
2. At a moderate pace, begin to pull the bar towards you, making the movement using your back muscles and straightening your shoulders back. At the end, pull the bar as close to you as possible using your hands.
3. After a minimal pause, return the barbell back, stretching the latissimus muscles at the bottom.

Between performing in a machine with a regular loose bar, the main difference will be in the initial grip of the barbell. In the machine, you stand with your feet on the platforms, lean towards the barbell, grab the handles and pull them towards you. With free weights, you will have to bend a little lower because the bar will be a little closer to the floor. Therefore, first perform a full lift of the weight (a movement as similar as possible to a deadlift), then lean forward and take the position for performing the deadlift. This will avoid injury and harm to the spine. If picking up a barbell from the floor is too inconvenient, try using any exercise machine or a stack of weights as a stand. https://youtu.be/W--yqyGnJGQ

Key features and main mistakes

If we talk about the most important mistakes that can be made when performing deadlifts, then a rounded back will always come first. It instantly turns potentially one of the best exercises for the back muscles into an ineffective and harmful movement for the spine. Therefore, at the stage of mastering the technique, try to do deadlifts with a trainer who will point out mistakes, or near a mirror.
Among other important recommendations that must be followed, it is worth highlighting the following rules:

1. If stretching does not allow, you do not need to bend over so that your body is parallel to the floor. Increase the angle of inclination, but keep your back straight.
2. Always move your pelvis back; without this, it is anatomically impossible to maintain the correct position of your back.
3. The neck should be straight, that is, the gaze should be directed towards the edge of the bar.
4. If holding the bar with both hands is difficult, use a towel. Place it under the bar and hold both ends with your hands. This will also help further strengthen your forearms, but it is important to maintain a full range of motion.
5. To increase the amplitude, use stacked plates, a step platform, or any other protrusion.
6. At the bottom, you should “open” your lats and lower your shoulders down, this will help stretch the back muscles and increase the efficiency of the deadlift.
7. Start lifting the bar not with your hands, but using your back muscles and rear deltoids. To do this, squeeze your shoulder blades together as much as possible and push your chest forward. Only when you have reached the stop and the back muscles have contracted as much as possible, pull the bar with your hands.
8. Remember that the movement of the bar towards you should be moderate or even fast if you work in an explosive style (not recommended for beginners), and the lowering of the bar should be done more slowly. The negative phase plays no less important role than lifting the weight.

Overall, it is important to understand that it is best to learn the correct technique from the beginning. Considering that in terms of effectiveness, it has almost no alternative among exercises for the back muscles. Therefore, try to work with minimal weight or even an empty bar until you can perform the exercise correctly without a mirror. Then you can add weight and progress without problems or any obstacles. https://youtu.be/xgKjVpE9Tnc

Conclusion

It is unlikely that any experienced athletes will be able to answer your question about what to replace deadlifts with. Each type of deadlift is effective in its own way, and the t-bar has a lot of advantages over other exercises. It is also worth considering that it is better to do deadlifts at the beginning of the workout, when the muscles are not yet tired, but only after a thorough warm-up.

If you deadlift after doing other back exercises, your arms will be forced into the deadlift much more to compensate, reducing its effectiveness.

Overall, for beginners, the T-bar row should be the #2 must-have exercise on the list, second only to pull-ups in terms of effectiveness. Within 1–2 months, after including the exercise in your training program, you will be able to feel an increase in strength and see an increase in muscle mass.

The bent-over barbell row is a basic basic exercise that is one of the three most effective exercises aimed at developing the back muscles, but despite its good reputation, many gym-goers prefer not to do it (this applies to beginners). By performing this exercise, you engage several joints at the same time: the elbow joint, the shoulder joint and the scapula, and as you know, the more joints that work when performing an exercise, the more effective it will be in building muscles.

Bent-over barbell row or t-bar row

The movement occurs in the uniform reduction of the shoulder blades. The retraction of the shoulder blades must occur completely; otherwise, the effectiveness of the exercise decreases and its amplitude is reduced. When performing bent-over rows, keep your legs and torso motionless. The muscles involved in traction contract smoothly.

Note. Most of a person's muscle mass consists of the muscles of the legs and back. Therefore, if you want to develop your back, pay special attention to these muscles and spend more time working on these muscle masses.

Technique for performing bent-over barbell lifts

1. First stage: Lower the bar down and place weight plates on it. After this, bend your legs, keeping your back parallel to the floor. You should look ahead. The palms should be perpendicular to the body and also hang over the projectile. This is the starting position before you start lifting the barbell.
2. Second stage: Keeping your body still, exhale and pull the barbell towards your lower chest. As you lift the barbell, keep your hands close to your body, using your forearms to hold the barbell. At the very top of the amplitude, tighten your back muscles.
3. Third stage: Gently place the projectile and exhale. Repeat this procedure as many times as you need.

Key points to consider

• It is not recommended to move on to maximum weights until you learn how to correctly lift a barbell on an inclination and master the technique at the required level;
• do not let your body “walk” from side to side while doing this exercise;
• throughout the entire amplitude, tilt your back parallel to the ground;
• during execution, do not jerk the projectile and take your time;
• do not lift the projectile very high;
• use a weightlifting belt while lifting weights;
• remember that lowering your gaze to the floor will immediately round your spine.
• if you have problems with the flexibility of your ligaments, lift the barbell while keeping your buttocks close to the vertical support;
• For maximum weights, use weightlifting straps.

Benefits of doing the exercise

The barbell curl is a favorite exercise of professional bodybuilders because it guarantees:

1. Increased size and strength of back muscles. The bent over row is a lot like rowing a boat, and as everyone knows, rowers have some of the widest backs. The latissimus muscle takes on the main part of the load; the rhomboid and trapezius muscles are also worked at a sufficient level. This muscle mass is responsible for almost the entire back.
2. Improved overall flexibility. By performing bent-over barbell lifts, your body will become much more flexible. This will happen due to stretching of the thigh muscles.
3. Excellent posture. Among other things, this exercise strengthens the lumbar region of the back. Rows train small and large muscle groups “fixed” to the spine to contract more harmoniously. As a result, their strength is leveled and the person gets a healthy posture.
4. Increasing strength and maximum power in basic basic exercises. It is a scientifically proven and practice-confirmed fact that bent-over barbell lifting has a positive effect on progress in the classic bench press, and also improves performance in the deadlift.
5. Fast calorie burning. Many trainers classify this exercise as “weight-loss”, since the maximum cumulative effort of several muscle groups is generated at once, which contributes to faster metabolism.

Disadvantages of barbell rows

Deadlifts take a long time to complete, which is not good since the workout should last no more than 45 minutes. Another disadvantage is the high risk of getting a back injury, since learning how to do deadlifts correctly in this position is possible only after several weeks of training.

This basic exercise perfectly works the muscle mass, increasing its width and thickness. Be sure to include the bent-over barbell press in your workout.