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Pendlay Rows

G

Godsmack

Member
Sep 18, 2010
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Has anyone tried these?

If so any opinions; how do they compare to the traditional or Yates style?


Rows: Well, the best way to do them is to start with the bar on the floor every single rep. Your middle back will have slight bend to it. You pull the bar off the floor quickly with the arms, and by a powerful arch of your middle back. You finish by touching the bar to your upper stomach or middle stomach. At no time is there any movement of the hips or knees, no hip extension at all, all that bends is the middle back and the shoulders and elbows.

This is hard to do and you have to have good muscular control to do it, or you'll end up straightening up at the hips along with the arching of the back. But if you can master doing them this way you will get a big back. This works because the lats actually extend (arch) the middle back in addition to other functions, just like with glute-ham extensions compared to leg curls…you always get a stronger contraction when you move both the origin and insertion of a muscle, flexing it from both ends so to speak.

The bar returns to the floor after each rep. The bent row is actually best done as an explosive movement and the bar is moved fast. I have trained many people who could do this exercise with 350 or more lbs. I myself have done reps with 425, Ed Coan, who also knows how to do them properly, has done reps with over 500lbs without his back ever coming above parallel with the ground. That is stronger than Dorian Yates or Ronnie Coleman, by the way.

I did rows with Coleman once, actually, and I was far stronger than he was. He could not do more than 350lbs strictly although he could do over 500lbs by standing almost all the way up at the completion of each rep. Ed Coan is probably the strongest person on these, although one power-lifter I trained did manage 525 for a double done strictly.

Rows look at an anatomy chart. if the scapula and upper arms are held in a constant position, shortening of the lats WILL result in arching of the middle and upper back. i AM NOT saying that the lats are primarily responsible for upper back flexion... what i am saying is that they can assist in this.

i also HAVE done EMG work on various different rowing techniques... and there is not doubt that rows performed as i describe them will activate the lats more completely than done any other way i have ever seen. i have done EMG work on a large quantity of people for rows... and ive always found that these kind of rows activate the lats most completely. and besides, even if you dont buy the fact that they activate the lats better, hell, you can always be content with the fact that your getting an erector workout.
 
monsoon

monsoon

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Nov 1, 2010
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I did them regularly when I was doing 5x5. They are difficult to do right with low back issues, but strength does go up quickly.
i like glen, he's a very straightforward no bull shit guy.
 
BrotherIron

BrotherIron

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Mar 6, 2011
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Thery're good and have a big carryover to the Oly lifts. It'll make your strength go up and even have a place for those who don't Oly lift.
 
Dtownry

Dtownry

Member
Jun 13, 2014
12
0
Well I only had to pull the bar off the floor about 2" inches on the Pendlays so that is how I could do so much!

I agree for any low back issues, like my arthritis, I tend to stick to chest supported or krocs. They are a hell of a strength builder if you can do them though.
 
R

rawdeal

TID Board Of Directors
Nov 29, 2013
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Philosophical question for Pendley Rows and any other movement with a ballistic component:

I can see their carryover value for OL, some Strongman events, other displays of strength that mix pure strength with speed, technique, etc, but are they worth doing for PL or BB? If the wording of that offends anyone, btw, it is not intended as a challenge, it is a sincere question. Always seemed to me that if your OL numbers go up after incorporating a new movement, then that's all you need to know. But if you're after increased muscle size, or Deadlift numbers, does noticeable improvement in Pendley Rows, or Power Cleans, translate to your original goals, or does it say more about your dramatic improvement in that one new exercise?

Vids of how a Pendley Row differs from other Rows are on youtube, incl. at least one with Glen narrating while a pupil performs the move.
 
BrotherIron

BrotherIron

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Mar 6, 2011
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You're really wondering about a "ballistic movement" having carryover to PLing? Moving an object with maximum velocity over short time is what EVERY PLer should hope to achieve.
 
S

schultz1

Bangs Raiden's mom VIP
Jan 3, 2011
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What BI said plus it is great for upper back development. Im glad this post came up. I used to do these all the time and will be putting them back into my routine
 
G

Geisha

Member
May 4, 2014
43
7
I incorporate these in my training, and love them. However, the idea is to keep it a strict movement. I've caught some folks in my gym, trying to get momentum or kip on a Pendley Row, which is a big no no, but also takes away from the purpose of doing it.
 
R

rawdeal

TID Board Of Directors
Nov 29, 2013
4,343
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You're really wondering about a "ballistic movement" having carryover to PLing? Moving an object with maximum velocity over short time is what EVERY PLer should hope to achieve.

I'll rephrase it for you then. There are more variables involved when your numbers go up on Pendley Rows, or Power Cleans for that matter, than there are in increasing your numbers in conventional bodybuilder rows or Deadlifts, so I wonder how observable gains in the more ballistic assistance exercises translate to the final goals of a bb or a PL. Maybe they do, I dunno, that's why I'm asking, not challenging.
 
monsoon

monsoon

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Nov 1, 2010
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I don't think it's a direct correlation like an X% increase in row=Y% dead lift etc? but a stronger upper back will help with bench squat and dead no doubt. These rows are about heavy weight, move heavy weight get stronger, get stronger better lifter.
 
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