Bent over rows..... am I weak af at these?

[Spokeonawheel]

So, in general, I move decent weight with back exercises. However, I'm wondering why my numbers are as low as they are. If I put more than 185 on the bar for 10 reps my form goes to shit and I feel like I have to sling the weight to get it up.

For comparison one arm DB rows, no problem pulling 130 to 140 for 8 to 10 reps with good form.

Wondering if I have underdeveloped muscle for this movement or what the issue is.

Side note: the weight doesnt matter to me that much, I'm training for hypertrophy. Just doesnt seem to match with the rest of what I'm pulling.

Any input appreciated. Thanks

 

[shawn2551]

So, in general, I move decent weight with back exercises. However, I'm wondering why my numbers are as low as they are. If I put more than 185 on the bar for 10 reps my form goes to shit and I feel like I have to sling the weight to get it up.

For comparison one arm DB rows, no problem pulling 130 to 140 for 8 to 10 reps with good form.

Wondering if I have underdeveloped muscle for this movement or what the issue is.

Side note: the weight doesnt matter to me that much, I'm training for hypertrophy. Just doesnt seem to match with the rest of what I'm pulling.

Any input appreciated. Thanks

Get your core strength up. Also can be hard on your lower back. If your lower back is tight makes it hard to get into a good position comfortably.

Do your rows from a block or rack at shin height. The rest at the bottom should help you pull a bit more, until you get stronger

 

[Perrin Aybara]

If you really want to get humbled try seal rows.

But I'm around the same on bent over row strength and I put up pretty good numbers on most other lifts

 

[Test_Subject]

Weak lower back and/or core would be my guess. Both are heavily involved in bent over rows.

Weighted back extensions have great carry-over to bent over rows.

Alternatively, you could try subbing in Pendlay rows. They let your lower back rest a bit between reps.

 

[Eman]

Honestly, if you're keeping really solid form... 185lbs for 10 isn't that hateful. Plus, it's rare to meet someone that's really good at bent over rows. They're a semi awkward movement and most people have at least a little bit of form breakdown at the top. Dumbbell rows are not a good comparison to barbell rows either, so I wouldn't worry about the numbers being off...

If you want to get better at them, just keep doing them... My advice if you want to get your numbers a bit higher is to organize it so that you're doing a week of 15 reps at like 7rpe and then work your reps down and rpe slowly over the course of a few months.

 

[Biggerarms22]

So, in general, I move decent weight with back exercises. However, I'm wondering why my numbers are as low as they are. If I put more than 185 on the bar for 10 reps my form goes to shit and I feel like I have to sling the weight to get it up.

For comparison one arm DB rows, no problem pulling 130 to 140 for 8 to 10 reps with good form.

Wondering if I have underdeveloped muscle for this movement or what the issue is.

Side note: the weight doesnt matter to me that much, I'm training for hypertrophy. Just doesnt seem to match with the rest of what I'm pulling.

Any input appreciated. Thanks

You're definitely not weak, you're pretty strong dude.

 

[Spokeonawheel]

Have been doing a lot more corework as I've been dropping BF down, but my lower back has some problems.

Too much pump always in lower back no matter what I'm running gear wise. Has caused me some issues.

I'll try some of the stuff you guys mentioned. Thanks.

 

[sinewave3]

I am not great at them, but deadlifting the weight up then hinging forward feels better to me. When I hinge first then pull straight off the floor it’s a bit more awkward.

 

[S317]

Sounds like your form and technique is probably very solid and you’re not just throwing the weight around. Your back looks solid from what I could see from your avi. There’s so many times I’d see guys throwing there whole body and jerking 225 on bb rows just to move more weight but they always had shit backs.

 

[bob357sig]

For me, I have to feel whatever I’m doing for my back or I don’t bother doing it. I love the T bar row but really don’t have a good feel for barbell rows, I feel like I’m just moving the weight and just not getting any real pump out of it. I have also strained my right forearm twice in the past from forcing myself to do them. Now that I’m older I know what works for me, and what I just don’t care for, especially when it comes to the back. I will admit, i am a better pusher then puller, my chest, delts and tri’s always came easier then back/bi’s.

 

[Barny]

Have tried a few variations as it's something I struggled with. Tried using a Hex/Trap bar which really helped to get a decent muscle contraction, and when I went back to using a Barbell it felt much easier and the weights went up by a lot.

 

[Spokeonawheel]

A lot of the weights I'm using lately I'm looking for whatever I feel the most. Whatever gives me the best connection and appropriate muscle burn. And I've lost significant bodyweight the last 3 months.

Some lifts I'm stronger or just as strong others.......not so much. Humbled by deadlifts yesterday. Max Bench is down by 40 lbs. (Not been training much flat bench tho)

I dont throw weights ever. Sometimes I will use explosive motions and slow the negative. Mostly with heavier stuff. Pressing movements. Doesnt really work on pulls.

 

[Spokeonawheel]

Also thanks for replies all.

 

[Methyl Mike]

How much can you bench with good form for 8? As a rule of thumb I generally row roughly 20-40 lbs more than i can bench.

What is a typical back workout? Sets and reps. Poundage irrelevant.

I row with 130lb dumbbell a good 10 but thats after pullups pullovers and barbell rows. On my barbell rows ive gone as high as 405 for a few shit reps in my early 20s. Nowadays 275x8 is working. I could for sure handle 315 and possibly higher but from experience I wont get the right contractions. This leads to pancake back syndrome, like nasser or paul dillet had and a number of others.

You cannot row reay heavy without strong stabilizer support and good flexibility. Tight hamstrings will hold you back as will a tight lower back. What stretching do you do and how often?

Are you using an underhand or overhand grip?

There are a couple small tweaks to rows that change the way it hits your back. Wide overhand is good for moving the most weight, shoulder width overhand gives a slightly better contraction, underhand wide really isolates lats over midback to a degree, shoulder width underhand seems to target lower outer lats the most. The angle your upper body is at in relation to the floor has a huge impact. It would be useful to know what you are hoping to get out of your rows.

You mentioned having a hard time deadlifting, whats up with that? Is something holding you back?

Last do you suffer pain from any exercises? Any at all?

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Do the same movement with DBs instead and report back.

Movements arent universal and locking your hands onto a barbell for a bent row may just not fit you.

If you can execute a bent row with a DB in each hand with more weight than a barbell it may just be the barbell.

Barbell rows fit me well, and from experience my bent DB row (a db in each hand) is damn close to my barbell weight: 365x10 on a barbell, 160s in each hand on bent db rows.

edit: feel free to post vids or DM if you want a second set of eyes.