• Keep up to date with Ausbb via Twitter and Facebook. Please add us!
  • Join the Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

    The Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum is dedicated to no nonsense muscle and strength building. If you need advice that works, you have come to the right place. This forum focuses on building strength and muscle using the basics. You will also find that the Ausbb- Australian Bodybuilding Forum stresses encouragement and respect. Trolls and name calling are not allowed here. No matter what your personal goals are, you will be given effective advice that produces results.

    Please consider registering. It takes 30 seconds, and will allow you to get the most out of the forum.

Beginners program

As I was told, and in my experience, dumbell rows don't hit the rear delts. If you do them past parallel like this guy wisely tells you not to you might hit your delts, but hurt your shoulder in the process Shoulder Health and Proper Rowing Form

I was also told the dumbell row is a good lat builder, and that they don't hit the rhomboids very much - at least not enough that you shouldn't definitely supplement them with face pulls or wide grip rows with a barbell (to your upper chest).

Like a few beginners I took a program with barbell rows (and no rear delt work) such as the one in this OP and subbed in dumbell rows. End result, strong lats, weak rear delts, weak rhomboids, postural problems and a shoulder injury.

I imagine that barbell rows are in a program like this for a reason - that done with typical form they hit the rear delts and rhomboids fairly well alone. I've never tried, I can't personally say this is 100%, just that accessory exercises for these muscles should be in any routine.
 
Last edited:
I think we're back to what Goosey said, mix it up.
Do a mixture of exercise for the back and a mixture of exercises for the rear delts and don't ignore either of them.
Bear in mind that the rear delts are a very small muscle so you don't need much weight at all to target them effectively.
 
I think trying to decide what upper back muscles are activated more in any heavy rowing movement is like splitting hairs. Also, everyones going to be doing each variation with individual form.
When someone told you DB rows don't hit rhomboids very much you should have stopped listening.
If you know the function of rhomboids which is mostly scapular retraction, there is no arguing that all forms of DB row will be hitting them to a pretty large degree.
 
So should I do Pendlay rows or Bent rows instead? Looks like the only difference is back angle and Pendlay starts from the ground
 
uppon2 said:
So can I have my back as bent as I want as long as it's not rounding?
Click to expand...

Bend at the hip as much as you want or can, while maintaining your backs natural curvature.
The more horizontal the torso is, the better the exercise is at increasing back strength and mobility which is one of the many by-products of increasing strength.
 
Chum said:
I think trying to decide what upper back muscles are activated more in any heavy rowing movement is like splitting hairs. Also, everyones going to be doing each variation with individual form.
When someone told you DB rows don't hit rhomboids very much you should have stopped listening.
If you know the function of rhomboids which is mostly scapular retraction, there is no arguing that all forms of DB row will be hitting them to a pretty large degree.
Click to expand...

Bazinga
 
Darkoz said:
I think we're back to what Goosey said, mix it up.
Do a mixture of exercise for the back and a mixture of exercises for the rear delts and don't ignore either of them.
Bear in mind that the rear delts are a very small muscle so you don't need much weight at all to target them effectively.
Click to expand...


that's all I'm sayin, thanks.
You know, this is a long term proposition here.

jj80, you should consider making some farmers handles.
 
Kuntze said:
The feeling afterwards.

I first started doing them consistently about 10 years ago, once a week as a finisher.
Click to expand...

Interdasting....

Do you follow linear progression... Or do you use the same weight week to week?

Also what distance does one have to walk???
 
nazzysmith said:
Interdasting....

Do you follow linear progression... Or do you use the same weight week to week?

Also what distance does one have to walk???
Click to expand...

I cover about forty mtrs nazzy, for me, it is a slow progression as I always do it at the end of the workout and I'm usually bushed.

I think I started with 60kg and Id do two legs of 20 meters.
I'd progress by 10kg when I could complete the two legs without dropping the handles(if I dropped them I'd pick them up and continue).

Once I was able to complete the four legs of 20 I'd increase the weight by 10kg

Right now I am moving 80kg and I drop it at least once, as I said progress is slow and getting slower, but I am progressing, on Saturday morning I only dropped it once.
My grip is ok I just get tired and my shoulders burn like hell

A young fella came up to me and asked if I'd like him to return them for me, I said thanks, but I've got to do that myself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top