Standing t-bar row. Bent-over T-bar row

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The T-bar row was, is and remains the best exercise for the middle of the back. True, not every sports club can do it. Shiny chrome exercise machines and free weight machines are gradually replacing the T-bar from fitness rooms as old and not the most popular equipment. But new is not always better than old, and pumping up your back on modern machines is no easier than with a barbell. Therefore, if the goal is to acquire a powerful back, you need to perform a bent-over t-row. But I’ll tell you how to do it correctly and with maximum efficiency. The most interesting things about training and sports nutrition on our telegram channel

And then, in order to simultaneously make the back thicker, more massive, work out its middle and, most importantly, load the deep areas of the back that cannot be worked out with other exercises. and - these are really great basic back exercises, but they cannot replace the T-bar row.

As a result of this exercise, the back becomes more developed and detailed. In addition, the bent-over T-bar row has three more important advantages:

Posture improves, strength and endurance of the back and lumbar extensor muscles increases.
A neutral grip (hands facing each other) is safer for the elbow joints and makes it easier to hold a heavy barbell.
This is one of the more challenging exercises performed with free weights, so it is highly stimulating.

The T-bar row is considered an isolation exercise for the middle back, but is essentially a basic exercise. It affects large muscle groups and provides a high anabolic effect.

Conclusion: T-bar row is one of the most effective exercises for the back. With its help, you can simultaneously pump up your back, improve its detail and accelerate weight gain throughout the body.

T-bar row, what muscles work?

When performing a T-bar row, the muscles of almost the entire body work, from bottom to top:

Lat
Trapeze
Diamond-shaped
Big round
Rear delts
Back extensors
Psoas muscles
Neck muscles
Biceps
Forearms
Quadriceps
Press

Note: when they talk about the middle of the back, they mean . When performing this exercise, they receive a very strong targeted load. Many professionals do not perform trapezoid exercises at all, pumping them up with T-bar rows. No other movement puts as much stress on these areas of the back.

Conclusion: During the bent-over t-bar row, many muscles work, from the neck to the legs. But the main load goes to the latissimus and posterior trapezius.

T-bar row technique

This exercise is not easy, and, perhaps, one of the most difficult, since it requires compliance with a number of rules. The technique for doing it is as follows:

STEP 1. We position ourselves so that the t-bar is exactly between our legs. Legs stand wide and stable. We bend them slightly at the knees, grab the bar, bend forward, and at the same time move the pelvis back and down. We make a slight bend in the lower back, keeping our head in line with our back. We tighten our abs. This is the starting position.
STEP 2. Inhale, relax your arms and pull the barbell to your lower abdomen using the efforts of your back muscles. At the top point we make a distinct pause for 1-2 seconds, while strongly bringing our shoulder blades together and straining our back. A little slower than we raised it, lower the t-bar down, additionally stretching the lats at the bottom point.

T-bar row with a narrow grip. Option 1

The technique described is an ideal implementation. The safest, and least effective for gaining weight in the back and entire body. But, in fact, with a stationary body, rarely anyone performs this exercise; everyone actively uses it.

T-pull technique. Option 2

This version of the T-bar row allows you to use a much larger working weight, but significantly increases the risk of injury to the lumbosacral region. As science says, with this style of execution, the load directly on the lats is reduced, because they simply do not have time to get involved in the work. But the lower back works hard.

The solution may be a symbiosis of two versions of the exercise. That is, with the help of the efforts of the legs, the barbell can be thrown up, but there it is necessary to hold it and lower it under control.

Note: As with any other back row, a lot depends on the angle of the body. If you tilt it parallel to the ground, the main load will go to the lats. If you straighten, the muscles of the upper back, especially the trapezius, will be activated.

Conclusion: You can perform bent-over t-rows either with a stationary body or using cheating. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages.

There are very few of them, only 6, but they really help increase the impact of the exercise:

Tip 1. The use of wrist straps and a weightlifting belt is mandatory. Without them there is nothing to do in this exercise.
Tip 2. The essence of this basic exercise for the back is to bring the shoulder blades together. This is a very important point. Without a distinct pause at the top point, it will not be possible to pump up the middle of the back. Loading the lats and making them thicker is yes, but working the middle is no.
Tip 3. It is better to use the smallest diameter plates on the barbell. This, firstly, will lengthen the trajectory of movement and increase the degree of peak contraction, and secondly, a barbell covered with pancakes will look cooler.
Tip 4. To further stretch the lats at the bottom, you can perform a bent-over t-row from a stand. This can be two weight plates placed on both sides of the bar.
Tip 5. You need to grab the t-bar closer to the pancakes. This makes it easier to maintain balance, and, in addition, the load will go to the lats, and not to the trapezius.
Tip 6. The elbows must be pressed against the body, otherwise the biceps will come into play and begin to steal the load from the back. And since the biceps are weak muscles, they will quickly get tired and will not allow you to pump your lats to the fullest.

Reduction of the shoulder blades is the main condition for effective performance of the T-bar row.

Conclusion: Performing a T-bar deadlift has its own nuances and tricks, and its effectiveness, as a rule, depends on them.

Barbell deadlift or machine t-row, which is better?

By and large, there are only three varieties of this row: the row of one end of the barbell fixed to the floor, the t-row in the simulator (without emphasis) and the row of the t-bar with an emphasis. I am lucky in this regard, because my gym has all three options. When it comes time to perform a mid-back exercise, I always choose the classic - rowing one end of a barbell fixed to the ground.

To do this, you need to tinker - find a free bar, take it to the corner of the hall, snatch the pull handle to your belt, collect a bunch of weights of the same diameter around the hall, assemble it all, then take it apart. But the result is worth it. I am not an enemy of the new; on the contrary, I deliberately perform some back exercises in the gym. For example, I exclusively use the gravitron, and I do barbell rows to the belt in.

But in the case of T-bar rows, I always choose the original option. And that's why:

When performing an exercise with a barbell, I stand on the floor. I stand firmly, legs spread wide. The center of gravity of the body is low, therefore I am stronger. The working weight is greater (approximately 25-30%).
In the simulator I have to stand quite high (15 centimeters from the floor). And why they designed it this way is not entirely clear to me. As a result, body stability decreases and working weight decreases.
When doing a T-bar row, at the bottom of the trajectory I rest the weights on the floor. Stands and plates of small diameter allow you to stretch the lats, but do not overload the lower back.
When performing T-bar rows in the machine, against my will, I force these muscles to work much more actively, since I have to hold the barbell on weight throughout the entire approach.

In other words, the t-bar row on the machine does not work for me at all. This is purely my opinion, and if you do not experience such discomfort, do this exercise for yourself as you like.

Conclusion: It’s more convenient to do t-rows in a simulator, but not everyone manages to get the benefit from doing them (that’s true for me).

T-bar row with emphasis

T-bar rows with emphasis, unlike the classic version, can be performed in almost any gym. And although in terms of its biomechanics it completely copies the basic version, it is not a full replacement.

Lying T-bar row is a weak replacement for the basic version of the exercise

It almost does not load large muscle groups (with the exception of the back), the anabolic response from its implementation is much less. At the same time, the T-bar pull with emphasis has its advantages:

Significantly reduces stress on the lower back
Allows you to use different types of grip (neutral, wide, reverse)
Provides a high degree of isolation for the mid-back muscles

Note: Changing the grip helps to target specific areas of the back muscles. T-rows with a narrow grip load the very middle of the back, rows with a wide grip pump up the outer areas of the lats and rear deltoids. And the t-pull is reversed, sending the load to the very bottom of the lats, giving the back a V-shape and a finished look.

Conclusion: The t-bar row with emphasis is a lighter version of the basic exercise, safer, simpler and much less effective.

How to replace the T-bar?

No other back exercise can 100% replace the T-bar row. The only alternatives are:

Bent-over dumbbell rows with both hands (or lying on your stomach on an incline bench)
Lever pull in the simulator while sitting with two hands

All these exercises are for the middle of the back, the first is quite difficult, the second and third are easier. They cope with the task of detailing perfectly, but for gaining muscle mass they are ineffective.

Conclusion: No other exercise can completely replace the T-bar row. This is its main advantage.

Conclusion

Times change, new simulators and machines appear, but the bent-over T-bar row remains an unsurpassed basic exercise for the back. Of course, it all depends on the arsenal of gym equipment and your own preferences, but the T-bar row is a case where a dusty classic is better than a sparkling new one. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, there is no alternative to it as an exercise for the middle of the back. May the force be with you. And the mass!

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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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:

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.
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.
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.
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!

A craving for the physical beauty of one’s own body is probably inherent in every person. However, not everyone wants to spend time and effort to achieve the desired result.

Physical beauty largely depends on a number of exercises, one of which is the T-bar row.

Bent-over row

What muscles work during the exercise?

The latissimus dorsi is the main working muscle used during this exercise.
Rear deltoids and biceps are additional muscles.

This exercise is a basic exercise.

Briefly about the main thing

During the exercise, the latissimus dorsi muscle is actively involved. The exercise serves mainly for definition, as well as “striation” of the back.

The T-bar row is the safest exercise for the back muscles, allowing maximum load on the entire mid-back. It is worth noting that while performing the exercise, you should not take special care of the stability of the body.

The exercise is used to reveal new details in the muscle mass of the back. So, we can say that the exercise is used to achieve a clear separation of the back muscles. The last phenomenon is called definition.

Like any physical exercise, the T-bar row to the back requires a careful approach from the athlete and therefore it is worth familiarizing yourself with the correct execution of the exercise - its technique. The exercise puts stress on the back muscles, so you need to be especially careful.

Correct steps:

First, you should lie on the bench with your chest, and then tilt your body upward. Next, rest your feet on special supports or the floor.
Grasp the handles located on the machine or the bar of the T-bar. In the latter case, the grip should be neutral, that is, the arms are tilted towards each other (palms are located as close as possible to the bar). The arms should be fully straightened in the starting position, and the load should “hang” on the hands.
Then you need to inhale and hold your breath, and then pull the barbell towards your chest. Watch the position of your elbows during the exercise: they should move parallel to each other strictly up and down.
Try to raise your elbows higher than your back as much as you can.
The back muscles at the top point should be tense as much as possible. After this, exhale, slowly lower the T-bar.

In order to reduce the occurrence of errors during this exercise, you need to familiarize yourself with the general recommendations of professional bodybuilders.

The following tips will definitely come in handy:

When performing the exercise, the torso should not come off the bench. Movement occurs in the shoulder and elbow joints. As for the rest of the body, they should be in a stationary position. Thus, the chest should be pressed firmly against the back of the bench, and the feet should be pressed against the stand or floor.
The barbell should be pulled using the muscles of the back and shoulders. It is not recommended to include biceps in the work. If you adhere to this recommendation, the effect will be as expected.
It is recommended to lift the load as high as possible, bringing the shoulder blades as close to each other as possible. It should be noted that by bringing your shoulder blades together as close as possible, you give your latissimus muscles the opportunity to contract. The diamond-shaped and middle trapezoids will also be worked out perfectly.
Before performing the exercise, you should make sure that your hands are in the correct position. Thus, before each repetition of the deadlift, you should ensure that your arms are fully straightened. The load, in turn, should not touch the floor surface. If you start the row with your elbows bent, you tighten your biceps and then engage them as you lift the bar.
To obtain maximum contraction of the back muscles, you need to hold for a few seconds.
If the machine has two handles, perform the exercise by grasping them with an overhand grip, with your palms facing the bench. In this way, the elbows will diverge to the sides, and the load will be distributed to the muscles of the upper back, as well as to the middle. Thanks to this, the following muscles will be more effectively worked: the upper part of the latissimus, rear deltoids, rhomboids and middle trapezius.

T-bar rows are performed to maximally work the back muscles. It is worth noting that it is the exercise in question, in combination with the bent-over row of an ordinary barbell, that provides effective growth of the latissimus dorsi muscles, increasing them in size and thickness in a relatively short period of time.

Some subtleties

This exercise is intended for all categories of athletes. It will be best if you use the exercise at the very beginning of training your back muscles. It is advisable to perform T-bar rows first, and then proceed to vertical and horizontal rows.

To quickly achieve the desired effect, you need to perform 2-4 sets of 8-10 repetitions. This exercise is the safest of all, working the back muscles. It allows the athlete to exert himself to the maximum without the risk of injury.

Lying T-bar row

The T-bar row is performed in a special machine, which consists of a bench to support the body, as well as the T-bar itself attached to the base.

Fortunately, there are plenty of exercises for developing the back to symmetrically develop muscles and select exercises depending on your physical fitness. There is always an alternative: for those who cannot do pull-ups with their own weight and are not yet ready to work with free weights, structures and exercise machines come to the rescue that improve positional stability and provide an understandable and comfortable technique for everyone. One of the effective methods of strengthening the back muscles is the T-bar row, which is performed in an inclined position, as well as in support on a special simulator.

Benefits and features of the T-bar row

A multi-joint exercise allows you to qualitatively load and select a certain working weight necessary for the athlete at this stage. This happens by adding barbell plates weighing from 2.5 to 25 kg.
This design, with a foot platform and an attached bar and handles, allows for a pulling motion similar to a barbell or dumbbell row. Unlike free weights, a T-bar requires less force to hold the equipment.
The supported option is safer, since the position of the back is stabilized by a special design, reducing the likelihood of rounding the spine and, accordingly, getting injured.
The T-bar row is not a simple exercise, but it significantly improves the stability of the weight and reduces the effort required to maintain the starting position.
Using the T-bar in combination with other exercises, you can develop a powerful back.

What muscles work during the T-bar row?

As with any exercise, there are main - target muscles, as well as auxiliary, which are in static tension and aimed at maintaining body position, in this case these are the abdominal and lower back muscles.

Main muscles:

Latissimus dorsi muscle.
Teres major muscle.
- middle part.
Infraspinatus muscle.

Bent-over T-bar row technique

Option 1

Before taking the starting position, place weights of the required weight on the bar.
Place your feet on a special platform.
Bend your knees, keeping your back straight, grab the horizontal handles with both palms with an overhand grip and assume a stable 45-degree tilt position, maintaining tension in your abdominal and lower back muscles.
As you exhale, without jerking, pull the T-bar toward your chest, bringing your elbows closer to your torso.
As you inhale, gently lower the bar, straightening your arms at the elbows.
Maintain the position of your spine, do not sway or round your back.
At the end of the exercise, squat down and lower the bar down.

Option 2

You can also do the option reverse grip, that is, grab the handles from below. This will transfer most of the load to the biceps brachii. In the upper range of motion, the load will be concentrated in the upper part of the trapezius, and not in the middle.

Option 3

Most T-bar designs have parallel handles for neutral grip, which is convenient for holding a large load weight and is comfortable for many due to its morphological features. This grip also reduces the load on the brachioradialis muscles.

Neutral grip

T-bar row technique with emphasis

This design involves special support for the abdomen. There are 2 pairs of handles: horizontal - provide a wide grip and develop the width of the back, parallel handles - provide a narrow, neutral grip to develop the thickness of the back muscles.

Place your feet on the platform and rest your stomach on the support.
Grab the required handles with straight hands and select the desired grip, as in the previous options.
Exhale and pull the bar toward your chest.
As you inhale, return down, straightening your elbows completely.

Plus This option is that it requires less effort to maintain the position, but minus The problem is that when working with heavy weights, the chest is compressed and breathing worsens.

What is better to do - T-bar row or bent over row?

You can’t choose one best exercise for your whole life, just like you can’t say which exercise is best. There is only a difference in the features and anatomy of the exercise. The main difference between a T-bar row and a barbell is that the T-bar design makes it easier to maintain body position than lifting free weights.

Barbell deadlifts involve instability, which forces more muscle fibers into the exercise, and for the same reasons, lifting free weights will always be more challenging than training with machines. The T-bar row is a good option in preparation for barbell work. Or it would be appropriate to combine a barbell row with a T-bar row in a wide grip position.

This multi-joint exercise can be performed to increase muscle mass. Thus, it is worth selecting a working weight for 10-12 repetitions of 4 sets. On back day, you should include one of the T-bar row options, evenly distributing the load on all parts of the back, changing the position of your hands, grip and, in fact, the weight itself.

Conclusion

Incorporate T-bar rows into your training process in various variations. Start to master the technique of exercises in the position, gradually prepare the muscles for the load, making it easier to maintain the position at the initial stage. Then proceed to performing bent-over rows, the main thing is to increase the load gradually, preparing for the working weight. Follow the correct technique, do not strive for more weight, this will not increase the mass faster, but you can easily get injured.

T-bar row exercise in video format

T-bar row- an old and very effective exercise aimed at large-scale pumping of the back. Today, there is probably no gym where there is not a machine for performing this exercise. However, beginners most often fail to master it the first time. What should I do? First of all, forget about the simulator and grab the barbell, which, unlike the simulator, itself adapts to you. This exercise may also be called - T-bar row.

From the very first movements, the load is felt across the entire width of the back, no matter what angle is set, the exercise hits the target! The T-bar row is such an effective exercise that it was included in the arsenal of Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. The biomechanics of the exercise are not that complicated, but let’s take a closer look at the technique.

Starting position:

Hang several weights on one end of the barbell, rest the other end against a corner, or ask a partner to hold it with their foot.
Lean forward, pass the barbell between your legs and grab the bar with your hands. Try to get as close to the pancakes as possible.
Reduce your body tilt slightly to lift the plates off the floor. This will be our starting position.
Keep your back extremely straight, while statically tightening your abs.

Performing T-bar rows:

Using only the efforts of your back muscles, pull the pancakes towards you. Do not use your biceps; all movements are carried out only by moving your elbows back. Only in this case does the back receive the proper load.
At the top point, pause and lower the barbell to the starting position. Without lowering the weights to the floor, feel a strong stretch in your back muscles at the lowest point.
Complete the planned number of repetitions.

Large-diameter plates significantly limit the amplitude of the T-bar row, so if possible, use similar weights of a smaller diameter, but thicker. If this is not possible, hang a sufficient number of 10-kilogram pancakes.
Performing deadlifts with a crooked back can lead to lower back injury, so keep your back level throughout all stages of the exercise.

Do not spread your elbows to the sides, try to keep them as close to your body as possible. This will significantly increase the load on the lower lats.

Video on the topic: "Technique for performing T-bar rows"

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