Barbell Rows Question...

[Fit_mommy]

I think this is the exercise I am curious about...where you bend at the knees and at the hip and start the exercise with the barbell (palm up or down-she does it both ways) extended out towards the knees and then pull in to work the back...?

Anway-Cathe uses a barbell, I use dumbbells. To do this exercise with dumbbells it is awkward to hold the dumbbells horizontal as if it were a barbell (when my palms are down) so I have started to hold them vertical at the sides and do the exercise that way. Am I working the same muscles as Cathe? I hope so.

When she does this with palms facing up I hold the dumbbells the way she holds the barbell because I don't know of any alternative except to continue to hold them vertical through the whole thing. Any suggestions for that?

TIA!

 

[JAFitMama]

Wendy I'm not sure about the muslces hit or the areas of the muscles hit with the different hand positon. Before I had a barbell I used DBs for this exercise and tried to keep the sam hand position the same as Cathe's, although it was awkward. Perhaps if you post this in Ask Cathe forum she might see it and respond?


Judy
AKA "Likes2bfit"

 

[Conni]

Wendy,

I am no expert, but I do think the lats are worked differently with different hand positions.
Like Judy, I duplicate the hand position on my dumbbells that Cathe uses. I could be mistaken, but Cathe uses the overhand position with dumbbells in C & W, I think....

 

[Fit_mommy]

Thanks ladies!

Maybe I will take my question over to "Ask Cathe" anyway. It's worth a shot...

 

[Kit_]

With the different and position you are working a little bit differently if I understand that you are making the dbs verical and then pulling them back? If you are, your working a bit more front of the upper arm, where it is with Cathe's way, Hands over, you work some of the top of forearm, and bicep, lower tricep. Or if your doing this when she does the hands under, that's back of the forearm, bicep, mid/upper tricep.

I use dbs for this exercise too, and it's mostly due to the fact I like both sides of my body to work just as hard. Most of us have one side that's stronger then the other. With a barbell your stronger side will take most of the load, and your weaker side will always stay your weaker side. I'm trying to make both side equal, or as close to equal as possible.

Hope that helps,

Kit

 

[kathryn]

One advantage of dumbbells (beyond the fact that you are sure to be working each side equally) is that you can vary hand position, and hit the muscles in a different way.

You can do the "palms facing" position (impossible with a barbell, unless it's a special type), "palms back" or "palms forward (a bit more awkward, IMO). But you can also put a twist in the move, going from "palms back" at the bottom to "palms facing" at the top to engage more muscle. You can also move your elbows in towards the center of the back a bit more, and get more of a squeeze in the lats and rhomboids.