8 Amazing Variations on Rowing Exercises

After chin ups usually comes some form of rowing motion exercise. It creates balance and more often than not is needed due to the amount people tend to work the front half of the body!

The problem is they tend to be a little boring.... cue this article from T-Nation giving you 8 variations on the pulling theme. Have a read and get rowing!!

There are three important factors that go into deciding whether a back exercise is worthy or not. (You won't find this type of information in a textbook – only after many years of focused, hard training and listening to your body.)

3 Key Back Training Factors

Compression: Does the exercise allow you to forcefully squeeze the muscle against a significant load?

Notice I didn't say a light load – squeezing light weight can help with your mind muscle connection and lat activation, but you have to handle significant weight to achieve the level of compression required.

Range of motion: Does the exercise allow you to work your lats through a long range of motion?

Some row variations really capture this – you almost feel like your scapulae are about to rip from your body. At the other end of the rep, the further you can get your elbows back, the more you can tap into your lats.

Contraction: Does the exercise allow you to feel your back contract?

A lat contraction is tougher to feel than say, the biceps or triceps. This also takes time and practice, but it makes a huge difference in terms of results.

Using these three factors, I evaluated my top 8 rowing movements and ranked them according to effectiveness. Here's the list, in ascending order of effectiveness:

8. Cambered Bar Row

I'm not a fan of traditional barbell rows. I know, Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman liked them and their backs were huge. Well, their backs would've grown even if all they did was paint their toenails.

One tweak that can make a barbell row better, though, is using a cambered bar. This allows for a greater range of motion in the contracted position as your elbows can travel back much farther.

Compression: 6 – Because the barbell is "locked" into place, you lose some compression.

Range of motion: 8 – The camber in the bar allows for an extended range at the top. However, you can't get an extreme stretch at the bottom.

Contraction: 6 – Not bad here. By getting your elbows up high you get a solid contraction at the top. Also, adding a few chains enhances it, as the weight is heavier in the contracted position.

Total score: 20

For the other 7 exercises click here