The Barbell Row has been a foundational back exercise in the routines of many of the greatest bodybuilders to ever hit the stage. Of course that includes the Man Himself, Rich Piana. In this article, we’ll dive into the details of this great exercise. Plus, we frame it with a Rich-style back routine, and suggest some great 5% supplements! Let’s get started!
What Are Barbell Rows
Also known as the bent-over row, barbell rows are a back exercise that targets overall back development and thickness. Barbell rows are a foundational back movement that you perform by bending over and pulling the bar into your upper waist. Barbell rows work the entire back, with the biceps, the upper pecs, and the legs acting as stabilizers.(1)
Rowing Movements & Pulling Movements
Historically, rowing movements have been used to build a thick back while pulling movements (pull-ups, lat pulldowns) have been used to build width. A complete back routine will include both.
Variations
Most lifters use a shoulder-width overhand grip on this exercise. You can go wider, and if you switch to an underhand grip, you’ll directly target the biceps. Variations include using dumbbells, a low cable with a straight or EZ bar attachment, or resistance bands.
How To Use It In Your Routine
This is a Rich Piana-inspired routine that targets thickness and width. The first 3 exercises are rowing movements followed by 2 pulldown movements. It’s finished off with an interesting rope attachment movement.
Barbell Rows - 5 sets - 20, 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
This exercise was a favorite of guys like Arnold and Dorian Yates. You can go heavy on this exercise if you want to, or use a more moderate weight and higher reps.
T-Bar Rows - 5 sets - 25, 20, 15, 12, 10 reps
Hold and squeeze at the top.
Seated Cable Rows - 5 sets - 25, 20, 15, 12, 10 reps
Keep your back as straight as possible with no rounding or hunching over. Get a full range of motion, pull back, and squeeze.
Lat Pulldowns - 5 sets - 25, 20, 15, 12, 10 reps
As with all back movements, pull with your back, not your arms. Visualize your arms as hooks.
Behind The Neck Pulldowns - 5 sets x 15-20 reps
This isn’t as popular as pulldowns to the front but tends to hit the back a little differently, so it’s a good addition to this routine.
Rope Pulls - 3 sets of 20 reps
This may be an exercise you haven’t done before. You’re pulling the rope handles into your waist from an upper pulley.
Performance Tips
Perform all reps of all exercises in a controlled manner focusing on proper form. Many of these exercises allow you to perform a slower eccentric phase with a pause in the fully stretched position. Here’s your tempo: 2 seconds up, 2-second pause and squeeze at the top, 4 seconds down with a 3-second pause just shy of the turnaround. Finally, use a weight you can handle in good form. The other side of that is to use enough weight. Do you stop at a predetermined rep number when you could do more reps? Then add weight and get serious!
Don’t Forget 5% Nutrition!
Back day is always tough so you’ll want to start this routine with a potent 5% pre-workout such as Kill It RTD. This powerful Pre features 400mg of caffeine and a huge 10g of glycerin (glycerol). Take it to the next step by adding Core Creatine and Core L-Glutamine 5000.
For your intra-workout, do what Rich did and mix up 1-2 servings of All Day You May. Freeze it for 20-30 minutes for a sensational intra-workout treat! Once your workout ends, start recovering with a Real Carbs + Protein shake. Optimize your results by adding TEST Booster, Core D-Aspartic Acid, and Core ZMA.
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