T Bar Rows - Workout & Exercise Technique

T Bar Row - Muscles Worked & Benefits

Exercise Type: Multi-joint
Primary Muscles Worked: Middle Back
Secondary Muscles Worked: Lats and Biceps

T Bar Rows help to thicken the middle and outer back and also work the biceps, lats, lower back and traps. One of the best things about this exercise is its simplicity. With just a bar and some weights you can achieve resistance changes throughout the workout.  When performing the exercise the bar travels in an arc from the floor allowing gravity to exert a greater force when the movement begins. As the bar travels upward the movement takes on a horizontal component, reducing the gravitational effect. As the bar nears the upper body the smaller upper-back muscles begin to be stimulated and the bar feels effectively lighter.

T Bar Row - Exercise Workout & Technique

• Place your feet close together on the foot section of this machine.
• Align yourself so that your knees are bent and your torso is nearly horizontal to the floor.
• Take hold of the handles of the machine with your palms facing down.
• Now reduce the bend in your knees until your body makes a 45 degree angle and hold this position in place. This forms the starting position.
• Exhale and bring the weight up to your pec area.
• As you inhale, let the weight go down in a controlled manner until your arms are straight.
• Keep the weight elevated even at the low point, so that it doesn’t touch the base of the machine.
• Repeat for the intended amount of repetitions.

T Bar Row - Tips & Safety

• Start with relatively light weights initially to warm up your back muscles.
• Try not to use momentum to move the weight. Maintain a stable torso where only your arms are being used to pull the bar up.
• Depending on the device, using smaller weight plates will prevent the bar touching the floor too soon and allow for a greater range of motion.

T Bar Row - Alternatives

• Alternatives to the T Bar Row include using a double hand grip on the barbell bar itself.
• You can also use one hand and lighter weights to focus on one side of the back at a time.