A few months ago I incorporated once again Bent over rows to my workouts. It’s difficult to me to choose the right weight. I’ve been doing 225lbs x 8 reps but I’m not happy with my form. Seems like on the heaviest set I end up rowing to my thighs rather than upper abs. Does this mean the weight is too heavy? Overall, how to judge what is the right weight to use and when to progress?
Also, how does your bent over row compare to other lifts?
I’m benching 225lbs x 8 reps and squating 315 x 8.
if you’re not completing the movement because the weight is too heavy - then the weight is too heavy 
I mean I hit the abs, but it would be lower abs
tbh im not sure how you hit anything other than lower abs with bent over rows. Sounds like you’re doing fine tbh.
As far as when to progress, it depends on your goals. For building muscle, maybe continue with this weight until you’re at 12 reps, then add 5-10lbs and see where your reps land. Just beat the logbook and add weight when you hit the upper threshold of reps.
I’m doing sth like this, moving the bar very close to thighs and hitting the lowest abs region:
With lower weight I can hit the upper abs just fine. I’m using a slightly wider grip than the one on the video.
okay so bummy hits lower abs with heavy weight, I hit lower abs with heavy weight, you hit lower abs with heavy weight, and im pretty sure everyone else does too.
I was more surprised that you hit upper abs at any weight, because mechanically that’s… challenging.
What im trying to say is that you are fine to keep hitting lower abs with heavier weight.
Your body’s mechanics are pretty much forced to do this while your torso is at 45*
Where you hit your belly will depend on how far your bent over. With 200lbs plus on the bar your not gonna be able to control the bar path. To me. Bum is not bent over enough.
See if you can video yourself. I’ll bet your not bent as much as you think. If your dragging your quads lower the weight and get over the bar more. I can row over 200 but i’m not happy with the form i’m using.
As far as how your row compares to your other lifts, I don’t think you can really compare. You said you just started rowing again so the particular muscles use to row will need to catch up. I also just got back in to BB rows and i’m rowing 185-190 for 8-10. I bench 245(315 1rm) for 8-10 and hit 680x6 on the arsenal squat. I can’t BB squat due to shoulder mobility.
Sounds like your hitting the right spot. Most people row up to their lower abs and I do the same. Some people use body english (As I do, for power in the deadlift), and some keep it strict, trying to target the back as much as possible.
It’s almost impossible to say what form is perfect. So if you feel the muscle group your trying to target is being worked, I’d say your doing good.
I’d say if you start trying to heave it up like you’re trying to fuck the bar, then maybe bring it down a little bit, some body english is fine imo. Maybe do a double progression, Heavy and High Reps every other week. Or periodized down from 12s to 5s. Sometimes you need to push those limits to see what you can do, even if it turns out looking ugly
I can row 415x8, I find it doesn’t really transfer over to anything but the deadlift and any other type of rowing movement for me (seated, plate Loaded, Pullups). The rows I do are from Cailer Woolam and George Leeman
If you’re hitting lower abs you’re fine… when you abduct the arms, you’re losing an amount of leverage at the joint angle so hitting upper abs will be more difficult and will bias upper back a bit more. Try the T Bar if you have one.
Stop trying to emulate Ronnie Coleman. If you can’t feel it in your upper back, it’s likely too much weight which you seem to acknowledge. I got over my weight phobia’s a long time ago and you should too. What I’ve done is rack rows. I set the rack at an appropriate height, pull, crunch, hold, lower the weight. I do more than enough for lower back and don’t row for low back training. I do Romanians. Stop doing what I call bent over jerks, and start doing bent over rows. Try focusing on something very small on the floor and if you lose focus of it rowing, you’re jerking.
When I did bent-over rows I called my form was a slight rock. I was trying to pull as much weight as possible. But if wanted to do a strict row movement I used a chest supported bench or machine to have a slight pause in the contracted position. But my strict rows were only done after doing my heavy barbell rows, which were always my first back exercise.
It seems most everyone I see doing barbell bent over rows now is doing them much more like 45 degrees above parallel, and pulling to their lower abs. I had always done them closer to parallel to the ground. I was usually touching near my navel with the bar. (I pulled my rows with sumo stance, such that the plates nearly hit my toes when I set the bar back on the ground - I actually twisted toes out of the way when setting the bar down.)
I see this a lot as well. Personally 90% of people i see doing bent over rows are doing them too heavy and use this form to ego lift. I see a lot of body english.
Does it still work? Sure but i think you could be just as if not more effective getting over the bar a little more and actually pulling. Just my 2c.