Has anyone heard of an exercise called the Pendlay Row? It was supposedly invented by an Olympic coach and is a row directly from the floor. Anyone know anything about it?
It’s exactly how you described it. A bent over barbell row started from the floor on each rep. Like this
Read the 2nd last post on this page by madcow
elitefitness.com/forum/weight-training
-weight-lifting/bb-rows-madcow-366601.html
Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate it.
I don’t know if Glen would ever claim to have invented it, but it’s a pretty effective exercise. Great for stones or if you’re weak off the floor due to upper back weakness in the o-lifts.
I used to do this before my hip injury. Recently a strength coach/rehab specialist told me that it was bad for the back though. We didn’t go into details…
I believe Pendlay rows were meant to be an explosive movement. I usually explode off the floor and touch the bar to my abs. Don’t ever try to hold it at the top of the movement so you can feel the squeeze. There are other back exercises you can use for focusing on that squeeze in your back muscles. Think of Pendlay rows as an olympic lift (mostly concentric and explosive).
[quote]galapogos wrote:
I used to do this before my hip injury. Recently a strength coach/rehab specialist told me that it was bad for the back though. We didn’t go into details…[/quote]
Oh boy. Here we go.
Ohhhh ho ho ho, my back hurts!!
The only time it becomes dangerous is if your not bracing your abs and your back is starting to round.
Make sure you have decent flexibility in your hams as well as hip flexors and quads which will make the exercise much easier to perform without forcing yourself.
The Pendlay row requires the lifter to be able to flex and extend the thoracic spine while keeping the lumbar spine neutral or tightly arched - like how Cressey explains the pulling style of elite powerlifters- where the upper back rounds but the lumbar spine remains tightly locked.
I would only recommend advanced lifters to use Pendlay rows if they can control the spine like that.
Quarter Cent—Amir
[quote]gainera2582 wrote:
The only time it becomes dangerous is if your not bracing your abs and your back is starting to round.
Make sure you have decent flexibility in your hams as well as hip flexors and quads which will make the exercise much easier to perform without forcing yourself. [/quote]
A contraction of the rectus abdominis would create back-rounding. The only ‘abs’ we should contract is transversus abdominis. It’s the lower back (erector spinae) that prevents back rounding. Contraction of the RA while bent over would increase the workload on the erectors.
Read this if you want to be confused as to what a Pendlay Row is. lol
i believe this to be wrong. bracing is contraction of everything abs, including RA, bracing decreases workload of the erectors, but yes it may actually align the spine away from perfect neutral form. however, the workload of the erectors are usually not the issue, it’s shear and compressive forces on the spine that are really dangerous not having the spine in perfect neutral form is less dangerous if it’s unloaded. that said, one could get injured in other ways, often that happen to protect said spine, the body sacrifices something less important.