I am doing my first proper weight routine which consists of an upper max day and lower max day along with upper and lower repetition days. I do bench press or overhead press for my max/repetition day and do back squat or front squat for my lower max/repetition days.
I typically have two back exercises and usually do strict dumbbell rows or barbell rows and never felt anything but my arms working even when pulling with my elbows and using moderate and easily controlled weight.
I used the two arm Hammer strength row last night followed by close grip pulldowns and I have a sore upper back for the first time ever, actually feel the back having been worked.
I was wondering why almost everyone on here advises beginners not to use machines. I really liked how it felt.
I also started benching with flared elbows, I tuck slightly and then flare on the way up. Again I feel the chest muscles in a way I have never felt doing a tucked and arched bench press.
In fact my shoulder impingement is no longer clicking after last night when I raise it so whatever I did seems to agree with my body better than the old stuff I was doing.
Just keep in mind though free weights will strengthen those stabilizers. Also strength is a skill, so if you want to be strong on a certain thing you need to do that. Doing a bunch of machines can get your chest and arms pretty big, but it certainly doesn’t guarantee a decent actual bench press, if that’s something you care about.
Machines work. But if you were a beginner I would recommend that most of your exercise selection come from free weights. I say this as I believe that it is important to build up a base of strength that include all those stabilizers. When you are more advanced you can switch over to more and more machines if you are inclined to do so as your base of “support” has been developed .
In your case if you feel a connection with a machine that you don’t feel with free weights then i would include it. Just make sure you have some free weights in for that body part as well though (if you are a beginner). FTR I include cables in free weights, so a cable lat pulldown doesn’t count as a machine imo.
Because complete beginners typically are better off first learning to control their bodies and coordinate their movements. The restricted planes of motion provided by machines help more experienced lifters to target certain areas or to otherwise provide a controlled movement, whereas the beginner doesn’t have the motor skills or experience to really utilize those restrictions in a way that will serve their goals, at least imo.
In your case, I think of lat pulldowns as a “free weight” exercise, tbh.
And regarding your BB Row situation, I’ll give you the best advice I ever got with back exercises a few years back: “Cut your weights in half.” You say “easily controlled,” but it may actually be too heavy still. If your back is almost entirely untrained, then it’s not crazy to think that your arms can “easily control” the weight while your back would be quickly fatigued by the same weight.
If you’re only feeling it in your arms, then you don’t know what you’re doing. Lighten the load and really focus on activating your back. Pulling with elbows is a good tip, but ultimately it comes down to whether you are or are not working the muscle: if not, you may only think you’re pulling with your elbows when really you’re not.
If machine rows work, yeah include them, but don’t necessarily give up free weight rows.
Here are some examples of stuff you could try to get you started: chest-supported rows, seated rows, Meadows rows, T bar rows.
I found DB and especially BB rows to be ineffective for a long time too. But the real reason was that I didn’t know how to engage my lats properly. So I dropped the weight and slowly worked my way back up, using strict form. Give yourself time and practice with good reps to develop that mind-muscle connection. Now I find I can get away with using much looser form and getting an even better contraction.
One thing I would say is don’t do the main exercises to target certain muscles. If you bench, especially as a beginner, bench to be strong not to get big pecs or whatever. Then the assistance, whatever it is, is to hit weak points or muscles of your choice. To quote Wendler quoting someone else haha “let the big lifts stress the joints and the assistance lifts stress the muscles”.