1. Chest Supported T-Bar row instead of Bentover barbell row 2. Reverse Nordic curl instead of Leg extension 3. Deficit standing calf raise instead of seated calf raise 4. Cable crossover rear delt fly instead of bentover rear delt fly 5. Decline deficit pushup instead of normal pushup 6. Overhead tricep extension instead of dumbbell kickback (Just for reference when revisiting the video)
Dr mike and Dr helms taught me the best and simplest ways of hypertrophy in easy to understand terms. Dr wolf and menno henselmans taught me that being super nit picky can very marginally increase gains, and dr pak taught me to calm down and do what's also fun. Thanks everyone.
It's not extra money for nothing, there's extra videos and extended versions of the joke videos for members. The early access to regular free videos is just a bonus.
Great exercise once you can do them well. Also, you don't even need to drop leg extensions. I like to do 2 sets of leg extensions followed by 2 sets of reverse nordics, never had better quad DOMS in my training career.
Dude, I can do leg extensions on a machine for quads all day long. I try those Reverse Nordic Curls or Sissy Squats and a knee cap is going to go shooting across the room! I’ve tried them. That ish is brutal on the knees. No thanks!
I really really like the idea of the "resistance meter" showing the, I guess, effort curve. I hope it's not as annoying to animate and time as I'd assume because that seems like a really neat addition to more thoroughly, express how an exercise will feel.
@@fredselvaggio1435I don't think people realize the amount extra muscle you might gain doing the "optimal" exercises is negligible for the most part. It might even be offset by you actually pushing yourself harder on the "inferior" one. I do like T-rows better, but yeah if barbell rows were good enough for Dorian and millions of people, it's good enough for you.
@@fredselvaggio1435 he is simply saying that if your goal is back hyperthrophy its not optimal however if you goal is to ALSO strengthen stabilizer muscles and core, then its an excellent choice! make informed decisions is the moral here, dont be defensive about it :)
@@Bapiten-hy3lk What about them? I do them as well, mainly for hammies but yes they do train the lower back. The difference is for bent rows I stand on plates to elongate the ROM and allows me to round my back at the bottom, flexing the erectors and allowing me to train them better than in an isometric position like on most hip hinges
Dr. Mike, I’m a personal trainer and would love to see a series geared towards the most practical info for trainers. I know the content already exists across your channel videos but I’m sure it would be handy for trainers out there to have the top priority knowledge and applications to help their clients condensed into a playlist. Love you man, thanks for all the help.
EXCELLENT info! (As usual) Here is another exercise I found for the Triceps, based on what recent studies on muscle growth I could find, basically that you need resistance on the lengthened position and, if possible, have resistance in all core functions of the muscle in one exercise. (So for Biceps, for example, it's function is not only to contract the arms but also to turn the wrist, thus a turning motion in a curl provided superior muscle growth) I call it the "weighted seatbelt". Pick a Cable Machine, at least head height, I found it's a bit easier when above the head and either grip on the cable itself or find an extension that lets you grip the cable with your wrist in 90°s to it without issue. Stand sideways from the Machine, pick the cable into the hand furthest away from it so the cable goes across your body, much like a car seatbelt. From my findings, the exercise is even better if you turn about 20 degrees away from the machine, so the cable really runs like a seatbelt, although, depending on the machine, this might be uncomfortable, so don't do this without some clothes on at least. Now the meat and bones of this exercise is that you extend the arm slightly behind your body, which is one core function of the Triceps that doesn't find much use in most Triceps exercises that have peak contraction in the lengthened position and you want to keep your elbow anchored in place throughout the set. Now you simply extend your arm , as you would do with any other triceps exercise. Go light on this one, I found that after 2 sets of low weight, I had massive on set muscle soreness already. If nothing else, this is a real finisher for your Triceps isolation, for me it does fare better than dips, natural or machine, overheads, skullcrushers, pulldowns, both with straight/ezbars or dual ropes. It really got me to increase triceps strength and size significantly over the past Month of including it in my workout routine regularly. For best Results: Slightly flare your arm out so your arm runs almost perpendicular to the cable as goes across the body. (Again, that's what I found from my tests, results could vary, I am no scientist, lol)
There’s a skill component to nordics like with all exercises. Maybe he’s never done them or not nearly as often and as they were showing technique, it was better to show someone who does the usually
Dude in the yellow was describing pendlay rows which are done with heavy weight. Don’t set the weight down between reps during bent rows and you will get a huge back.
They will still get you a big back don't worry. I do agree with them the T-bar machine rows are better but bent rows will still build lots of muscle as they have done so in the past for lots of lifters.
As a huge Meadows fan and doing his training programs (There is 39 of them). He allready 14 years ago did his own variations in how to improve all these exercises. 1. He never did free barbell rows. But he did them in a smith machine. It removes some of the fatique part of the exercises and you are pulling the bar against you at the same time, pulling your shoulders back. 2. He used leg extentions on occasion, but not too often. And when he did, he added 20 or so partials from the bottom after you have fatigued the shortened position. 3. He often did partial swings with dumbells. You would do 30 or so reps with a lot heavier dumbells so you stay in a more even restitance curved in the more lengthed position. 4. He made the variation (I have not seen it before from any other before him) where you keep your feet on a box and hands on blocks just as shown here. He would also use chains over his neck to make the movement heavier and he wanted you to emphazise the stretch by pausing in the bottom. 5. He had his own variation where you turn your palm so it faces the ceiling during the kick back. He would also superset this exercise with another tricep exercise which favoured the stretch. So, listen to Meadows and be ahead of everyone else. Even the science.
Even with deficit flexion rows, the spine erectors aren't a limiting factor for me. The lats are. And this is with the same weight I would do with good mornings.
@herrro6287 Ah, it must be my heavy RDLs that make the bent over row seem easy on my lower back. If I go too heavy it's the upper portion of the lift that fails and I just drop some weight, next set.
@@wertyuiopasd6281 I put one of those squishy cylindrical barbell pillows under my ankles. Just enough support, but doesn't shift the point of balance too far forward
@@omary702 it's the weakness leaving your body. Jk but not really.. though it's probably bad form due to lacking stability, which makes it more important for you to do it more..rather than avoiding it by using a supported row.
I’m so happy for this information. The wrong examples in this video is excercises I never liked and the right ones I do daily! Maybe my I was right to go on my feeling
I have a home gym but without cables. I solved the rear delt stretch problem like this: I lie on the bench, slightly sideways, then perform a dumbbell raise unilaterally from crossed-over to the top and slooooowly back down. Only issue is that working unilaterally takes twice the time to do the exercise. But that's what I get for not having cables :)
This movement absolutely blasts my rear delts. The only other thing that causes more burning is calf raises. I also feel like it's less awkward than crossing my arms in front of my body with cables.
You can decrease the difficulty on the reverse nordic by holding onto a resistance band or a cable, just make sure it's secure and you dont accidentally yank gym equipment down onto your body
Push ups can completely replace any bench pressing once done right: - deficit is obvious - decline is a plus - do this on gymn rings and it replaces dumbbell pressing - Add a sandbag or partner on shoulders for added weight Practical benefit - very minimal cost on equipment even with all of the above
Advantage of the bent over row: I can do it with my barbell at home. I m glad to see you tackle the DB kick back. I never liked that exercise, it feels super inefficient. And you definitely can't load it up very well.
You don't need to load it up, that's the point. I do it with cables however. It seems to just hit a little better. Really works well for me as a finisher.
The most consistent team out there! RP always coming through when I need something to listen to in-between sets.( I went phyco mode like Doc and don't use music😅). This is perfect timing...it is back and leg day so let's see how these guys can fuck me up.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but... You can also just not set your barbell or dumbells down on the floor when performing bent over rows. Time under tension will remain constant, and you can achieve the stretch. As for worrying about fatiguing other muscles, this is a compound movement and stimulates greater overall muscle activation, thereby resulting in greater hypertrophy.
If you're trying to build your upper back but are limited by lower back, you are not going to reach your goal. If your lower back can handle the weight and still recovery for other exercises like hip hinges, then you can do it without resting the weights.
I have almost never seen anyone do bent over rows where the touch the bar or dumbbell to the ground. It looked like they purposely did the exercise wrong so they could have an extra reason to correct it.
All of the information in these videos is centered around hypertrophy. Bent rows certainly aren’t ideal in that instance, but for building the top end of a deadlift there isn’t anything better.
Dr. Mike, what’s your honest opinion about some of these exercises Dr. Wolf is suggesting are not as effective, specifically the barbell rows? If I recall, your studies and assessment, concluded the barbell row is one of the bread and butter for overall back muscle growth.
For the bent over row, you replace a practical movement anyone can do with a barbell or dumbells, with a very specific movement that requires a machine. That's not a very good replacement at all. That's an entirely different circumstance.
An alternative to the rear delt cable fly, you could also use a chest press/rear delt machine, if able you can adjust the handles to the right setting so you can reach across your body to get a good deep stretch in the rear delts, and if the handle position can’t move then just turn your body and do them unilaterally
No one but they couldn't make a controversial video that gets comments if they said that, I mean hell mike has been a huge advocate of bent over rows especially deficit ones
i like to do it to rest my spinal erectors. but i can have still amazing stretch and everything. it is a name for this particular row and after time i started to prefer it. but i do other variations as well. you can actually stretch your muscles better because under heavy weight your muscles are in tension. this video is out of reality. as most of scientists. bro science rules forever...
Just did 345x6 on barbell rows. I think I'll keep having a barndoor back tyvm. Chest supported rows just don't produce the same visual results. I've taken before and after pics and there is no comparison.
Exercises hardest in the shortened position shouldn’t be discarded, they should be paired with exercises hardest in the stretched position. They are apparently better for mind-muscle connection for the area involved, and can be done more frequently than the latter. (In ATG we called the above short and long range exercises, respectively.)
But how is it better than straight leg calf raises? Straight leg hits both calf muscles, seated only one. I am actually curious if there is a benefit because I just got Achilles tendonitis a couple months ago.
@@adammiller9179seated raises have been great for me because my gastroc is the limiting factor in standing raises so the soleus doesn’t get enough stimulus. Seated are like an isolation for the soleus.
Standing is a better stretch. Or if you don't want to stand, use a leg press machine and push the bottom edge of the platform with the ball of your feet.
Most of this is honestly great news, starting with the bent over row, which is one of my least favorite exercises in the world. Just listening to Dr. Mike and his content has rapidly improved my life. Key lessons: 1. Avoid overtraining your deltoids and triceps-bench and incline presses and dips already take care of these-free up time for more sets of other exercises 2. Stretch is an important part of a lift, so find exercises and optimize your technique to maximize load when the muscle is stretched 3. Eccentric load is importance - don’t just drop the weights or relax after the concentric part of the rep; slowly, and in a controlled fashion finish the rep for eccentric exercise (e.g. when bringing the barbell back to your chest during bench press). 4. Technique is as important as my Dad tried to explain to me when he first taught me to bench press when I was 14. Go with lighter weight, get the full range of motion, get the full stretch, and make sure you’re targeting the correct muscles by using good form. 5. Volume matters hugely. If you want to get a muscle stronger, do 8-12 sets a week, instead of 4-6. 6. More difficult is not better. A lot of traditional exercises, that hurt and are awkward, pushed by my coaches, are unnecessary. Exercises like military press behind the head, bent over barbell rows, power cleans look cool, but often can be substituted with more effective exercises. 7. Consistency is King. Just go to the gym. On the days you don’t feel like it, still go. And find ways to make it easy to go to the gym-e.g. fit it to your schedule. 8. Trap bar deadlifts are great, but are slightly overrated. Barbell deadlifts-less weight because it’s further from the body-get better involvement of the glutes and lower back. 9. Cardio is catabolic, and should be used carefully. Do some on an off day for fitness. Take adequate rest between sets-less for iso, more for compound. Let your heart rate fall between sets, back to a moderate level (say 110-120 for me). I’ve been lifting for 20 years, since I was in junior high. My dad imparted a lot of great knowledge-he was a veteran, a cop, an amateur boxer. I’ve had a ton of coaches and trainers, many of them were helpful, but they also gave a lot of bad information. Frankly, Dr. Mike has been a great resource, and he’s honestly not that far off from the knowledge my dad imparted-which he mostly learned from experience and from a book he owned by Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s interesting how a lot of the old-school knowledge turned out to be correct, after years of people ignoring it. At the same time, huge key pieces of information like stretch being far more important than squeeze, volume being super important and others, have really opened up huge gains for me, since learning them. I’ve gotten great results lifting 4-5x a week, with two different types of lifts and one light cardio day. I’m 36, 6’2”, 230. I’ve recomped considerably since restarting my lifting routine after letting my body go for 2 years. I’m about 20-21% body fat. I started at about 240 and 29%. My barbell deadlift maxes out at 405LB now (8 plates and a 45LB bar). Not sure my max bench, but I can do 4-6 reps of 245LB. 110 LB bicep curls. 34” waist down from 36” about 6 months ago. Here’s my routine: Day A (2x a week) 5 x 4-8 Deadlifts (or 3 sets if doing squats) 3 x 5-10 Squats (conditional on amount of deadlifts) 4 x 4-8 Incline Press 4 x 5-10 Dips (weighted after first set) 3 x 10 Pectoral Cable Flies (optional) 5 x 10 Lateral Raises/Flies (no rest between 4th and 5th set, 5th set without weights) 5 x Calf Raises (same final set technique as flies) I take short rest between iso exercises, about 30 seconds, and no rest between the 4th and 5th set-when I do the set without weight. I take 3-5 minutes rest between compound sets like deadlifts. I shoot to get my heart rate back under 120 before starting my next set. My front deltoids and triceps get crushed on this day, so I dropped shoulder press and triceps pull downs per Dr. Mike’s inferences. Day B (2x a week) 4 x 6-10 Cable Rows (narrow grip) 4 x 6-10 High Rows (wide grip) 4 x 6-10 Hamstring Curls (seated) 4 x Abdominal Twists (using a medicine ball) 4 x Cable Bicep Curls (standing) 3 x Lateral Flies or Calf Raises (yes, back-to-back). Day C (1x a week) Light cardio-not at the gym. I get outside, avoid the unnecessary driving etc…I go for at least an hour of a hike, walk etc… I burn 800-1200 calories per workout. I’ll do 30 minutes in a dry sauna once a week after my workout, mostly because I feel it helps my skin and circulation. I do everything to failure, and I seem to work out pretty much my entire body. Even things like my traps and forearms are getting juiced from deadlifts. I start my lifts with compound exercises because they’re the most tiring, and I want to have the most energy to do them. Moreover, I believe there are spillover benefits from increased circulation and potentially hormone release, generated by compound exercises. I don’t do any shoulder press-the incline press and dips, with good technique, absolutely crush my delts. For rows-I used to do a ton of bent-over barbell rows. Football coaches love these, so I learned to. Honestly, they were awkward, and I wasn’t able to push myself to absolute failure. I used to do a lot of pull-ups. I still think they’re pretty good. I mix them in here and there. But when you get strong, you have to add extra weight to your body weight. The swinging chain around your waist, dangling, gets annoying. It’s also hard to get the full range of motion. Deadlifts are the single most important exercise in my experience. If you did nothing but deadlifts, you’d build great legs, a strong lower back, traps, and a strong grip. They also give me such a good pump, that they make me more effective at the rest of my workout. I think dips are also underrated. With good technique, and good stretch-going to 90 degrees of elbow bend-you build your triceps, deltoids, pectorals, and even your forearms if you do wide grips. My chest gets a well-rounded workout if I do dips and incline press.
Seriously! I don’t know where all this oh it fatigues you in this and that came from. If you can’t do them because of your core or low back that means you absolutely should do them because that means you’re super weak in those areas.
His point is, the movement is meant to target a certain muscle, not a large group. The fact that it can fatigue your posterior chain, makes it essentially inferior in the context of this video
@@Arakune no, the movement is not meant to target a certain muscle. It's a compound movement meant to target multiple areas and induce maximal endocrine response. It does that perfectly.
All respect to the level of intellect and experience these guys have but at this point these videos are just regurgitating the same 'buhht there be no stretch on this movement' in a different way. Most of these movements can be adjusted easily to get more or less stretch if you really find that to be that important. You can see Mike doing it in earlier videos too. You don't need 2 PHD holders to wrap this in formal language to pump out more and more of the same content. My personal problem is that every actual big person I know does not and never has bothered with any of this, they eat a huge amount of food and they consistently train hard. It aint that complicated. Milo seems like a very smart man, but if hes so smart then he too should know how to create a caloric surplus and push some heavy weight to get a very simple outcome. And he too would look like he knows what hes talking about too!
For #2 (leg extension), how do you progressively overload the reverse nordic curls? Leg extension machine really is the only commonly found machine that works your rectus femoris while also letting you really isolate and put a nice load on your quads. Also correct me if im wrong but leg extension machines with cable connected weights that travel vertically (the most common ones & the one in video as well looks like), the resistance provided is nice and constant the entire ROM.
@Wolfcoaching I love all of these variatuons and have been working to engineer all these same philosophies in strength curves and lengthened tension into my training as best as i can with what i have in my gym. One thing i have not seen you guys comment on is ab work. In my opinion the best exercise BY FAR that has allowed me to get into an extremely extended stretche position for my abs (especially lower abs) is the GHD situp. Huge stretch and the most weight in the curve when you're arched way back with your head to the floor, easier as you sit up to the top. Decline situp benches still have you basically neutral at the bottom bwcause your hips are not extended and you cant arch the spine back. And even a dragon flag or candlestick just has you go to neutral at the bottom. Ab mat situps and GHD situps are one thing i think CrossFit got really right becauae they both emphasize this stretch. The best ghetto rig setup ive been able to do to mimic this at my gym (which doesnt have a ghd) is to actually sit on the Bosu Ball and lock my feet under something, this way i can extend fully back and down around the curve of the ball and touch my head to the floor behind me. I have found this to be a far better ab stretching stimulus than regular flat situps or leg raises or ab crunch machine I've ever used.
have to defend my barbell rows: 1. don't touch the floor (use straps when you get strong) 2. I like the free posterior chain stimulus/deadlift carry-over/total body strength I get and since I do not train legs too seriously it does not inhibit me a ton(I think most guys fall in this category), you could put it on Deadlift/Leg day 3. just cheat a bit to smooth out the resistance curve, beginners start a strict as possible, but slowly introduce momentum at some point, makes progressive overload a lot easier + nasty weighted stretch with peak forces the bottom Machine are fine, but BB Rows are just really fun and stimulative IMO plus some ppl get chest pain when doing heavy chest supported rows
They are either purposely trying to create comment engagement or they don’t know what a bent row is compared to a pendlay row. Either way it’s pretty douchey to say in a video if you claim to be an expert.
Eric is funny but doesnt give great advice when it comes to hypertrophy or really even strength training. He's just more of a lifting lifestyle dude with insane energy. I know he's going to go on a rant about how bent over barbell rows are great for getting those thicccc erectors, but that shit is pretty far fetched considering the erectors aren't a prime mover in the exercise as well as the fact that they stay fairly stationary during the exercise - even if horsecocking the weights. Its a decent overall back exercise, but shit for building the erectors. Deadlift variations, good mornings and loaded ~45 deg back extensions (finally an exercise where it makes sense to zercher the weight!) do a much better job for that.
The other guy is wrong. Mike is like 5'6" (a lot of pro bodybuilders are short) and Milo is like 6'2"/6'3" or thereabouts. Its why Milo can look lanky/smaller in solo videos but his size is apparent side by side.
Instead of rear delt cable crossovers, you can also do a smiliar exercise on a rear delt fly machine. Instead of sitting at the machine as you normally would, sit sideways at a 90-degree angle. Now perform the exercise with one arm at a time, achieving both maximum stretch with a lot of weight. I saw this on Jeff Nippards channel a while ago and holy, this has helped me so much.
0:00 - "Introduction to RP Strength with Dr. Mike" 1:11 - "Introduction to the First Exercise" 2:31 - "Understanding the Limitations of Various Back Exercises" 3:52 - "Proper Technique for Purposeful Spine Flex 5:05 - "Tips on Shortening the Backswing in Golf 6:14 - "Maximizing Hypertrophy with Full-Length 7:29 - "Understanding the Concept of Competition" 8:49 - "Understanding the Role of Gastro Muscle in the 10:02 - "Seated Calf Exercise Tutorial" 11:13 - "Reaching the Peak: Tips and Techniques" 12:28 - "Maximizing Productivity: Focusing on 13:41 - "Review Paper Analysis: Evaluating Effectiveness" 14:50 - "Exploring Chest Growth Techniques" 16:00 - "Understanding the Role of Triceps in Lifting 17:11 - "Understanding Limiting Factors in Muscle Development"
Is biasing the lengthened position in reverse nordics really such a big deal that you should sacrifice stability and isolation that a leg extension would give you? I don’t think you can push to failure as hard on reverse nordics than extensions.
Dude bent over rows have been a staple in my program for 3 years and they have built my back from medium shirts to XL. Beginners, dont let this discourage you from movements like heavy presses and pulls
1. Bent-over row: I totally agree. However, in lieu of a T-bar row (this isn't the most accessible piece of equipment, you know...), I just recommend chest-supported rows. They're not perfect, but they do fix some of the issues, especially when you use dumbbells. 2. Leg extensions: I agree here, too. Honestly, I'd say just do squats. If you really want to isolate the quads, do some sissy squats. I don't dislike the reverse Nordic curl suggestion, too, but I think this can be pretty controversial due to the stress it can place on the knee. 3. Seated calf raises: calf raises, deficit calf raises, hops, single-leg calf-raise, sprints, etc. I just think there are generally a bunch of superior calf exercises. 4. Rear-delt raises: I partially agree; the way Mike exhibits the exercise is awful. You can put yourself in a better position for more a effective movement (deeper hinge, different path, etc.). Again, chest-supported can be useful here. Cables, in my opinion, offer only a slight benefit, and if you're going to use cables, I'd recommend loading unilaterally. 5. Push-ups: as someone who can do more than 40 consecutive push-ups, I agree. I have several solutions, but the main issue with using blocks like you show is that it can be rough on people's wrists. What I prefer to do is suspension pull-ups on rings (sometimes extending to pelican push-ups), sometimes on a decline. Way, way better. If you don't have access to this set-up, then my other solution (albeit, possibly controversial) is adduction/rotation push-ups, followed by regular push-ups. This is a great way to isolate the chest and to hit it really hard. I'll do these on a decline with rings for a really effective exercise sometimes, too. 6. Triceps kickbacks: I think these undeservingly get a bad wrap. These can be a great primer and function differently than the French press as you show in the video. Both exercises obviously extend the elbow, but the elbow IS in different positions and the muscles are therefore recruited slightly differently. I do French presses if I don't have a good apparatus to lean on, but I would way prefer an incline tricep extension. Bodyweight tricep extensions are good and underutilized, too. But yeah, I do kickbacks and feel they are unique and beneficial. Just don't ONLY do them. One of the issues you have with some of these exercises is the resistance curve. In my opinion, it's good to sometimes train in varying "curves" and too many people limit themselves to only training in one. This is kind of like saying that you should never do incline curls and only ever so spider curls. Do both! And standard curls. So I don't completely agree on this point. Also, regarding bending over, like I mentioned, I mitigate this by using a bench. Incline benches are great at helping support the chest so you can focus on strengthening certain other areas such as with rows and kickbacks. I would have definitely had a slightly different list. Some good points, but I think a few issues, too.
Lost me on bent over rows. I don't put it back on the floor. My stabilizers don't fatigue before my back. I hit my belly on every rep. I don't believe you.
@@edibaber5525 I have a hinge in my back. I'm doing 245 6 to 8 reps, it isn't difficult to maintain the position. In fact if I held the position after completing my final rep with the weight off the floor, I would probably fail in grip before my erectors failed. It's a bad critique of a great exercise. He's saying if you do the exercise poorly it isn't a great exercise, and he's out of his rabid a** mind if he thinks your erectors will fail before your late, rhomboids, traps, and rear delts.
Great stuff as usual. Respectfully, I would add that tricep kickbacks with a lower cable at the right angle (slightly upward) overcomes most of the issues with a dumbbell.
Dorian also did other exercises for his lats, such as the pullover which has high load in the stretched position. They’re not saying they do nothing, just their are options that *may* be better
These video aren’t made for those people. Not everyone coming to this page is an experienced lifter and a lot of people are finding this information for the first time and in the long run it’s made for them. Not you or other experienced lifters.
All you have to do to maximize stretch on the bent over rows is not bend over so far and let your back curve around with arms extended pause and come up still a great exercise just not best for stretch hypertrophy
I only do chest supported rows because the bent over version is so hard for my spinal erectors that they always fail before my back even when using a belt, and for that same reason you can´t let the barbell hang for 2 seconds at the bottom or do slower eccentrics (you spinal erectors will fail), a chest supported version is almost always better unless you lower back is so jacked this isn't a problem, for me it's always chest supported rows or 1 arm dumbbell rows with my hand and knee on the bench.
Great video. However, bent over rows happens to be one of my favorite exercises, specially when doing it from a bench press, the stretch that I get from it is unbelievable. Thank you guys for the content though. Keep it up.👍🏼
I train at home and my favorite back exercise is the bent over barbell row I practice very good technique make sure I get a good squeeze and a good stretch
Thank you for having me, Mike! If you enjoyed this video, there's a lot more on my channel 🤟
Watched your video with Jeff Nippard, great stuff!
For some reason, I thought you were a lot shorter. Like maybe 5'10" max.
Awesome video
Side lying single arm rear delt raises, lateral raises w a dumbbell seem like they could be similarly effective to the cross body cable rear delt fly
@@leonkennedy9739 He might be only 5' 10 mike is a roid munchkin
If you two don’t do a Mario and Luigi group costume for Halloween you’re missing out on gold branding opportunities.
Wario and Waluigi tbh
That's a very good way to get sued to oblivion by Nintendo
@@saad_ghannam how do *cough* parodys get away with this then?
dr mike grows a *mustassscchh* 😂
Id pay to see this 😂
1. Chest Supported T-Bar row instead of Bentover barbell row
2. Reverse Nordic curl instead of Leg extension
3. Deficit standing calf raise instead of seated calf raise
4. Cable crossover rear delt fly instead of bentover rear delt fly
5. Decline deficit pushup instead of normal pushup
6. Overhead tricep extension instead of dumbbell kickback
(Just for reference when revisiting the video)
Brothers like you make the world a better place 🤙🏽
When Milo is talking about leg extension, Dr Mike looks like he's getting a time out for his behavior
I’m upset you commented on this first
I was justtt about to say this 😂😂😂😂
I'm like, why does he look so sad like someone stole his toys or something lol
😂😂😂
Dr. Mike contemplating all of the missed opportunities for gains from choosing suboptimal workouts
With reverse nordics, I started doing them assisted with a band. Now I'm doing them loaded. Its a phenomenal excercise
6:52 oh yeah. TOTALLY gonna do that at the gym.
Never knew Dr Mike could be so silent in an RP video.
Because hearing Milo talk made all of Dr. Mike's blood go from the brain to his groin area.
because milo paid to post on the RP platform… mike &rp making money hand over fist these last few months
theyre friends @@pretty_flaco
Prob he's not a big fan of the Andrew Tate vibes
@@pretty_flacothey have to make sure all the butlers get the newest lamborghini
I progressively overload my push ups by dirty bulking.
😂😂😂😂
I like the way you think
A solid plan.
Dirty bulking and Diabetes are buddies, be safe out there.
i just put weight plates on my back lol
Dr mike and Dr helms taught me the best and simplest ways of hypertrophy in easy to understand terms. Dr wolf and menno henselmans taught me that being super nit picky can very marginally increase gains, and dr pak taught me to calm down and do what's also fun. Thanks everyone.
Thanks for putting this together! My 13 year old is just getting into weight lifting, and I want to teach him the best techniques/exercises.
As a 6’6 guy, nothing beats bent over rows and dumbell rows for back growth. No back machines allow me to stretch my back
Try incline bent over rows. You sit on top of 45lbs and do the rows. Allows more stretch
Bro I’m 6 foot and can’t even get a good stretch on most back machines
So fuck em and do t bar and barbell rows just for the swag
What country are you guys from? India? Lol
I am 6'4 and have no issues
@@Antonio_SerdarI’m 6’2 and have long arms and I can’t get a full rom with a lot of machines tbh have to use buffers to give me more range of motion
@@Antonio_Serdarthere's tons of 6'+ guys in india,especially this generation w more hygeinic food,water.
I love how Dr. Mike just kinda gradually leaves the set until Dr. Wolf is alone 😂
I didn't even notice that until the very end 😂
He was there, it was just hard to keep him in frame while pointing the camera at Milo's face
He's mastered the ability of standing so incredibly still that he became invisible to the eye
Dr. Mike had to check his lambos, RP app and his stocks real quick.
@@orangemaniabrother2232 gotg reference?
You guys might be smart, but the doggo was my favourite in this.
How did you comment 3 hrs ago when it was posted 1 hour ago?
@@pooppooop8668 he's a paid member of the channel, thus gets the videos ahead of the rest of us free subscribers
@@namesundarThe rich get richer... 🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️
@@MeanBeanComedy how he’s just spending money there is no return
It's not extra money for nothing, there's extra videos and extended versions of the joke videos for members. The early access to regular free videos is just a bonus.
Mike just sitting there was the funniest shit ever
Looks like a drunk guy sitting alone at bar sulking with his thoughts.
Bro your tweaking if you think I'm switching leg extension for a fucking Nordic curl
Great exercise once you can do them well. Also, you don't even need to drop leg extensions. I like to do 2 sets of leg extensions followed by 2 sets of reverse nordics, never had better quad DOMS in my training career.
>sees extension
>"fucking Nordic curl"
He looks like a tweaker
Dude, I can do leg extensions on a machine for quads all day long. I try those Reverse Nordic Curls or Sissy Squats and a knee cap is going to go shooting across the room! I’ve tried them. That ish is brutal on the knees. No thanks!
You Fkn can’t do it even if u tried
I really really like the idea of the "resistance meter" showing the, I guess, effort curve. I hope it's not as annoying to animate and time as I'd assume because that seems like a really neat addition to more thoroughly, express how an exercise will feel.
Will never give up bent over rows. My friends, sometimes its okay to just do movements because you think they are fun.
Or because they’re actually really effective. And saying they aren’t is nonsense
Right specifically with dumbells (for me) bent over raw is great!
@@fredselvaggio1435I don't think people realize the amount extra muscle you might gain doing the "optimal" exercises is negligible for the most part. It might even be offset by you actually pushing yourself harder on the "inferior" one.
I do like T-rows better, but yeah if barbell rows were good enough for Dorian and millions of people, it's good enough for you.
@@fredselvaggio1435 he is simply saying that if your goal is back hyperthrophy its not optimal
however if you goal is to ALSO strengthen stabilizer muscles and core, then its an excellent choice!
make informed decisions is the moral here, dont be defensive about it :)
@@alexmadgic6602bent over raw is my favorite
SHOTS FIRED ON BENT OVER ROWS SHOTS FIRED
Considering Mike always has them on his back day vids, though he does them with the full stretch
Back shots?
You either didn't listen or failed to understand
Ranking chest supported Row over Bent over Row is insane, in my humble opinion.
@@stepp___ chest supported row actually my goat though
Hands down the best TH-cam channel in existence
This video was very helpful for me. It answered questions I didn't even know I had. Thanks guys.
I do bent rows specifically because they fatigue the erectors so well. One of the best back thickness builders out there.
As Arnold himself as said. Love the BOR
Why not good mornings?
that's a hamstring exercise @@Bapiten-hy3lk
@@Bapiten-hy3lkMore hypertrophy from rows. Why load up the low back like that? Bruce Lee AND Louie Simmons broke their spine doing those.
@@Bapiten-hy3lk What about them? I do them as well, mainly for hammies but yes they do train the lower back. The difference is for bent rows I stand on plates to elongate the ROM and allows me to round my back at the bottom, flexing the erectors and allowing me to train them better than in an isometric position like on most hip hinges
I was worried my bosu ball pistol squats were going to get featured but thankfully they didn’t make the list!
😂
Honestly if you can do a pistol squat on a bosu ball without breaking your ankles you must be doing something right 😂
Dr. Mike, I’m a personal trainer and would love to see a series geared towards the most practical info for trainers. I know the content already exists across your channel videos but I’m sure it would be handy for trainers out there to have the top priority knowledge and applications to help their clients condensed into a playlist. Love you man, thanks for all the help.
Bent over row is the best back exercise in my opinion
EXCELLENT info! (As usual)
Here is another exercise I found for the Triceps, based on what recent studies on muscle growth I could find, basically that you need resistance on the lengthened position and, if possible, have resistance in all core functions of the muscle in one exercise. (So for Biceps, for example, it's function is not only to contract the arms but also to turn the wrist, thus a turning motion in a curl provided superior muscle growth)
I call it the "weighted seatbelt".
Pick a Cable Machine, at least head height, I found it's a bit easier when above the head and either grip on the cable itself or find an extension that lets you grip the cable with your wrist in 90°s to it without issue.
Stand sideways from the Machine, pick the cable into the hand furthest away from it so the cable goes across your body, much like a car seatbelt.
From my findings, the exercise is even better if you turn about 20 degrees away from the machine, so the cable really runs like a seatbelt, although, depending on the machine, this might be uncomfortable, so don't do this without some clothes on at least.
Now the meat and bones of this exercise is that you extend the arm slightly behind your body, which is one core function of the Triceps that doesn't find much use in most Triceps exercises that have peak contraction in the lengthened position and you want to keep your elbow anchored in place throughout the set.
Now you simply extend your arm , as you would do with any other triceps exercise.
Go light on this one, I found that after 2 sets of low weight, I had massive on set muscle soreness already.
If nothing else, this is a real finisher for your Triceps isolation, for me it does fare better than dips, natural or machine, overheads, skullcrushers, pulldowns, both with straight/ezbars or dual ropes.
It really got me to increase triceps strength and size significantly over the past Month of including it in my workout routine regularly.
For best Results: Slightly flare your arm out so your arm runs almost perpendicular to the cable as goes across the body. (Again, that's what I found from my tests, results could vary, I am no scientist, lol)
Blue is the violet,
Red is the rose,
Never stop doing
Bent over rows.
I agree fuck science
They strain my neck
Nah, I save my lower back for Deadlifts. Chest-Supported T Bar for upper back.
@@joelsium1236 You're still following science.
The most fun exercise for me along with deadlifts. I'll never stop doing them ❤
Hey, why didn't Dr Mike demonstrate the Nordic? That would've been a delight.
He’s “not flexible enough because he’s too jacked” 😝
Dr Mike is nearly 40, Nordics are for people with young healthy tendons.
@@asprinklingofclouds I thought he was nearly 50! I am nearly 40 and I want to call him Uncle Misha.
Lol wth was up with that? I cant imagine doing nordics on leg day. Thats nuts.
There’s a skill component to nordics like with all exercises. Maybe he’s never done them or not nearly as often and as they were showing technique, it was better to show someone who does the usually
I’m too broke for a gym membership, the bent over row is all I haaaaaave
Dude in the yellow was describing pendlay rows which are done with heavy weight. Don’t set the weight down between reps during bent rows and you will get a huge back.
They will still get you a big back don't worry. I do agree with them the T-bar machine rows are better but bent rows will still build lots of muscle as they have done so in the past for lots of lifters.
Do dumbbell rows. They’re really good
Get some bands . A stepper or bench.
Thank you!
As a huge Meadows fan and doing his training programs (There is 39 of them). He allready 14 years ago did his own variations in how to improve all these exercises.
1. He never did free barbell rows. But he did them in a smith machine. It removes some of the fatique part of the exercises and you are pulling the bar against you at the same time, pulling your shoulders back.
2. He used leg extentions on occasion, but not too often. And when he did, he added 20 or so partials from the bottom after you have fatigued the shortened position.
3. He often did partial swings with dumbells. You would do 30 or so reps with a lot heavier dumbells so you stay in a more even restitance curved in the more lengthed position.
4. He made the variation (I have not seen it before from any other before him) where you keep your feet on a box and hands on blocks just as shown here. He would also use chains over his neck to make the movement heavier and he wanted you to emphazise the stretch by pausing in the bottom.
5. He had his own variation where you turn your palm so it faces the ceiling during the kick back. He would also superset this exercise with another tricep exercise which favoured the stretch.
So, listen to Meadows and be ahead of everyone else. Even the science.
This video is gold, even for experienced gym-goers. Thank you for everything Dr Mike!
If you do heavy hip hinges like rdls and good mornings, a barbell row should feel like a breeze on the posterior chain
Even with deficit flexion rows, the spine erectors aren't a limiting factor for me. The lats are. And this is with the same weight I would do with good mornings.
And if you can't do super heavy hinges, then the BB Row is a waste of time for upper back hypertrophy.
Yyyyyyyup.
@herrro6287 Ah, it must be my heavy RDLs that make the bent over row seem easy on my lower back. If I go too heavy it's the upper portion of the lift that fails and I just drop some weight, next set.
@@adammiller9179great way to stay weak
I've been doing assisted reverse nordics for about two weeks now and it's been working for me.
It takes a little getting used to (at least if your hip mobility is as bad as mine) but it makes me sore like nothing else
The problem is ankle tbh
@@wertyuiopasd6281 I put one of those squishy cylindrical barbell pillows under my ankles. Just enough support, but doesn't shift the point of balance too far forward
Dr Mike is my favorite short king.
Not short where it counts.
I will barbell row until my dying days.
Yes bro I love bent over rows 👊💪
I would love to see your back
It grows my back, I can do it at home. But I never put the weight down and I stretch at the bottom position.
Idk why it hurts my lower back
@@omary702 it's the weakness leaving your body. Jk but not really.. though it's probably bad form due to lacking stability, which makes it more important for you to do it more..rather than avoiding it by using a supported row.
I’m so happy for this information. The wrong examples in this video is excercises I never liked and the right ones I do daily! Maybe my I was right to go on my feeling
I have a home gym but without cables. I solved the rear delt stretch problem like this:
I lie on the bench, slightly sideways, then perform a dumbbell raise unilaterally from crossed-over to the top and slooooowly back down. Only issue is that working unilaterally takes twice the time to do the exercise. But that's what I get for not having cables :)
This movement absolutely blasts my rear delts. The only other thing that causes more burning is calf raises. I also feel like it's less awkward than crossing my arms in front of my body with cables.
Doesn't take twice the time if you train one side while resting the other one, which shouldn't be a problem with a muscle as small as the rear delt.
@@DestopLine I meant relative to the cable option demonstrated in the video
@@gilhuberman261 It does take more time exercising (for the same amount of total effort), but if you include resting time then it's the same
Amazing idea. Thanks, I'm going to do this.
thanks for sharing, you inspired me to try something new
You can decrease the difficulty on the reverse nordic by holding onto a resistance band or a cable, just make sure it's secure and you dont accidentally yank gym equipment down onto your body
nonono, plz yank gym equipment down my body, I'll have a tasty law suit
Push ups can completely replace any bench pressing once done right:
- deficit is obvious
- decline is a plus
- do this on gymn rings and it replaces dumbbell pressing
- Add a sandbag or partner on shoulders for added weight
Practical benefit - very minimal cost on equipment even with all of the above
That was a super helpful video. Thanks for putting this together.
Incoming mirror Doggo at 3:30
Advantage of the bent over row: I can do it with my barbell at home.
I m glad to see you tackle the DB kick back. I never liked that exercise, it feels super inefficient. And you definitely can't load it up very well.
You don't need to load it up, that's the point. I do it with cables however. It seems to just hit a little better. Really works well for me as a finisher.
@@MrBottlecapBillon cables the kickback is much better
The most consistent team out there! RP always coming through when I need something to listen to in-between sets.( I went phyco mode like Doc and don't use music😅). This is perfect timing...it is back and leg day so let's see how these guys can fuck me up.
Dr. Mike and Dr. Milo, this. Is. GOLD🤩
10:14 so true... the single leg bodyweight calf raise (locked knee) is the best for the burn! 15-20 burn, 5-sec pause, repeat 7+ times..!
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but...
You can also just not set your barbell or dumbells down on the floor when performing bent over rows. Time under tension will remain constant, and you can achieve the stretch.
As for worrying about fatiguing other muscles, this is a compound movement and stimulates greater overall muscle activation, thereby resulting in greater hypertrophy.
If you're trying to build your upper back but are limited by lower back, you are not going to reach your goal. If your lower back can handle the weight and still recovery for other exercises like hip hinges, then you can do it without resting the weights.
Compound movements don't equal better hypertrophy. As long as you're training to failure.
I have almost never seen anyone do bent over rows where the touch the bar or dumbbell to the ground.
It looked like they purposely did the exercise wrong so they could have an extra reason to correct it.
Not my beloved bent row 😭
Haha im protesting that! "Postural muscles will be fatigued"....yea, if youre a girl
Don't worry And use straps xD
Go on a deficit *tada* problem solved
@@alexandrudinca3080 it is also the erectors spinals that gets tired. But i do it from time to time, its fun
All of the information in these videos is centered around hypertrophy. Bent rows certainly aren’t ideal in that instance, but for building the top end of a deadlift there isn’t anything better.
@3:50 when the camera man zooms out to show just how fucking tall this guy is next to mike. Too funny!
Felt like I was watching The Office
I do bent-over-rows in a more upright position and it feels amazing. Easy to overload, big stretch and take the bar to the low chest
So nice to watch a video that’s not drowned out with background music! 💪🏽✨
Dr. Mike, what’s your honest opinion about some of these exercises Dr. Wolf is suggesting are not as effective, specifically the barbell rows? If I recall, your studies and assessment, concluded the barbell row is one of the bread and butter for overall back muscle growth.
For the bent over row, you replace a practical movement anyone can do with a barbell or dumbells, with a very specific movement that requires a machine. That's not a very good replacement at all. That's an entirely different circumstance.
Agree - The machine set up may be better. But I don´t have one, so..
1:25 I can hear Bromley raging right now
Potato sack physique
An alternative to the rear delt cable fly, you could also use a chest press/rear delt machine, if able you can adjust the handles to the right setting so you can reach across your body to get a good deep stretch in the rear delts, and if the handle position can’t move then just turn your body and do them unilaterally
I don't know what I enjoy more, Mike's sage advice or his dry humor.
If your hamstrings are limiting you on bent over rows you need to work on hamstring length and strength
RDLs helped a TON for me. Love the BB row now 💪
Who’s putting the barbell back on the floor between reps on bent over rows?
No one but they couldn't make a controversial video that gets comments if they said that, I mean hell mike has been a huge advocate of bent over rows especially deficit ones
Yeah and if you stand on a small platform the problem goes away😊
I've seen it. Dorian maybe?
i like to do it to rest my spinal erectors. but i can have still amazing stretch and everything. it is a name for this particular row and after time i started to prefer it. but i do other variations as well. you can actually stretch your muscles better because under heavy weight your muscles are in tension. this video is out of reality. as most of scientists. bro science rules forever...
Bugenhagen is going to have a great time with this
When Dr. Mike shuts up, it’s time to listen intently. Tons of respect to these Docs.
Nothing like seeing your tricep excercise being the one that is better. Awesome
Just did 345x6 on barbell rows. I think I'll keep having a barndoor back tyvm. Chest supported rows just don't produce the same visual results. I've taken before and after pics and there is no comparison.
Exercises hardest in the shortened position shouldn’t be discarded, they should be paired with exercises hardest in the stretched position. They are apparently better for mind-muscle connection for the area involved, and can be done more frequently than the latter.
(In ATG we called the above short and long range exercises, respectively.)
Seated Calf raise has worked wonders on my decade long battle against achilles tendonitis!
But how is it better than straight leg calf raises? Straight leg hits both calf muscles, seated only one. I am actually curious if there is a benefit because I just got Achilles tendonitis a couple months ago.
@@adammiller9179seated raises have been great for me because my gastroc is the limiting factor in standing raises so the soleus doesn’t get enough stimulus. Seated are like an isolation for the soleus.
Standing is a better stretch. Or if you don't want to stand, use a leg press machine and push the bottom edge of the platform with the ball of your feet.
Seated calf is a soleus biased movement, throw in a deficit and it builds the outer calves in ways that a standing calf raise never has
Most of this is honestly great news, starting with the bent over row, which is one of my least favorite exercises in the world.
Just listening to Dr. Mike and his content has rapidly improved my life.
Key lessons:
1. Avoid overtraining your deltoids and triceps-bench and incline presses and dips already take care of these-free up time for more sets of other exercises
2. Stretch is an important part of a lift, so find exercises and optimize your technique to maximize load when the muscle is stretched
3. Eccentric load is importance - don’t just drop the weights or relax after the concentric part of the rep; slowly, and in a controlled fashion finish the rep for eccentric exercise (e.g. when bringing the barbell back to your chest during bench press).
4. Technique is as important as my Dad tried to explain to me when he first taught me to bench press when I was 14. Go with lighter weight, get the full range of motion, get the full stretch, and make sure you’re targeting the correct muscles by using good form.
5. Volume matters hugely. If you want to get a muscle stronger, do 8-12 sets a week, instead of 4-6.
6. More difficult is not better. A lot of traditional exercises, that hurt and are awkward, pushed by my coaches, are unnecessary. Exercises like military press behind the head, bent over barbell rows, power cleans look cool, but often can be substituted with more effective exercises.
7. Consistency is King. Just go to the gym. On the days you don’t feel like it, still go. And find ways to make it easy to go to the gym-e.g. fit it to your schedule.
8. Trap bar deadlifts are great, but are slightly overrated. Barbell deadlifts-less weight because it’s further from the body-get better involvement of the glutes and lower back.
9. Cardio is catabolic, and should be used carefully. Do some on an off day for fitness. Take adequate rest between sets-less for iso, more for compound. Let your heart rate fall between sets, back to a moderate level (say 110-120 for me).
I’ve been lifting for 20 years, since I was in junior high. My dad imparted a lot of great knowledge-he was a veteran, a cop, an amateur boxer. I’ve had a ton of coaches and trainers, many of them were helpful, but they also gave a lot of bad information.
Frankly, Dr. Mike has been a great resource, and he’s honestly not that far off from the knowledge my dad imparted-which he mostly learned from experience and from a book he owned by Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s interesting how a lot of the old-school knowledge turned out to be correct, after years of people ignoring it. At the same time, huge key pieces of information like stretch being far more important than squeeze, volume being super important and others, have really opened up huge gains for me, since learning them.
I’ve gotten great results lifting 4-5x a week, with two different types of lifts and one light cardio day. I’m 36, 6’2”, 230. I’ve recomped considerably since restarting my lifting routine after letting my body go for 2 years.
I’m about 20-21% body fat. I started at about 240 and 29%. My barbell deadlift maxes out at 405LB now (8 plates and a 45LB bar). Not sure my max bench, but I can do 4-6 reps of 245LB. 110 LB bicep curls. 34” waist down from 36” about 6 months ago.
Here’s my routine:
Day A (2x a week)
5 x 4-8 Deadlifts (or 3 sets if doing squats)
3 x 5-10 Squats (conditional on amount of deadlifts)
4 x 4-8 Incline Press
4 x 5-10 Dips (weighted after first set)
3 x 10 Pectoral Cable Flies (optional)
5 x 10 Lateral Raises/Flies (no rest between 4th and 5th set, 5th set without weights)
5 x Calf Raises (same final set technique as flies)
I take short rest between iso exercises, about 30 seconds, and no rest between the 4th and 5th set-when I do the set without weight. I take 3-5 minutes rest between compound sets like deadlifts. I shoot to get my heart rate back under 120 before starting my next set.
My front deltoids and triceps get crushed on this day, so I dropped shoulder press and triceps pull downs per Dr. Mike’s inferences.
Day B (2x a week)
4 x 6-10 Cable Rows (narrow grip)
4 x 6-10 High Rows (wide grip)
4 x 6-10 Hamstring Curls (seated)
4 x Abdominal Twists (using a medicine ball)
4 x Cable Bicep Curls (standing)
3 x Lateral Flies or Calf Raises (yes, back-to-back).
Day C (1x a week)
Light cardio-not at the gym. I get outside, avoid the unnecessary driving etc…I go for at least an hour of a hike, walk etc…
I burn 800-1200 calories per workout. I’ll do 30 minutes in a dry sauna once a week after my workout, mostly because I feel it helps my skin and circulation.
I do everything to failure, and I seem to work out pretty much my entire body. Even things like my traps and forearms are getting juiced from deadlifts.
I start my lifts with compound exercises because they’re the most tiring, and I want to have the most energy to do them.
Moreover, I believe there are spillover benefits from increased circulation and potentially hormone release, generated by compound exercises.
I don’t do any shoulder press-the incline press and dips, with good technique, absolutely crush my delts.
For rows-I used to do a ton of bent-over barbell rows. Football coaches love these, so I learned to. Honestly, they were awkward, and I wasn’t able to push myself to absolute failure.
I used to do a lot of pull-ups. I still think they’re pretty good. I mix them in here and there. But when you get strong, you have to add extra weight to your body weight. The swinging chain around your waist, dangling, gets annoying. It’s also hard to get the full range of motion.
Deadlifts are the single most important exercise in my experience. If you did nothing but deadlifts, you’d build great legs, a strong lower back, traps, and a strong grip. They also give me such a good pump, that they make me more effective at the rest of my workout.
I think dips are also underrated. With good technique, and good stretch-going to 90 degrees of elbow bend-you build your triceps, deltoids, pectorals, and even your forearms if you do wide grips. My chest gets a well-rounded workout if I do dips and incline press.
Coach Wolf is one big unit! Whatever he says I'll do
If your postural muscles are fatiguing in a bent over row, you have serious problems with your posterior chain
Seriously! I don’t know where all this oh it fatigues you in this and that came from. If you can’t do them because of your core or low back that means you absolutely should do them because that means you’re super weak in those areas.
@@movestattoo4561 along with some reverse hypers, deadlift hypers, good mornings and Romanians
His point is, the movement is meant to target a certain muscle, not a large group. The fact that it can fatigue your posterior chain, makes it essentially inferior in the context of this video
@@Arakune no, the movement is not meant to target a certain muscle. It's a compound movement meant to target multiple areas and induce maximal endocrine response. It does that perfectly.
Fuck if I'm replacing bent-over rows, one of my favorite excercises..
All respect to the level of intellect and experience these guys have but at this point these videos are just regurgitating the same 'buhht there be no stretch on this movement' in a different way. Most of these movements can be adjusted easily to get more or less stretch if you really find that to be that important. You can see Mike doing it in earlier videos too. You don't need 2 PHD holders to wrap this in formal language to pump out more and more of the same content.
My personal problem is that every actual big person I know does not and never has bothered with any of this, they eat a huge amount of food and they consistently train hard. It aint that complicated. Milo seems like a very smart man, but if hes so smart then he too should know how to create a caloric surplus and push some heavy weight to get a very simple outcome. And he too would look like he knows what hes talking about too!
@@vijfendertigbruh he literally said its a great exercise even for hypertrophy all he is saying is that if you want the best option do this instead
Do what you enjoy 💪🏽
you don't need to replace it if you enjoy them, you'll still get some growth but it creates more fatigue
Keep doing it, its a great exercise and has its own merits
I always come fast for daddy Mike.
Even faster if he puts a finger from behind
For #2 (leg extension), how do you progressively overload the reverse nordic curls? Leg extension machine really is the only commonly found machine that works your rectus femoris while also letting you really isolate and put a nice load on your quads.
Also correct me if im wrong but leg extension machines with cable connected weights that travel vertically (the most common ones & the one in video as well looks like), the resistance provided is nice and constant the entire ROM.
@Wolfcoaching I love all of these variatuons and have been working to engineer all these same philosophies in strength curves and lengthened tension into my training as best as i can with what i have in my gym.
One thing i have not seen you guys comment on is ab work. In my opinion the best exercise BY FAR that has allowed me to get into an extremely extended stretche position for my abs (especially lower abs) is the GHD situp. Huge stretch and the most weight in the curve when you're arched way back with your head to the floor, easier as you sit up to the top.
Decline situp benches still have you basically neutral at the bottom bwcause your hips are not extended and you cant arch the spine back. And even a dragon flag or candlestick just has you go to neutral at the bottom.
Ab mat situps and GHD situps are one thing i think CrossFit got really right becauae they both emphasize this stretch. The best ghetto rig setup ive been able to do to mimic this at my gym (which doesnt have a ghd) is to actually sit on the Bosu Ball and lock my feet under something, this way i can extend fully back and down around the curve of the ball and touch my head to the floor behind me. I have found this to be a far better ab stretching stimulus than regular flat situps or leg raises or ab crunch machine I've ever used.
have to defend my barbell rows:
1. don't touch the floor (use straps when you get strong)
2. I like the free posterior chain stimulus/deadlift carry-over/total body strength I get and since I do not train legs too seriously it does not inhibit me a ton(I think most guys fall in this category), you could put it on Deadlift/Leg day
3. just cheat a bit to smooth out the resistance curve, beginners start a strict as possible, but slowly introduce momentum at some point, makes progressive overload a lot easier + nasty weighted stretch with peak forces the bottom
Machine are fine, but BB Rows are just really fun and stimulative IMO plus some ppl get chest pain when doing heavy chest supported rows
2: Why would most guys not train legs seriously? I do Chest-supported row so that I save my lower back for leg days.
They are either purposely trying to create comment engagement or they don’t know what a bent row is compared to a pendlay row. Either way it’s pretty douchey to say in a video if you claim to be an expert.
There’s no reason to defend the rows bud everyone with a brain knows they’re goated … this video felt like Vietnamese propaganda
Mike has even said hitting other muscles in an exercise is fine and Wolf is saying no to it.
@@adammiller9179That sounds more like a weak lower back issue than anything
I’m so excited for Eric bugenhagen to react to this 😂
Eric is funny but doesnt give great advice when it comes to hypertrophy or really even strength training. He's just more of a lifting lifestyle dude with insane energy. I know he's going to go on a rant about how bent over barbell rows are great for getting those thicccc erectors, but that shit is pretty far fetched considering the erectors aren't a prime mover in the exercise as well as the fact that they stay fairly stationary during the exercise - even if horsecocking the weights. Its a decent overall back exercise, but shit for building the erectors. Deadlift variations, good mornings and loaded ~45 deg back extensions (finally an exercise where it makes sense to zercher the weight!) do a much better job for that.
Seeing you guys side by side is really eye opening. Milo must be like 8 foot tall?
5.8. Dr Mike is just jacked garden gnome
Mike is 5'11" and Milo is 6'0"
@@pancakerizer that last inch is the glimpse into infinity
I saw the opening scene and thought, "Can I please see them in armor with Wolf as a WoW Human and Mike as a Tolkien Dwarf?" Epic imagery.
The other guy is wrong. Mike is like 5'6" (a lot of pro bodybuilders are short) and Milo is like 6'2"/6'3" or thereabouts. Its why Milo can look lanky/smaller in solo videos but his size is apparent side by side.
Instead of rear delt cable crossovers, you can also do a smiliar exercise on a rear delt fly machine. Instead of sitting at the machine as you normally would, sit sideways at a 90-degree angle. Now perform the exercise with one arm at a time, achieving both maximum stretch with a lot of weight. I saw this on Jeff Nippards channel a while ago and holy, this has helped me so much.
0:00 - "Introduction to RP Strength with Dr. Mike"
1:11 - "Introduction to the First Exercise"
2:31 - "Understanding the Limitations of Various Back Exercises"
3:52 - "Proper Technique for Purposeful Spine Flex
5:05 - "Tips on Shortening the Backswing in Golf
6:14 - "Maximizing Hypertrophy with Full-Length
7:29 - "Understanding the Concept of Competition"
8:49 - "Understanding the Role of Gastro Muscle in the
10:02 - "Seated Calf Exercise Tutorial"
11:13 - "Reaching the Peak: Tips and Techniques"
12:28 - "Maximizing Productivity: Focusing on
13:41 - "Review Paper Analysis: Evaluating Effectiveness"
14:50 - "Exploring Chest Growth Techniques"
16:00 - "Understanding the Role of Triceps in Lifting
17:11 - "Understanding Limiting Factors in Muscle Development"
Is biasing the lengthened position in reverse nordics really such a big deal that you should sacrifice stability and isolation that a leg extension would give you? I don’t think you can push to failure as hard on reverse nordics than extensions.
It’s not but then you couldn’t make endless content about it.
Dude bent over rows have been a staple in my program for 3 years and they have built my back from medium shirts to XL. Beginners, dont let this discourage you from movements like heavy presses and pulls
This dude and his research has had such an impact on my training. Thank you so much for improving my life by such a strong factor Dr Wolf
1. Bent-over row: I totally agree. However, in lieu of a T-bar row (this isn't the most accessible piece of equipment, you know...), I just recommend chest-supported rows. They're not perfect, but they do fix some of the issues, especially when you use dumbbells.
2. Leg extensions: I agree here, too. Honestly, I'd say just do squats. If you really want to isolate the quads, do some sissy squats. I don't dislike the reverse Nordic curl suggestion, too, but I think this can be pretty controversial due to the stress it can place on the knee.
3. Seated calf raises: calf raises, deficit calf raises, hops, single-leg calf-raise, sprints, etc. I just think there are generally a bunch of superior calf exercises.
4. Rear-delt raises: I partially agree; the way Mike exhibits the exercise is awful. You can put yourself in a better position for more a effective movement (deeper hinge, different path, etc.). Again, chest-supported can be useful here. Cables, in my opinion, offer only a slight benefit, and if you're going to use cables, I'd recommend loading unilaterally.
5. Push-ups: as someone who can do more than 40 consecutive push-ups, I agree. I have several solutions, but the main issue with using blocks like you show is that it can be rough on people's wrists. What I prefer to do is suspension pull-ups on rings (sometimes extending to pelican push-ups), sometimes on a decline. Way, way better. If you don't have access to this set-up, then my other solution (albeit, possibly controversial) is adduction/rotation push-ups, followed by regular push-ups. This is a great way to isolate the chest and to hit it really hard. I'll do these on a decline with rings for a really effective exercise sometimes, too.
6. Triceps kickbacks: I think these undeservingly get a bad wrap. These can be a great primer and function differently than the French press as you show in the video. Both exercises obviously extend the elbow, but the elbow IS in different positions and the muscles are therefore recruited slightly differently. I do French presses if I don't have a good apparatus to lean on, but I would way prefer an incline tricep extension. Bodyweight tricep extensions are good and underutilized, too. But yeah, I do kickbacks and feel they are unique and beneficial. Just don't ONLY do them.
One of the issues you have with some of these exercises is the resistance curve. In my opinion, it's good to sometimes train in varying "curves" and too many people limit themselves to only training in one. This is kind of like saying that you should never do incline curls and only ever so spider curls. Do both! And standard curls. So I don't completely agree on this point.
Also, regarding bending over, like I mentioned, I mitigate this by using a bench. Incline benches are great at helping support the chest so you can focus on strengthening certain other areas such as with rows and kickbacks.
I would have definitely had a slightly different list. Some good points, but I think a few issues, too.
Very professional. He prepared what he was speaking 👏🏼
"Pencil neck shit" - Horse
Lost me on bent over rows. I don't put it back on the floor. My stabilizers don't fatigue before my back. I hit my belly on every rep. I don't believe you.
Exactly, maybe your stabilisers wouldn't fatigue if you, y'know, used them
@@edibaber5525 I have a hinge in my back. I'm doing 245 6 to 8 reps, it isn't difficult to maintain the position. In fact if I held the position after completing my final rep with the weight off the floor, I would probably fail in grip before my erectors failed. It's a bad critique of a great exercise. He's saying if you do the exercise poorly it isn't a great exercise, and he's out of his rabid a** mind if he thinks your erectors will fail before your late, rhomboids, traps, and rear delts.
I guess it depends on where you are strong or weak. But I can´t imagine getting limited on your stabilizers for a bent over row.
Honey, wake up!
Temu Hany Rambod just posted again.
Great stuff as usual. Respectfully, I would add that tricep kickbacks with a lower cable at the right angle (slightly upward) overcomes most of the issues with a dumbbell.
Leg Extension is one of the exercises that built my Quads insanely 💪🏻
Dorian Yates, best ever back in all of bodybuilding, how did you achieve those insane lats? ... bent over rows
Dorian also did other exercises for his lats, such as the pullover which has high load in the stretched position. They’re not saying they do nothing, just their are options that *may* be better
Anyone else exhausted by the most "optimal" way of training seemingly changing every week? Fuck me, just stick to the basics and do them well.
Booo
well yeah. thats how science works. it evolves.
Only the pencil necks are avoiding the Chad row, therefore Milo Dog = pencilneck
Sticky Ricky Little Dicky
Me too. I’m the pencil neck
Who the frick doesn't like horsecocking heavy loads
Seriously it's all the same bs. "Stretch resistance tempo blah blah blah"
Lift weights and eat food. 💪🏽
Ironically enough the guy looks kinda small tbh
Mike bro i hope you feel more peace and happiness in life soon. you deserve to
Enough w the triceps kickbacks, please. We get it! No person w an oz of knowledge has done kickbacks for years
These video aren’t made for those people. Not everyone coming to this page is an experienced lifter and a lot of people are finding this information for the first time and in the long run it’s made for them. Not you or other experienced lifters.
@@pwnagraphic690 I’d argue that the average lifter knows the uselessness of kickbacks.
@@SmoothHandleNo they don't. Stop being so negative about it, it's not that serious 😊
Lol the average lifter know almost nothing, I see lots of people doing this bad exercises.
@@fabiontona yes, they do. Stop being so negative.
Bent over rows were shown on this channel so much over the years
Yes and even Milo said it is still a great exercise ,one of the best even, all he says is that if you want to maximize hypertrophy do this instead
Do what ?
So?
It's not the best or most optimal for hypertrophy. That's it.
All you have to do to maximize stretch on the bent over rows is not bend over so far and let your back curve around with arms extended pause and come up still a great exercise just not best for stretch hypertrophy
I only do chest supported rows because the bent over version is so hard for my spinal erectors that they always fail before my back even when using a belt, and for that same reason you can´t let the barbell hang for 2 seconds at the bottom or do slower eccentrics (you spinal erectors will fail), a chest supported version is almost always better unless you lower back is so jacked this isn't a problem, for me it's always chest supported rows or 1 arm dumbbell rows with my hand and knee on the bench.
7:36 we appreciate you, Scott.
Good advice, you should try it, when you decide to start lifting.
Bent rows built the 2 best backs in history, not to mention many others.....next
3:45 right after they talk about mikes height the camera man zoomed out to show his whole body👌🏻
Great video. However, bent over rows happens to be one of my favorite exercises, specially when doing it from a bench press, the stretch that I get from it is unbelievable. Thank you guys for the content though. Keep it up.👍🏼
I train at home and my favorite back exercise is the bent over barbell row I practice very good technique make sure I get a good squeeze and a good stretch
What's more of a loss of credibility: His small back, or shitting on bent rows? Both.
Much better to take roids and wrestle other muscular men in spandex
Laughed the whole way.
He has a big back...
Milo is so selfish keeping all the height for himself. Give Mike a few inches of his choosing bro.
Man this guy is boring