The Barbell Row

[Euby]

Barbell Rows have always felt the most unnatural of any movement to me. They also feel the most likely to cause an acute injury, and as such I've never been able to do them progressively for any long period of time.

Rip, on the other hand RDL's seem to have better function in training the low back and hamstrings. Combined with a supported, bent-over dumbbell row to work the upper back, that seems to me to be a more effective combination, even it it means more time getting it all done. Would you disagree with that?

[Moorefoodnow]

I wanted to start off by saying I am enjoying the recent content and platform videos coming out. Thanks for producing a video for the row!

My question is in response to supinating the grip for this movement. I understand the intent is to involve more muscle mass over the ROM and supinating the grip would bring the bicep in as well. If i'm thinking about this correctly, the Lats have an insertion at the intertubercular groove of the humerus. Supination of the arm should lengthen the lat in the starting position of the row (more than if the grip was pronated) and would indicate a (slightly) larger effective range of motion. My question here is: Since the row you've described is trained as a power movement, would it stand to reason that a rapidly applied force in which the bicep is more directly involved (in comparison to the pronated grip) to move the most amount of weigh put it at risk for a distal bicep tendon injury like the bicep is at risk in an alternate grip for a deadlift? Would supinating the grip therefore not be the most effective range of motion since a higher probability for injury is present? In addition, supinating the grip also applies more stress to the bicep due to the carrying angle of the arm in supination (although the arm does not remain in extension like in the deadlift).

A logical response to this argument would be that since the exercise is primarily meant to be assistance for the lats and grip, the weight used in the row is submaximal when compared to a deadlift; and because it is submaximal, there's not the same level of concern for that type of injury. Since the movement is submaximal and limited by the grip, training the movement with a supinated grip would mitigate the risk of a distal biceps tendon rupture at heavier weight. But 305 isn't exactly light either. You said it's fine to pronate the arms while using straps, but the reasoning in the video was that it's difficult to strap with a supinated hand.

Is my line of thinking justified? Does it stand to reason that there's a risk for bicep injury in a barbell row with a supinated grip? Or is the weight submaximal enough on a power movement limited by grip that the risk of biceps injury is not large enough to be significant?

[nykid]

What about the legendary Rip quote:

"Here is my position on the barbell row: fuck the barbell row."

I know it was in the content of replacing the power clean for novices, but I thought I'd remind you for fun.