02-28-24, 09:21 PM | |
Exchange Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Western NY
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Has anyone stopped doing bent over rows?
I think I re-tweaked my back doing bent over rows today.
Here are the details. Several weeks ago, I tweaked my lower back somehow - not sure exactly how, but it was after a Workout with Roxanne video. I love strength training and enjoy herself, but I thought it was maybe a weighted abs move or something like that. So since then I've been rehabbing myself, really focusing on a combination of core strength plus stretching via both yoga and Pilates. I've done some weights work, but not much. I was really pleased with my progress, and I was virtually back to 100%. So today I decide to try another of Roxanne's workouts (as an aside, I've done plenty of her routines in the past with no issues). It was Back, Biceps, and Abs, and there were A LOT of bent over row variations. I've never particularly like that exercise, but I could really feel my back starting to tighten up again - I stopped, but not quite soon enough! My back is fine - just mildly strained, so I'll have to be careful a bit again. But I'm really wondering if I should give up on weighted work for my back, at least bent-over rows and other bent-over exercises that strain my back. (Yet I love deadlifts and they seem to be fine for my back.) Oh, I should note that I'm 55, will be 56 in April. So I'm just wondering if others out there have adjusted the types of exercises you do for your back as you have gotten older, especially if you are prone to lower back pain.
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02-28-24, 09:59 PM | |
Exchange Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Western NY
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Thanks for your feedback, Kim! I try to lift heavy when possible, but my back isn't somewhere I really need to build muscle - I just want it to be strong and healthy. I think I need to keep up with the core strengthening work and do more of what you are doing.
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02-28-24, 11:31 PM | |
VF Supporter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Desert Southwest
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I will not EVER do push ups because they irritate my shoulder terribly. If they come up in a workout I do them on the wall, which I seem to tolerate. Bent over rows are questionable, and I usually have to use a really light weight, so not sure how much good they do. I have better luck with body rows using a suspension trainer such as TRX.
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Gale K. The winds of grace are blowing all the time--all we need to do is raise our sails. -Rama Krishna, as quoted by Baron Baptiste |
02-29-24, 07:48 AM | ||
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: TarHeel country
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Quote:
It’s a catch-22 — rows strengthen the back, yet they are a risk for potentially injuring a weak back. I stick with seated when possible. Or if I must: one armed, supported rows (hand on a bench or chair). . |
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02-29-24, 10:43 AM | |
Join Date: Jun 2009
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I usually do supported, one-arm rows with one foot and hand on a bench. I think it helps me isolate the lats and not cheat with other muscles. If I do a workout with Cathe with barbell rows or another bilateral variation, I can start to feel it in my lower back a little, which isn’t what I’m trying to work. Same with too many of any exercise where I’m bent over and have to focus on extending the back rather than my natural tendency to curve in that position.
Is it possible that you just need to avoid workouts where they do so many? I think overkill of any one exercise can be a problem. When I do rows, it’s usually only 3 heavy sets in one workout, and that’s pretty usual for paper workouts. I think doing much more than that would be too much in one position for me. Rows are an exercise where I’m no longer going to do bunches of sets with moderate weight where I don’t get close to failure by 8-10 reps. And I think if I just had to stop doing them, I’d want to get back into the gym to use the different seated row machine variations and be able to do lat pull-downs. My back has never grown that I can tell, but I enjoy being stronger so I wouldn’t want to go back to bands or bodyweight only for the back. |
02-29-24, 11:18 AM | |
Exchange Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Western NY
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Thanks for all the responses!
Buzzer - I do feel better if I support 1 hand on a chair for rows. They are still not completely comfortable; they don't aggravate my back per se, I've just never really liked them. Supermans are okay. Those are the types of yoga and Pilates moves I've been doing recently to strengthen. Gale - I actually feel that push-ups (or even plank) can aggravate my back! I can feel my back tighten up if I'm doing a plank hold. Fatkat - I've had some issues with QL in the past too. The current issue is different though - it's more of a tightness that I can feel across my back waist on either side, right along the top of the pelvis. Alison - exactly! I want my back to be strong, but rows don't seem to be the best way to do it for me. prettyinpink - you are right, I think this one particular workout was overkill! I can probably still do rows with lighter weights, maybe some modifications. Also, you sound similar to me in that I have tendency to have an exaggerated curve in my low back. I've never had a diagnosis for my back, but I think my recurrent symptoms are consistent with lower crossed syndrome: https://blog.nasm.org/lower-crossed-syndrome All of the exercises described in that article feel fine on my back. Thanks again everyone for your feedback!
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Beth aka Toaster (she/her) Follow me @YogiBethC YouTube|Instagram|Facebook And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon. |
02-29-24, 11:55 AM | |
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Maryland, USA
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Hi Beth,
I'm wondering if maybe it wasn't the exercise itself but the volume? This past summer I strained my back doing bridge work. Normally, bridge work is excellent for me and I do it a lot in Pilates and PT-type workouts. I think what did me in was the volume - a lot of reps, which probably resulted in the muscles I was supposed to be engaging giving up and allowing my lower back to take over the work. I'm wondering if the same thing happened here - the bent over rows are not the problem - but the volume of bent over rows may be the problem. Since my "bridge" incident, I am more mindful of taking breaks and not doing as many all at once. With videos it is sometimes hard to know when to stop - you are in the groove and don't realize something is an issue until it is too late. Also, I like Buzzer's modifications! Hope you feel better soon! Donna |
Tags |
back exercises, back pain, back strength, back strengthening, bent over rows, modification |
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