How to Do Bent Over Cable Rows
- 1). Find the cable pulley rack in your gym. This is usually a standalone piece of equipment that allows you to place an attachment at the top or the bottom of the rack of weights. Place a straight bar attachment to the bottom pulley. You will perform the movement much like the bent over row with a barbell, but with the cables instead. This movement may be awkward if you are performing it for the first time so it is best to start off with a light weight until you can get used to the movement.
- 2). Place the pin in the weight stack to a low setting, one that will allow you to perform at least 8 repetitions. You can start off with just a few plates to test your weight starting point. Starting off with a light weight and trying a repetition or two will help to see where you are at in terms of strength and will help you to avoid injury in the long run.
- 3). Bend over and grasp the straight bar with an underhand grip, meaning your palms will be facing away from you. When you bend over you will want to keep your back and abdominal muscles as tight as possible. As much as possible you will need to try to avoid curling your back. Curling of your back means you have that hunched over look. Pushing out your chest and not hunching over should help keep your back as tight and as straight as possible. You also want your body to be parallel or almost parallel to the ground. Once you are in this position make sure that your feet are shoulder width apart. You are now in your starting position.
- 4). Pull the bar into your lower stomach area. Once you pull the bar to this area you will feel a tightness or contraction in your back muscles. Once you feel this be sure to squeeze and hold it for a split second to a second. You should also feel some tightness in your biceps muscles as well as they will be assisting in the movement as well.
- 5). Slowly lower the bar to your starting position and repeat for at least 8 more repetitions. During this movement be sure to only be moving your arms. Swinging and rocking and bringing your other muscles more into play will take away from the effectiveness of the exercise and it could also cause injury to your back or surrounding muscles.
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