For all the years I have trained my back, I have used barbell rows as the foundation of my mass building arsenal.
Occasionally, I will substitute dumbbell rows for the barbell as it offers several benefits.
Firstly, it is friendly on the lower lumbar spine by limiting too much bouncing and jerking throughout the movement.
Secondly, you get great stretch at the bottom of the row with an equally great range of motion and contraction as you pull the dumbbell into your obliques.
Third, being a compound movement, it can still offer the mass building benefits you get with the barbell equivalent, albeit with stricter form.
The key to this exercise is finding the correct foot placement with the stabilising leg. My legs are quite long compared to my torso, so I have found that I need to place my foot a fair distance behind me.
Also, the action of the row is very much akin to starting your lawnmower with that somewhat annoying and frustrating rip cord!
Definitely worth a try, particularly if you’ve recently experienced a lower back injury or niggle.
PS: Checkout this video from Jeff at AthleanX for an even more detailed breakdown of the dumbbell row.
Bodychisel by Craig. 