Wide grip row alternative?

[British Rich]

Hello folks...

Just got back from my back workout, damn it was a good one

Anyway...the cables I use for wide grip rows maxes out at 200lbs...I have been strapping on weights but I know any day now I'll be told not to, and with good reason.

Today I was comfortably pulling 245lbs for wide grip rows.

Due the the machine limits I need an alternative, my best guess is to substitute my bent over rows as one of my "heavy" back exercises in place of my seated rows and keep the cables around their intended 210 (2 add on 5's) limit so as not ts o break the machine or myself.

any other suggestions?

(I am aware I can go extra slow etc but that will only delay my need for a substitute and I already do roughly a 3-1-3 count)

...of course I do most of the staples already, pull ups/chin ups, dumbbell rows, reverse bench press (pull up from UNDER the bar while flat) reverse flye's etc...

[Doug]

Originally Posted by British Rich

Hello folks...

Just got back from my back workout, damn it was a good one

Anyway...the cables I use for wide grip rows maxes out at 200lbs...I have been strapping on weights but I know any day now I'll be told not to, and with good reason.

Today I was comfortably pulling 245lbs for wide grip rows.

Due the the machine limits I need an alternative, my best guess is to substitute my bent over rows as one of my "heavy" back exercises in place of my seated rows and keep the cables around their intended 210 (2 add on 5's) limit so as not ts o break the machine or myself.

any other suggestions?

(I am aware I can go extra slow etc but that will only delay my need for a substitute and I already do roughly a 3-1-3 count)

...of course I do most of the staples already, pull ups/chin ups, dumbbell rows, reverse bench press (pull up from UNDER the bar while flat) reverse flye's etc...

Do you mean pulldowns...????

List your back workout, including reps and sets and also your rep timing..

[mk636]

I think he's talking about rows not pulldowns. I have the same problem. The stack only goes to 200 lbs.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by mk636

I think he's talking about rows not pulldowns. I have the same problem. The stack only goes to 200 lbs.

The best exercises for building the "V" shape of the back is wide grip chins, and wide grip pulldowns, (strict form, slow reps of course)

[opsman]

Kind of a related question here: What is the difference in specific muscle groups/areas worked between close grip pulldowns and wide grip pulldowns? I did close grip last night and definitely felt it working, but it felt like I was working the same muscle group as when I do wide grip pulldowns...

OPSMAN

[Doug]

Originally Posted by opsman

Kind of a related question here: What is the difference in specific muscle groups/areas worked between close grip pulldowns and wide grip pulldowns? I did close grip last night and definitely felt it working, but it felt like I was working the same muscle group as when I do wide grip pulldowns...

OPSMAN

Your quite right, both exercises train the lats....Just that wide and narrow hit the muscles differently, its the same as fly's work chest, pec dec works chest, but the best exercises for chest are the bench presses

[Damien]

Here's a wide grip row alternative:

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/exe...eight-row.html

(although the position is really wrong in this image, you should be pulling up to your chest)

[British Rich]

Originally Posted by Damien

Here's a wide grip row alternative:

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/exe...eight-row.html

(although the position is really wrong in this image, you should be pulling up to your chest)

Thanks Damien, that is what I refered to above as "reverse bench press" I do mine with my feet up on a bench too, much harder....usually do it like the pic on the last set when I am dead LOL (and yes definitely to chest not chin)

[British Rich]

Hey Doug,

I try to vary my workouts at least slightly every time, but my most recent back workout was this which is fairly typical:

x1 set x20 reps 1/2 weight warm up with wide grip rows
x3 sets x10 reps wide grip rows, approx 3-1-3 timing
x3 sets x10 reps close grip pull downs
x3 sets x10 wide grip pull ups
(weighted assistance, still not strong enough for "real" ones)

x3 sets x10 bent over rows
x3 sets x10 reps (if I can manage it) "reverse bench press" or whatever it is called as mentioned above.

As for timings I always shoot for 2-1-2 on everything or 3-1-3 on the bigger ranges of motion. Momentum annoys the cr*p outta me ha ha ha ha

[British Rich]

Almost forgot, I usually substitute in one arm dumbbell pulls every other time too....