Emphasis
The primary muscles stressed in this movement are the muscles in your upper back (latissimus dorsi and rhomboids). The secondary muscles stressed are the shoulders and biceps.
Starting Position
Grip the handle as designated by the trainer as you sit on the seat with your arms extended forward, keeping your shoulders back. Bend forward at the hips until your upper body is at a 45-degree angle.
Movement
Pull the handle back, keeping your arms straight, until your upper body is straight up and down. Push your chest out and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Take two to three seconds to return to the extended position.
Training Tips
- Make sure you push your chest out and keep your shoulder back to help isolate the back muscles.
Options
- There are several different hand positions that you can use to target different areas of the back. They are wide grip, medium grip (both with palms down) and close grip (v-bar, palms facing).
Warning Tips
- Do not overextend your shoulders as you return the handle to the starting position. Failure to do so can result in serious injury to your shoulders.
- Do not round your back when your arms are extended forward. Failure to do so can result in serious injury to your back.
- Do not return the handle to the extended position any faster than two to three seconds. You must stay in control at all times during this movement. The faster you perform this movement, the less control you will have, which in turn will increase your risk of injury.
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GUEST AUTHORED BY: Robert Bovee Certified Master PPT, RTS, ETS, FTS
Guest authors offer experience and educational insights based on their specific area of expertise. These authors are contributing writers for the NFPT blog because they have valuable information to share with NFPT-CPTs and the fitness community at-large. If you are interested in contributing to the NFPT blog as a guest, please send us a note expressing your interest and tell us how you can contribute valuable insights to our readers. We look forward to hearing from you! Send to editor@nfpt.com
