Philosophers will continue to ask questions about the ways in which human minds and souls intertwine whether through thought or faith. What is clear to me is that all people share a fundamental foundation of the state of health and fitness. For most people, it isn’t until you get sick that you realize how much you value health.
In order to produce as a higher being than before, one must support the physiological aspect.
To truly value health is to commit to a better tomorrow
In my five year career in health / fitness around the Puget Sound, I’ve become acquaintance with many people who have struggled with health. Actually, there are a lot of people on the front lines of natural health who themselves have experienced pain or tragedy. They re-learned how to treat their bodies and re-emerged from their struggle to share meaningful stories and information with people going through something similar.
Health must have a preventative focus
At the same time, health must also require urgency. The most important act of health are those which nourish or empower the entire person. Holistic health has a focus on preventing disease of modern society. Every day is extremely important in the function of all human systems including the heart and mind.
Communities with shared health values succeed more often
You’ve heard the saying, “you are what you eat.”
Perhaps you should adopt a new one…, “you are who you spend your time around.”
The quickest way to reach your goals is to surround yourself with people who are experiencing the journey already. Health and fitness, they say is also like success, as in it is more about the journey than the destination.
I see these things as… A healthy constitution, a vessel which is rewarded by ongoing detoxification, a real human person with the thoughts and feelings of empowering their most important asset.
Burning fat is best done in the company of others burning fat
If your goal is to burn fat, aligning yourself with other people who share these values will have a profound positive effect on daily behavior. Yes we are influenced by others, so use it to your advantage.
Maybe you already are on the journey. Then, reader, I solute you. Continue to inspire the people in your life to make choices that benefit the foundation of their needs as a human. Yet, help those who want to be helped.
That is because true strength requires muscles throughout the entire body to work at the most efficient joint angles. Technique is incredibly important for injury prevention and performance.
Deadlifts are for strength
Like any exercise, deadlift is a skill which requires the lifter to learn the deadlift movement pattern.
Deadlift Fundamentals
For the deadlift, you should take note of these
1. Full body tension
2. Legs and hip drive
3. Squeeze the butt aggressively
4. Bar is as close to the body as possible during the entire lift
Deadlift Critique
Setup Need to correct – Leaning forward
1. Chest Up
2. Hips back
3. Drive through the heels
Sit back into the rep, focus on using glutes as the power player. Mid-Range Need to correct – Hips rise too fast
1.Focus on Leg Drive
2. Push heels into the ground
3. Spread the floor with your feet Lockout Need to correct- Stopping short
1. Pull the bar towards the body
2. Squeeze glutes forcefully Lowering Need to correct – Too much lower back on way down
1. Keep the chest up
2. Let the hips drop as soon as bar passes the knees
How to Improve your Deadlift
Main ways to improve the Deadlift
Practice the deadlift (train the deadlift)
Get stronger in all key areas (upper back, lower back, core, glutes, hamstrings, quads)
Keep at it y’all. Cuz you realize that when you’re deadlift technique is good, you WILL have a strong, strong, strong back and legs. Your spine will be protected by slabs of muscle and you will feel the strength in all the other areas of your life!!
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In the absence or presence of any experience, your core values will always be there.
I believe it is the core value of a person who is able to push forward under pain and stress.
It is the core value of a person to realize the truth of failure and then ascend to even greater heights.
It is the core value of a person to commit to their goals and hold themselves accountable.
For strength trainers, the core value manifests physically
You feel more powerful as the body realizes greater potential. The changes can be found in the tendons, ligaments, muscular elements, mineralization of bone, endocrine efficiency improvements, and energy systems adaptation. There is little vanity in seeking to become a better version of yourself.
“ya I’m feeling good ’bout myself”
Lessons learned from intense training should carryover to mental toughness
We push ourselves in the gym not because we are afraid of the outcome, but because we embrace it. Either move forward or start dying because I don’t want to live a life without meaning. Intensity later balanced by harmony and back to intensity.
Raw strength has been valuable in nearly all cultures throughout time. As you become capable of performing heavy work through multiple planes of motion, you gain strength both inner and outer.
The struggles of life are best faced with strong core values, because no matter the outcome you strive to rise above it.
The Gymnasium has always been a sanctuary for training. In the ancient days of Greece, everyone valued training as a means to develop the body. During those times, citizens must have yielded superior physical strength to ward off foreign invasions. Always remember that physical strength and vigor was required to defend the very origins of Western civilization and ideals.
Milo of Croton became famous for his… effective training methods.
The point is that Gyms can revolutionize your body. The best way to do that is to pursue your goals while respecting those of others.
Gym Etiquette
You may see people being disrespectful, but I strongly dissuade you from mirroring rude behavior. Truth is, to succeed in fitness you must lead yourself. Simultaneously, you can lead others by setting a positive example in your surroundings.
1. Clothing and Hygiene. Make sure you and your articles of clothing are clean because you don’t want to communicate body odor to the cardio bunnies. Also, avoid wearing very bright, eye catching clothing because it can be extremely distracting… you don’t want people dropping weights.
2. Dropping weights. The exercise begins when you grab hold of the weight, and ends when you return the weight. Not only are you missing out on gaining functional strength by dropping weights, but its also a hazard and disruptive to other gymgoers.
3. Hogging machines. Just like we share the road, we also share the gym. So, be a good driver and let someone merge into your lane. Likewise, in between sets I encourage you to stand up from the machine during your rest period. This will reduce the possibility that another gymgoer is thinking very bad thoughts about you.
4. “Working-in” without making human contact. This offense typically occurs during peak hours. The situation is when you are resting in between sets, and another guy just comes up and starts using your equipment without eye contact or anything. Come on dude, be civil!
5. Protein gas. Don’t you realize the cute girl might think its actually me? You ruining my game bro.
6. GRUNTING LOUDLY. I also enjoy lifting heavy weights, so I cut some slack. If you grunt on your heaviest 2-3 reps — no problem. However, if you are doing 12 reps on the incline dumbbell press and grunting every time, you’re going to piss people off for doing what we all understand to be unnecessary.
7. Disrespecting “mirror-space.” Even if people don’t use the mirrors to help their form, they will still be distracted by a goofball who works out directly behind them. Case in point, I was doing squats in the squat rack and an older lady wearing bright pink takes a bosu ball and does crunches less than three feet behind me. If you are going to exercise in someone’s mirror space, please bring your Harry Potter invisibility cloak.
8. Put weights away properly.
9. Loud conversations. Saying hi is great, but when you start talking about your ex-girlfriends sister who is now engaged to a guy she met at the county fair while waiting in line for scones… you might be taking it too far. Again, it’s distracting and inappropriate so take it to the lounge or make sure you aren’t within annoying distance of other people.
10. Using your arms like hooks on the treadmill. You’re only cheating yourself, and wasting time especially during peak hour when others would like to actually use their legs.
What TO DO
Be open minded — everyone’s fitness journey is unique.
Focus on your goals.
Make it fun by respecting people’s differences.
Look and appreciate, but do not stare.
Be sexy. Feel good about yourself… holistically. At any age, it can help you maintain your physique for all the right reasons.
The Inverted Row is gaining popularity, but it still remains an underrated movement.
To get a visual, first pause and imagine the Bench Press exercise for a moment. The bench press is a pushing exercise that brings the bar to your chest and then pushes it away. Whereas the inverted row is a pulling exercise that brings your chest to the bar and then you lower yourself back down.
Back built by rows
Think about the complete opposite of the Bench Press — this is the Inverted Row.
Inverted Row
The Inverted Row is the ultimate upper back exercise.
In the next few paragraphs, I will make the case for why every gym goer in search of a strong, healthy, balanced physique should be doing the Inverted Row exercise.
Aside from the strength benefits, the Inverted Row wins points in a variety of categories related to the ideal physique.
I. Comparison of Barbell Row vs. Inverted Row
The Barbell Row is also a highly effective compound exercise for the back. If you’re looking to build a great physique, then the Barbell Row (or a variation) should probably be somewhere in your routine.
However, the Barbell Row has some contraindications and limitations that may make the exercise inappropriate for some people.
Barbell Row
Benefits of the Barbell Row:
One of the best exercises for back and arms
You can adjust the weight according to your own strength levels
It’s possible to use lots of weight (powerlifters can often row up to 300+ lbs)
Can build muscle and tone your physique
Crossover strength into other exercises
Disadvantagesof the Barbell Row:
Possibility of injury with improper form
Strain the lower back if not careful
Avoid lower back pain
You can “cheat” very easily on the form, which decreases its benefits
Doesn’t activate lower trapezius as much (a small, yet essential muscle for shoulder health)
Is not a direct counter-balancing movement to the Bench Press
As you can see, the Barbell Row is a fantastic exercise for a lot of people. If you train the Row, then more power to you!
But there are some areas in which the BB Row can’t keep up compared to the Inverted Row.
II. Benefits of the Inverted Row
The Inverted Row is an exceptional upper back exercise.
Similar to a pull up, push up, and other bodyweight exercises, the Inverted Row is a closed kinetic chain movement. In terms of fitness, is important to be able to move your body through space at a variety of angles.
In order to perform a feet-elevated inverted row, you must already be strong or you can do inverted row progressions to gain the required strength.
The Inverted Row with feet elevated is so demanding that 90% of an average gym population won’t be able to complete a single rep with perfect form. It is indeed a humbling exercise, especially for guys who can bench 300+ pounds.
So here are the top benefits of the Inverted Row…
1. Builds a great Phsyique
What guy doesn’t want at least a little more muscle? What gal doesn’t want that hourglass shape torso?
The Inverted Row is definitely a physique builder alone or in a well designed program. The actual exercise itself can be a great stimulus for muscle growth, but even better is that it is a great activation exercise so it can benefit your other movements.
Jamie likes to row
Rear delts
Middle trapezius
Lower trapezius
Lats
Rombhoids
Biceps
Forearms
Core
2. NO Lower-back strain
Our lower backs are simply not designed to move a lot of weight. The lower back is designed to remain rigid while the primary movers of the body do their work. Thats everyone knows they should “lift with your legs.”
During an alternative exercise like the Barbell Row, the lower back may succumb to the weight before the upper back. If the lower back is too weak, you won’t get the true benefits for the upper back during that exercise.
The Inverted Row takes the lower back out of the equation.
Low Back pain does not exist in this exercise.
3. Strengthens the Shoulder Girdle (Shoulder Health)
The Inverted Row movement requires a lot of effort from the muscles in the middle back. These muscles are particularly important for shoulder health.
In particular, the lower trapezius, middle trapezius, and rhomboids need to be balanced compared to other muscles. For example, the lower trapezius should have similar activation to the upper trapezius. When people have upper traps that are too dominant, it contributes to the “slunched over” posture and can wreak havoc on the shoulder joint. The inverted row strengthens the lower trapezius at just the right angle.
The inverted row is not only a great movement for the lower trapezius, but it is also a fantastic rear-deltoid exercise as well. Aside from making your physique look fantastic from all angles, the rear-deltoids should be balanced to the front-deltoids for…you guessed it…shoulder health.
4. Benefits the Bench Press
Dear Benchers, I’d like to win you over here, because the Bench Press is the one exercise that every single person on the planet knows about. We all know how awesome the bench press is. It gives you great chest, shoulder, and tricep development. In other words, it makes you manly and powerful. (Or lean and alluring, if you are female).
Bio-mechanically, the Inverted Row is the perfect compliment to the Bench Press. Instead of pushing a bar away from you, you are pulling yourself towards a bar.
Think of the upper back as the foundation, while the chest is the active machinery during bench press. If your foundation is a pile of feathers, how effective is your machinery?
Dumbbell Bench Pressing supported by upper back.
What most people don’t realize is that the muscles in the back are constantly stabilizing the muscles in the front during the Bench Press. Essentially what this means is that stronger upper back equals a stronger bench press.
Strong upper back –> strong foundation –> Big Bench Press.
5. Promotes optimal Recovery
After you get into weight lifting for a while, you realize one fundamental element…
Success in the game is a balance between training and recovery. The stimulus is the weight lifting, while the recovery includes everything from the food you eat, the timing of the food you eat, the amount of sleep you get, and essentially everything else you do.
Therefore, recovery is different for everybody. You want to optimize recovery because it allows you make more progress and stay healthy. (if you seriously overtrain, you will lose progress, get hurt, or get sick — guaranteed)
Bodyweight exercises are inherently easier to recover from compared to barbell exercises. This means that you can do bodyweight exercises more frequently and potentially make progress significantly faster than barbell exercises alone.
The Inverted Row, while a demanding exercise, is easier to recover from than the barbell row.
Training hard in the gym accounts for maybe 15% of your gains, while optimal recovery accounts for the rest.
Thats why you need to eat well, sleep well, and do bodyweight exercises!
6. Functional Strength development
Would you still be as impressed by a guy who could bench press 500 pounds, but couldn’t move his own body through a simple plane of motion?
Powerlifters struggle to lift as much weight as possible in the bench press, and even their coaches tell them they need to do bodyweight exercises — especially the Inverted Row.
The Inverted Row is a functional strength exercise with significant carryover to other exercises and quality of life.
Now you know…
This is why the Inverted Row is one of the best Upper Back exercises known to man, and why we need to spread the word to our fellow man.
III. How to perform the Inverted Row.
You may look at the picture and think you know how to do an inverted row, and you may very well be able to. Just keep in mind a few cues to help you out.
Inverted Row Feet Elevated
1. Foot placement determines difficulty.
Place feet on ground for beginners, and feet elevated for advanced trainees.
2. Keep your butt up
If your butt sags down, you are not doing the exercise right. Keep that butt tight and elevated.
3. Maintain Core Stiffness
This may be a core exercise for those with less developed abs. It is important to maintain core tightness, and keep your butt up, because this will put the lower back in the right position. It also enables you to focus on the primary mover, which is your back.
4. Chest up
Open up your chest, keep it up and out.
5. Lean your head back
When the head goes back, it puts your body in a position to activate the muscles that you really want. This helps to activate the lower-traps and muscles surrounding the shoulder blades.
6. Do not use momentum
Momentum is cheating. If you can’t complete a full rep with feet elevated, then start with the progressions first. Feet to the ground.
In terms of execution…
Pull from the elbows and middle back.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
Try to activate as much of your back as possible.
I like to squeeze at the top for a count of 2 seconds
Go up fast, then lower yourself slower
Here is a video to give you the visual of it.
IV. Go forth and Row!
I would say that 95% of people in weightlifting programs should be doing at least one variation of row. Rowing is essential for strengthening the muscles of the back.
TRX system check it out on Amazon.com. Definitely one of the best bodyweight tools, used by all my clients.
As a follower of drefitness.com, you now have the knowledge of this incredible upper-back exercise.
You know how I feel about the all-powerful and beneficial Inverted Row.
I’ll let you decide whether or not you think the Inverted Row truly is the best upper-back exercise known to man.
Either way, give it a go next time you work your upper back! Prepare to be humbled.
Dre Fitness 