How and why is a curved row disc installed?
![bent over row prise disque exercice dos epaisseur](https://www.al3dsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/How-and-why-is-a-curved-row-disc-installed.jpg)
The bent disc grip (in English bent barbell over the row with plate grip) requires a weight bar and discs. If you have this device, this exercise is worth incorporating into your strength training program. While you are doing this exercise, you will definitely feel your back muscles contracting like you have never felt before.
This exercise directly engages several muscles of the upper back, including the latissimus dorsi, inferior and middle trapezius, rhomboids, teres major, posterior deltoids, infraspinatus, and teres minor. The muscles of the lower back (erector spinae) also stabilize the torso during movement. The secondary muscles used are the biceps brachii and brachialis.
To do this exercise, you'll need weight plates that have a handle (or rather holes). These holes are designed to make loading and unloading weight plates easier, but for the purposes of this exercise, they are literally the handle for performing the exercise. You will also need a short tape (such as EZ tape); The 2 meter Olympic ribbon is very long.
Illustrative credit © Aliaksandr Makatserchyk
- Bend over and grab the handles of the weight plates instead of gripping the bar, with your hands in a neutral position (facing each other).
- Lift the bar and raise your torso slightly until it is 15 to 45 degrees off the ground, keeping your back straight.
- From your starting position at the bottom, begin the top (contraction) portion of the movement by pulling your shoulder blades back and bringing them together.
- Then bring the bar toward your stomach by pulling your elbows up. Keep your core tight and chest up throughout the movement.
- Pull up as far as your range of motion allows. As you near the top, contract your upper back muscles as much as possible.
- Slowly lower the bar to the starting position, where you will feel a slight stretch while maintaining tension in your upper back muscles.
Training tips
- Do not perform bends and extensions from the waist when raising and lowering the bar. Maintain the same torso angle throughout the movement.
- A common mistake is using your arms too much. You have to imagine that your hands are hooks and your arms are just attaching those hooks to your upper back muscles.
- Since this variation of the row provides a greater range of motion, be sure to take advantage of it and pull as high as your range of motion will allow.
- As you pull the bar up, retract your shoulder blades and feel the contraction in your back muscles intensify. Mentally focus on contracting your upper back muscles.
- Lifting weights and using a lot of momentum increases the risk of injury, especially in the lower back. The biggest mistake is using your legs or hips to lift more weight than you can normally handle with good technique.
- Using a weight belt can help some people keep their body stable by maintaining intra-abdominal pressure.
- It is possible to perform this exercise unilaterally as shown in the illustration below. Unilateral training is very beneficial, because it allows greater work of the abdominal muscles. It can also allow you to correct a power imbalance when one side is more dominant than the other.
![Bent over the replacement disk socket row](https://www.al3dsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1706487325_383_How-and-why-is-a-curved-row-disc-installed.gif)
Illustrative credit © Aliaksandr Makatserchyk
Benefits/advantages
The biggest benefit of this exercise is the tremendous range of motion you get at the top of the pull. When performing a classic barbell row, the bar touches your stomach when you reach the top of the movement and you can't go any further. With a bent disc grip, you have several extra inches to pull up, as you can see in the illustration above, because the elbows can rise much higher.
This exercise is performed with a neutral grip, with the palms facing each other. With a barbell, you can only use a prone or supine grip. By including the neutral grip row, you will be able to work your upper back muscles from a third angle, which may allow for a more complete overall development of all your upper back muscles.
cons
Not all gyms have weight plates with handles. It is not practical or effective to try this exercise using a pincer grip, because the grip will become the limiting factor.
Additionally, you may not be able to train with as much weight with this exercise. This is mainly due to the greater range of motion and the fact that you won't be as strong in the last few inches at the top. If you maintain only the classic range of motion, you may be able to lift the same amount of weight as with a classic bent-over row or upright row.
How and why is a curved row disc installed?