For beginners who are looking to get big, the gym can be a little overwhelming. Which machines should they use? How much should they try to lift? What would be best for getting bigger? Learning from someone who has experience and knowledge can be a big help. Two-time NPC Mr. Wisconsin winner and Flex Social Media Director David Baye fits that bill, and he is back in another episode of Back 2 Basics. This time, he is focusing on the upper back and how landmine rows can help.
Landmine Rows
Many gyms have a landmine station. All you need is a barbell, plates, and the landmine. An attachment or cable handle to use for holding would be beneficial as well. Baye explains that your positioning is important as well.
“Now of course with any row, we want to make sure we’re getting bent over in a good, strong position, and using our back to row the weight.”
What Baye does not want is for you to be standing and pulling the weight, similar to a shoulder shrug. His guidance for your starting position and movement is crucial to get the most out of this exercise.
“You should have your feet shoulder-width apart, your legs in a strong position, a nice arch in your back, chest up, and pulling up to your chest, and down.”
Range of Motion
Like any other back exercise, having a long range of motion is important for landmine rows. That can be difficult if you use 45 pound plates. That’s why Baye swapped in a 25 pound plate instead.
“You can get a lot of 25s and get a lot of weight on these. The idea with a 25 is that I can still get in this position (as shown on the video), and the edge of the plate isn’t hitting the ground on the bottom end so I can get in a good position and stretch my arms all the way down.” He also shows that the contraction is better as well. “I don’t have that 45 hitting my chest or my abdomen. So the entire range of motion is going to be enhanced because I’m using 25 pound plates instead of 45s.”
Baye was using a V-handle to pull the barbell with in the video. There are specific handles that can be used for this movement if your gym has them. He refers to this as one of his favorite back exercises, and once you try it for yourself, you will likely feel the same way. Perform three or four sets of landmine rows for 10 to 12 reps each as a part of your upper back routine.
