The http://www.gain-muscle-workout-less.com/bent-over-row.html is one of the basic upper and middle back exercises. For awhile now athletes, bodybuilders and power lifters have been performing the bent row as a way to increase the strength and size of the muscles in the middle to upper back. If you're wanting to add bulk and shape to your upper body, then the bent row is an important exercise that you must fit into your lat workouts.

Targeting the Latissimus Dorsi, the bent row combines the powerful bodybuilding benefits of allowing you to train with a heavy weight thorough a complete range of motion and allowing you to target your lats with laser accuracy and move closer to the classic V-shape taper that your dying to have! While many of the best muscle building exercises allow you to train multiple body part at the same time, the bent over row doesn't allow any other muscle groups to steal the load and decrease the amount of work that your lats do.  This is one of the big benefits to planning bent rows into your lat workouts. You get a lot of lat stimulation with heavy weights.

Muscles Hammered During The Bent Over Row

Aside from the lats, there are a few other muscle groups that carry a thier share of the load.  The Teres Major, Posterior Deltoid, Biceps Brachii, Brachioradialis, Brachialis, Rhomboids and Trapezius all aid in the completion of this movement, but the vast majority of the load is carried by the latissimus dorsi. When performed with correct form, the bent row uses very few of the muscles listed above, but when performed with sloppy form, it's one of those exercises that can start to transfer a lot of the load from the target muscles to the accompanying muscles.  That's one of the reasons that it's critical to learn how to perform bent rows the right way.

How To Perform The Barbell Row

1. Grasp the Barbell with an overhand grip with your hands spaced slightly wider than shoulder width.  You should be standing on your feet with them spaced shoulder width apart and bend your knees slightly. Lean forward at the waist at approximately a 45° angle. Make sure to keep your back straight during the full range of the movement. If you're body is aligned properly, then the bar should be positioned just above your knee prior to beginning the exercise.

2. Pull the bar up to the lower portion of your chest, making sure to keep your core muscles contracted (in order to stabilize your spine). When properly performed, you will basically be lifting your elbows up towards the sky while holding your upper body in a stationary position.

While performing this exercise, you should feel the muscles in your upper back working. The lats are located along both sides of the spine along your back. In order to ensure that you are focusing on the lats properly, it helps to visualize the muscles that you are using (or supposed to be using) and to attempt to pull your shoulder blades up and back at the top of the exercise, this will force your latissimus dorsi to contract if it isn't already engaged.  Once you feel the muscles that are supposed to be performing the bulk of the work during http://www.gain-muscle-workout-less.com/bent-over-row.html, then it becomes easier to make small adjustments to your form to ensure that the right muscles are being targeted.

3.  Allow the bar to move back down to the starting position in a slow and controlled manner, but still focus on using your lats to complete the eccentric portion of the lift.

keep in mind that varying the position of your grip will allow you to target different parts of your middle and upper back. If you perform barbell rows with an overhand grip, you will target the lower part of the trapezius and your rhomboids. While performing bent rows with an underhand grip will place most of the emphasis on the upper portion of the trapezius and the biceps brachii.

If you're wanting to increase the size and strength of your upper and middle back, then barbell rows should be a major part of your lat workouts.  Not only will you be able to target your lats with laser focus and get a jump the coveted v-taper upper body, but you'll be able to train with a heavy enough weight to make a noticeable difference quickly.