To perform this one, you'll need a barbell and a power rack (a Smith machine can work for this, too). I also recommend using bumper plates, if you have them, but it's not 100% necessary as long as you're able to fully control the weight during the exercise.
This Exercise Hits The Upper Back and Lower Traps in One Combination Exercise:
Start by setting the safety rails to about 2 to 2 1/2 feet off the ground. You'll want to experiment a little with height, once you see and try the exercise. Set up the bar on the floor, underneath the rails and up close to the uprights of the rack.
Get into position for a normal barbell row (done in the style of a Pendlay Row, off the floor).
Row the bar up all the way up into, and pulling up against, the bottom of the rails. When you're in this position, imagine pulling your chest down towards the bar as you pull the bar up into the rails. This will give you a STRONG contraction in your middle traps.
That's the row portion of the exercise...it only gets worse for your middle traps from here.
Now for the "raise" portion of the exercise...
Continue pulling the bar up and into the corner made by the rails and the uprights then shift your BODY backwards, sitting back towards the floor.
Do this slowly and under control, keeping continuous effort on raising the bar up into the corners to keep it from falling to the ground.
Continue sitting back until you get as far as you can without the bar falling down. Note the position of my arms in the picture below...if I was standing up, this would be the mid-point of a barbell front raise. The middle traps are massively loaded in this position.
Hold that peak position for a few seconds, then move yourself forward again.
The continuous tension on the middle traps as you first row up, then move into this position, then shift forwards again is INCREDIBLE on the area.
Now you're in the top of the row.
Then lower the back to the floor.
Then do it again.
One rep is a cycle through both phases of the exercise. Aim for at least 4-6 reps with this one.
If you have blood pressure issues, you may want to skip this exercise because you will be clamping down on your breathing quite a bit in order to stabilize the core with the load.
To give you an idea of weight, I'm using a 95 pound barbell here (bumper plates, in case the bar slipped down). You don't want or need a whole lot of weight. This exercise is about contraction and continuous, shifting tension.
Since the bar path is essentially vertical, then you just shift your bodyweight, you can see how a Smith machine would work just fine for this one, too.
In addition, this one will challenge your grip and forearm strength quite strongly, due to the continuous loading, specifically isometric extension. This basically means you will have to be actively trying to extend the wrists as you sit back on the raise, in order to keep the bar up and in position.
Bottom line this is a FANTASTIC exercise for the upper back and especially for the middle traps. I like to use it as a finisher for back training.
I would also recommend the Two Phase Decline Dumbbell Row for another excellent rowing variation.
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