If you have a hard time feeling your upper back working when doing exercises like rows or wide-grip pulldowns, this combination exercise can help.
You're going to be alternating reps between Pendlay Rows (a bent-over wide-grip barbell row setting the bar on the floor on each rep), and a wide-grip stiff-legged deadlift.
The starting and ending position of both exercises is the same position on the floor, allowing you to go smoothly between the two exercises.
This allows you to put tension on your upper back muscles in two different ways... the row actively uses them to move the weight while the deadlift activates them isometrically (from a horizontal position to a vertical position) while using the lower body to lift the weight.
I find this activates a wider spectrum of upper back muscle fibers than just the basic row so that when you do the row, you actually get more out of it.
Start with a light weight that you know you can row with tight form for 10+ reps. You can move up in weight once you get an idea of your capacity with the two exercises in combination.
Row up.
You can either do "touch and go" without fully setting the weight on the floor or, as you work this heavier, set it fully on the floor at the bottom of each rep.
Then stand up, doing a stiff-legged deadlift.
Repeat for 6-8 reps on each exercise.
You can go heavier for fewer reps, if you like, but I find that this style works better with more moderate weight and rep ranges.
On the final set (I'd say do 2-3 sets of this), you can rep out on the deadlift as that's the stronger exercise.
Another excellent row variation for targeting the upper back is the Two Bar Meadows Row.
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