Upper back thickness is a visual mark of power...yet if you have a hard time feeling your upper back working when rowing, you'll never reach your true size potential.
This exercise is going to FORCE the issue by making you to maintain tension through the middle traps WHILE you're doing a dumbbell row exercise for the upper back.
This creates massive tension in through the entire upper body with specific focus on the middle traps.
You will absolutely feel your upper back working...because if it's not, you literally drop the ball.
How to do Sandwich Rows
It's actually very simple...take a pair of dumbbells and sandwich something in between them. I recommend a medicine ball. Ideally, it should be something that won't break or cause damage if it drops.
I'm using a pair of 60 lb dumbbells and a 12 lb medicine ball in the demo.
If you don't have a medicine ball, you'll need to find something else appropriate (maybe a slam ball, bumper plate, ankle weights, etc.)
Set the ball on the floor with the dumbbells on either side with the two ends touching the ball, sandwiching it.
Push inwards to clench the ball, then lift the dumbbells up.
In order to keep that ball there, you'll need to maintain inwards tension on the dumbbells as you row them up. This creates serious tension in the middle traps (which bring the shoulder blades in towards the spine) with some assistance from the chest. It is primarily the middle traps pulling inwards that maintains the tension, though.
Row up to the top under complete control. There should be no bobbing or heaving with this exercise.
We're looking for constant tension as you row up and down. This locking in of the ball creates overall tension through the entire upper body.
Start with fairly light dumbbells when you do this one...the method makes them feel a lot heavier than they are.
Here's a side view of the exercise.
When you can no longer get reps, you can also drop the ball on purpose and keep going for a few more reps with just the dumbbells (and a bit looser form).
This one is an eye-opener. The load is not heavy but the tension is ridiculous, not to mention the direct effect on the middle traps.
Another excellent rowing variation for the upper back is the Two-Barbell Meadows Row.
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