Barbell Row Vs Pendlay Row : Which One Work Best For You

Many people get confused when they find themselves choosing between two similar exercises, but at the same time they are different in many things and target the same area, such as the Barbell row vs Pendlay Row vs exercise. Many people may find them similar, but they are not.

For this, we will learn about the difference between these two exercises, and we will learn the correct ways to do each of them. We will also learn about the role of each exercise, what it will offer you, and when you should do it.

Let’s continue together!

Barbell row vs Pendlay row main difference in performance

Both exercises depend on the force of the pull, and both of them are considered horizontal pull exercises, and this means that they mainly target the back area.

When you do the Pendlay Row exercise, you get more relief in the lower back muscles because the Pendlay exercises allow you to put the weight on the ground and pick it up with each repetition, and the bending of the back is parallel to the ground straight.

When you do the Barbell Row exercise, you keep the lower back muscles engaged throughout the exercise so that the exercise does not allow you to put the bar on the ground and pick it up, and you must keep the back almost parallel to the ground straight.

In terms of pulling, the correct way to do a pendlay row is by pulling the bar with straight arms and doing explosive exercises with the lower chest muscles (the bar hit your lower chest), while the pull is during the performance of the Barbell Row exercise with straight arms in the direction of the abdominal muscles.

What is a barbell row

The Barbell Row (barbell bent over row) is a basic exercise that mainly targets the back muscles. It is one of the most powerful compound exercises that bodybuilders rely on as a basic strength exercise for the back muscles.

• Force : Pull

• Mechanics : Compound

• Utility : Basic

Barbell row ( bent over row) muscle worked

Target:

• Back general

Synergists:

• Traps (middle & lower)

• Rear delts

• Teres (minor & major)

• Rhomboids

• Lats

Stabilizers:

• Upper body (biceps, triceps) (rectus abs, obliques)
• Lower body (Hamstrings, glutes, adductors, quads, erector spinae)

What is a pendlay row

The Pendlay Row is a popular variant of the Barbell Row discovered by Glenn Pendlay. It is also an exercise for the back muscles, but the Pendlay Row tends to keep the lower back neutral so that the back is straight and almost parallel to the floor.

• Force : Pull

• Mechanics : Compound

• Utility : Basic

Pendlay row muscle worked

Target: 

• Back

Synergists:

• Anterior delts

• Rhomboids

• Teres (minor, major)

• Infraspinatus

• Latissimus dorsi

Stabilizers:

• Upper body (biceps, triceps) (rectus abs, obliques)
• Lower body (Hamstrings, glutes, adductors, quads, erector spinae)

Barbell row pros & cons

PROS:

• Barbell bent over row, an exercise that completely targets the back muscles and helps build strength and muscles as well, as it focuses more on the upper and middle back muscles.

• And it helps to build the endurance of the hand muscles so that the weight is not allowed to be placed on the ground. You must continue with the repetitions without providing any rest for the muscles

.

• If you do not suffer from lower back problems, you can count on this exercise to improve the hip joint and enhance the stability of the spine.

CONS:

• It is not safe for people who suffer from lower back muscle problems, as the exercise forces you to bend your back to about 45 degrees, and therefore you use the lower back to carry the weight.

• Momentum cannot be controlled at times so that many people swing their shoulders up and down, especially if the weight is heavy.

Pendlay row pros & cons

PROS:

• The Pendlay Row allows you to target your lats and posterior deltoids more specifically, and allows you to have a greater range of motion and stretch your muscles more widely.

• You can go with heavier weights because the pull point is on the ground and your arms are more in control of the movement path and therefore you will not perform momentum.

• Safe for the lower back muscles compared to other Barbell Row exercises (Bent Over Row), so that the hips are kept at an angle of 90 degrees and the lower back is neutral.

CONS:

• Do not target the upper back muscles like the middle traps, so focus more on the side back muscles.

Barbell row vs pendlay row : general strength & hypertrophy

The two exercises together can help you achieve several gains, whether in terms of muscle hypertrophy or muscle strength, as well as muscle endurance. 

We can look at them from that angle that allows them to be two exercises that complement each other.

The pendlay row can help you build a stronger back compared to the Bent over row, allowing you to carry more weight and focus on pulling in a fixed range of motion. 

It can also target your lats muscles and stimulate them to grow in a shorter time compared to the barbell row, So the Pendlay row can help to gain strength and muscle mass as well.

While the barbell row exercise helps stimulate muscle growth and benefit from isolation exercises more, it targets a group of muscles more than the pendlay so that it allows you to do more repetitions with light weights and build muscle strength, and you can also rely on the barbell row for Muscular hypertrophy and pendlay row to build strength and stimulate muscles to grow or vice versa.

It depends on your desires that you want to achieve with a particular exercise, both exercises can help you get a strong and large back.

Barbell row vs pendlay row : which one is safe ?

I think that all exercises, whether they are low or high intensity, and whether they are compound or just regular isolation exercises, may be unsafe for beginners, because the thing that makes beginners vulnerable to injury with a certain type of exercise is making many mistakes.

When it comes to choosing the safest exercise between (bent over row) Barbell Row vs Pendlay Row, everyone agrees that Barbell Row increases the injury rate in the lower back area, because bodybuilders find it difficult to keep the back hollow and safe.

According to the “Stronglifts” website, “Barbell rows can help strengthen your back if you do them right, while at the same time they can also make your lower back worse if you do them poorly.”

As for the Pendlay Row exercise, it keeps your lower back safe and neutral all the time, but it can also be not safe at times when you lack experience and strength and don’t go with weights that match your fitness level.

Barbell row vs pendlay row : which one is better for the back ?

I think that the two exercises together may be good for targeting the back muscles, although we have already mentioned that the Pendlay Row is a safe exercise for training the back muscles, but the Barbell Row can help you increase muscle strength and activate it.

So if you want to build big back muscles you can go with the Pendlay Row because it is designed to do that because it also allows you to add some weight and provide a safe path of motion without hurting your lower back.

You can also rely on Bent Over Raw to stimulate muscle growth and perform several repetitions using light or moderate weights, according to your physical abilities and experience in order to stimulate muscle growth, strengthen them well, and improve your performance with other strength exercises.

It depends on your goals and what you want to achieve with a particular exercise. 

The pendlay row allows you to press more lat muscles due to the traction path it provides, while the barbell row allows you to target a wide range of muscles and target them to varying degrees.

It is also possible to focus on some muscles more, such as the biceps, lats, upper back muscles, or posterior deltoids, by changing the distance between your fists (wide or narrow), as well as the trajectory of the pull.

How to perform a barbell row correctly

Barbell bent over row setup:

• First, choose the weight that suits your fitness level.

• Stand in front of the bar, your toes under the bar, and then grab it as you would a deadlift.

• Maintain spinal alignment

• Deadlift weight up

• Determine the grip points on the bar, you should keep your fists as far apart as shoulder width or a little more, keep your feet close and your toes slightly outward.

• Bend your knees slightly, bend your back straight, extend your hips back, and grab the bar.

• Squeeze your hip muscles and stand up straight as if you were doing a deadlift.

• From here, your movement will be as if you were going to do a Romanian deadlift, extend your hips back well, bend your knees slightly, bend your back about 45 degrees, and let the bar go down and keep your arms straight with your shoulders.

• Stop when the bar reaches in front of your knees. From here, make sure that your body is stable, your lower back is more stable, and your elbows and wrists are directly below the shoulders.

• Then start pulling the bar in a straight line towards your lower abs or lat muscles (the straight pull line varies from person to person).

• Leave the bar back in the same line and stop when your fists reach in front of your knees and repeat again.

Pro tips and mistakes to improve your performance with barbell bent over row:

The rate of lower back injury is very high with this exercise, so you have to make sure you are doing things right.

If you are a complete beginner, you must first practice the movement with a wooden stick or a bar without weights until you feel that you are doing it professionally, then add some weights gradually.

Among the mistakes that you must avoid making to stay safe, first, avoid pulling up, that is, pulling in the direction of the upper chest muscles or in the line of the shoulders, because you may hurt your elbows and may put more pressure on the lower back.

The correct method is as follows: push the hips back well, keep your back straight and bent at a 45-degree angle, pull your elbows up and press your shoulder muscles together, and return to the starting point.

How to perform a pendlay row correctly

Pendlay row setup

• Choose a weight that matches your fitness level.

• Stand in front of the bar in the middle, with your feet shoulder-width apart.

• Bend forward, pushing your hips back just as if you were going to do a deadlift.

• What you should do is visualize the final position of the Romanian deadlift, so that your knees are slightly bent, your hips are extended back, your hamstrings are tensed and your back is bent straight forward, this is the starting position of Pendlay Row.

• Bend your back until it becomes parallel to the ground, extend your arms to catch the bar, keep your fists slightly more than shoulder width apart.

• Keep your arms straight with your shoulders down, also keep your eyes far forward, engage your muscles well and get a more stable position.

• Pull in a straight line in the direction of the lower chest muscles or the upper abdomen, try to explode from the chest muscles, focus on pulling your elbows back when the bar touches your chest muscles.

• Allow the bar to come back down until it rests on the ground, then repeat again in the same way, keeping the straight pull-up line.

Pro tips and mistakes to improve your performance with the Pendlay Row exercise:

The first thing you should learn when doing the Pendlay Row exercise is to keep your spine and lower back neutral, this is your first safety step with this exercise.

Back arching can lead to this injury that we try to avoid all the time, so try to keep your back straight and your lower back muscles hollow automatically every time you try to do any kind of barbell rows.

Also, try to engage the thigh muscles, stretch the hips, and prepare your muscles before picking up the bar. Here you will get high-quality exercise.

Try to imagine the Pendlay Row as if you’re doing a face pull. 

You have to have that mentality because it kind of works, you have to focus on pulling your elbows in and bringing the bar to your chest without doing any swings or bending your shoulders forward.

Useful Links

If you want to target the back muscles more, you may find these links very useful, as you will learn about more exercises that target the back muscles completely and help build muscle mass and strength.

Get a full back workout using only one kettlebell

Know about more horizontal pull exercises to fully target your back

Best shoulder exercises using only dumbbells 

Correct your building muscle mistakes now

Best dumbbell pullover alternatives for strengthen your lats