Purpose
- mid-back builder that rows with the shoulder blades alone, elbows locked
straight
- taking the elbows out means the arms cannot help, so the retraction is the
whole movement and the mid traps and rhomboids have nowhere to hide
- it is the horizontal counterpart to a shrug: a shrug elevates the shoulder,
this one pulls it back
Execution
Lie face down on an incline bench holding a barbell or a dumbbell in each hand,
arms hanging straight down. Keep your elbows locked for the whole set.
- pull your shoulder blades together and back
- keep your arms completely straight throughout
- let the weight travel as far back as your shoulder blades take it
- lower it under control, letting your shoulders travel all the way forward
- let the blades spread fully at the bottom
The range is short and the arms must stay locked. The moment your elbows bend it
has become a row.
Purpose
- mid-back builder that rows with the shoulder blades alone, elbows locked
straight
- taking the elbows out means the arms cannot help, so the retraction is the
whole movement and the mid traps and rhomboids have nowhere to hide
- it is the horizontal counterpart to a shrug: a shrug elevates the shoulder,
this one pulls it back
Execution
Lie face down on an incline bench holding a barbell or a dumbbell in each hand,
arms hanging straight down. Keep your elbows locked for the whole set.
- pull your shoulder blades together and back
- keep your arms completely straight throughout
- let the weight travel as far back as your shoulder blades take it
- lower it under control, letting your shoulders travel all the way forward
- let the blades spread fully at the bottom
The range is short and the arms must stay locked. The moment your elbows bend it
has become a row.