Master your hip hinge – the hip hinge is a critical movement for anyone who does deadlifts, bent-over rows, Romanian deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and even squats. While minor strength discrepancies are to be expected, too big a difference between left and right could lead to postural issues and injuries. Invariably, that’s how these muscles usually work in nature, i.e., when picking up something heavy.Ī unilateral exercise – unilateral or single-limb exercises are good for identifying and fixing left to right strength imbalances. Very functional – gorilla rows involve working your upper back, lower back, arms, core, and legs simultaneously. As such, gorilla rows are more lower back-friendly than unsupported bent-over rows, T-bar rows, and Pendlay rows. Lower back-friendly – while doing gorilla rows does involve leaning forward, at least some of your weight is supported by one arm. If you’re bored of the same old rowing variations, this exercise will make an excellent addition to your upper body workouts. Not sure if gorilla rows are worth adding to your workouts? Consider these benefits and then decide!Īn unusual exercise – doing something new could be just what’s needed to reignite your back-building progress. Continue alternating arms for the duration of your set.Lower the kettlebell back to the floor and then repeat on the opposite side.Lead with your elbow and keep your wrist straight. Keeping a tight grip on one kettlebell, row the other weight up and back toward your hip.Brace your core and make sure your lower back is slightly arched and not rounded.Push your knees out to make space for the weights. Bend your knees slightly, hinge forward from your hips, and reach down and grasp the handles.Stand just behind your kettlebells, feet a little wider than your weights. Place two kettlebells on the floor about hip-width apart.Get more from gorilla rows while keeping your risk of injury to a minimum by following these guidelines: However, gorilla rows probably won’t do much for lower body strength or size. Still, your legs are also involved because they’re done while standing in a bent-over position. Lower body – gorilla rows are an upper-body exercise. These muscles contract statically to create intra-abdominal pressure and help support your spine during gorilla rows. While some of your weight is supported during gorilla rows, your erector spinae are still strongly engaged.Ĭore – core is the collective name for the muscles of your midsection, namely your rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis. Kettlebells tend to have thicker handles than dumbbells, making them more challenging to hold, increasing forearm engagement.Įrector spinae – leaning forward and maintaining that position involves your erector spinae, which is the collective name for the three muscles that run up either side of your spine. Located on the front of your upper arm, the biceps flex your elbows.įorearms – gorilla rows are an excellent forearm exercise and require and develop a strong grip. However, the posterior or rear deltoids are most active as they work with your lats to extend your shoulders.īiceps brachii – while gorilla rows are definitely a back exercise, you can’t do them without also using your biceps. They’re located beneath your mid traps and between your shoulder blades.ĭeltoids – there are three sets of fibers or heads that make up the deltoids anterior, medial, and posterior. Rhomboids – the rhomboids work with your middle traps to pull your shoulders back and together. Gorilla rows involve all three but mostly work the mid-traps. The mid-traps pull your shoulder blades back and together, which is a movement called retraction. The upper traps are responsible for shoulder girdle elevation, while the lower traps depress your shoulder girdle. Known as the traps for short, there are three sets of trapezius fibers upper, middle, and lower. Trapezius – located across your upper back, the trapezius or traps for short give your back much of its thickness. Gorilla rows are a very effective lat builder. The functions of the lats are shoulder adduction and extension. Latissimus dorsi – known as your lats for short, these muscles are located on the side of your upper back. The main muscles affected by gorilla rows are: As such, they involve several joints and muscles working together. Gorilla rows are a compound horizontal pulling exercise. 7 Gorilla Row Variations and Alternatives.
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