T-Bar Row Attachment for your Power Rack.
The T-Bar Row attachment is one of the most useful accessories I have purchased for my Powerline Power Rack over the years. Training upper back is one of my favorite workouts, and I love the pump I get when I do rowing movements.
What are T-Bar Rows?
If you have never tried T-bar rows, you are missing out on a great back mass builder. You perform the row by straddling a bar at one end, bending at the hips to roughly a 45-degree angle, grabbing a special T-handle, and pulling the weights up to your chest.
Because of the angle of these rows, fairly heavy weights can be used for a brutal and productive mass-building exercise.
This popular bodybuilding movement will add a new dimension to your back workouts. Not only does it do a great job working your upper back, but it also reaches the upper-middle muscles, which will add more thickness to this area. T-Bar rows also work your lower back due to the stabilizing action.
How to do T-Bar Rows
One common way to do T-bar rows is to take a barbell bar and load weight only on one side, then put the other end in a corner to hold it down. Then, straddle the end with the weight, facing away from the wall. You can use a close-grip pull-down handle to lift the weight, as in the picture.
This method works for the most part, but it is possible that the other end of the bar may not stay in place while performing the movement, causing you to lose balance or, worse, have the weights cause the bar to tip and dump them all on the floor.
How the Attachment works
If you have a power rack, you can get an adapter to hold the end of a standard or Olympic barbell.
This will make T-bar rows much easier to perform without worrying about the other end moving on you. As you can see in the picture, I am using a spare 1″ diameter standard bar. You can also use an Olympic bar; use the larger tube to secure it.
You will also need a handle. I use a handle specifically designed for this purpose. It will work on Olympic or standard bars.
Here are some different types of handles for a T-Bar Row attachment:
You can use a “double D” handle upside down for a close grip row. Here is a short video of me using my T-Bar attachment.
Muscles of the back that are worked
The back is comprised of several muscles; the main muscles are:
Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)
When properly developed, the Latissimus Dorsi creates width in the upper back, often referred to as the “V-taper” desired by bodybuilders.
Trapezius (Traps)
This muscle connects the shoulders to the neck. It shrugs your shoulders and raises your arms to the sides. When the trapezius muscle is well-developed, it adds a powerful look to your upper body, even when you are wearing a suit!
Erector Spinae (Spinal Erectors)
These lower back muscles are primarily responsible for supporting your upper body and allowing you to stand upright.
All of these muscles are worked when performing the T-bar row exercise.
A T-Bar Row attachment will be very useful if you want a muscular upper back and strong spinal erectors. If you have never tried this exercise, I highly recommend going to the local gym to try it out!