How to Do the Pendlay Row
Revised by Stephanie Zaban (Registered Kinesiologist & Masters of Kinesiology)Table of Contents
What Is a Pendlay Row
The Pendlay Row is a variation of a barbell row named. The Pendlay Row was invented by Glenn Pendlay, a weightlifting coach.
How to Do the Pendlay Row
The Pendlay Row requires a barbell. It is imperative that you have the correct form when performing the Pendlay Row to avoid injury and creating a bad movement pattern.
Begin with the barbell on the floor, loaded with the appropriate weight for your abilities, or just the barbell alone. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
Bend the knees slightly and hinge at the hips so that the torso is parallel to the floor. Grab the barbell with a wide grip.
Breathe in and pull the barbell towards the chest. Be sure to brace your core and use the muscles of the back to pull the bar towards you.
Breathe out and lower the barbell back towards the ground. Make sure the weight has made contact with the floor and pause before beginning the next repetition.
Barbell Pendlay Row
Pendlay Form
As with any exercise, be sure to maintain a straight spine as you perform the movement. Engage the muscles of the back and pull the shoulder blades together to bring the bar towards the chest.
Pendlay Row Muscles
The Pendlay Row engages many muscles in the back. It is a variation of the Barbell Row, so it engages many of the same muscles.
The Pendlay Row also works the core, glutes and legs.
Pendlay Row Benefits
Benefits of the Pendlay Row include,
Does not use momentum to create movement
Builds strength in the upper back
Builds strength in the core
Helps develop power
Aids in pulling movements
Pendlay Rows Alternative
Trap Bar Pendlay Row
The Trap Bar Pendlay Row is performed in the same manner as the Barbell Pendlay Row. Be sure to keep the shoulders down and back and the elbows close to the body as you perform the movement.
Double Kettlebell Pendlay Row
The Double Kettlebell Pendlay Row involves two kettlebells, one in each hand. Begin with the kettlebells on the floor in front of you or at your side. Following the same cues as the conventional Pendlay Row, lift the kettlebells simultaneously towards the chest. Be sure that the kettlebells touch the floor, and there is a pause in-between reps.
Dumbbell Pendlay Row
The Dumbbell Pendlay Row follows the same procedure as the Double Kettlebell Pendlay Row. Begin with the dumbbells in front of you or at your side. Pull the dumbbells towards the chest in the same manner. Repeat the movement for the required amount of reps, making sure to pause in between each rep.
Pendlay Row vs Barbell Row
The Pendlay Row is a variation of the Barbell Row where the weights start on the ground and the row is performed without any movement or momentum from the legs. The Barbell Row is almost the same as the Pendlay Row, however, the bar never touches the ground. This creates a lot of time under tension for all the active muscles.
The main difference between the two rows is that the Pendlay Row develops power from a dead stop position while the Barbell Row develops power from an active position off the ground, also known as the hang position. Depending on where you would like to develop power will dictate which row you should perform.
Pendlay Row Cues
Feet stacked under your hips, fold forward at the hip crease until your back is parallel with the ground. Ensure the bar or equipment is in alignment with your shins. As you inhale pull the weight towards your sternum, as you exhale lower the equipment to the ground coming to a dead stop before beginning the next repetition.
Pendlay Row Variations
To understand the variations of the Pendlay Row we need to understand it’s purpose. Our general purpose for performing them is to build a strong back. More specifically our goal would be to build our latissimus dorsi (muscles on the sides of the back) as well as strengthen our spinal erectors due to our forward lean position. So how can this change with adding variations? One minor alteration can be implemented...hand placement. When using kettlebells, dumbbells or trap bars our hand placement changes to neutral grip (palms facing in).
This changes a fair amount of muscle recruitment when we turn our palms into our body; we’re able to get more elbow flexion (bending of the elbow), in turn creating more brachialis, biceps brachii, and brachioradialis activation. When we turn our palms to a pronated grip (palms down) we negate the degree of the elbow flexion, which mitigates the elbow flexor muscles from activating and assisting the movement to a higher degree, inevitably allowing us to engage our lats more in this movement...which is the end goal!
How to Use the Pendlay Row
When considering how to implement the pendlay row into your program, you should classify it as a pull movement similar to a cable row or lat pull down. This movement is very taxing because it requires you to get into an “unusual” position and requires a lot of erector stabilization. We recommend you add-it into your program as the first-row variation to perform in a workout session.
When Not to Use It the Pendlay Row
This exercise requires a great deal of mobility to get into starting position, hamstring flexibility and low back erector strength as you need to keep your back nice and straight. If you lack any of these, it’s best to avoid this exercise until your body is prepped to execute good form under load. Getting into a proper position will allow you to correctly brace or increase intra-abdominal pressure in your core to help stabilize and support your spine.
Do You Feel Strain in Your Lower Back When Performing a Pendlay Row
Here are a couple of exercises that will aid in strengthening the lower back muscles.
Should It Replace a Lat Pulldown Replace a Pendlay Row
When considering a substitution for a movement we have to establish if it would have similar applications and effects on a particular muscle group. In the pendlay row, we’re using a horizontal pulling direction. Although we get lat activation from the pendlay row, it doesn’t have a great amount of transfer into a vertical pull exercise.
A prime example of a vertical pull would be the standard pull-up. This being said, if you have a goal of being able to perform your first pull up, we wouldn't place the pendlay row as your main pull movement. We would opt-in an assisted pull up machine or lat pulldown, it would greatly assist in overloading or sending a new stimulus to those muscles if you have hit a plateau.
Differences Between the Pendlay Row Versus the Bent Over Row
Why does pendlay reign champion in the ring? The pendlay is the most underrated exercise in the world of rows. This movement requires you to get into a position where you can cheat. Momentum will not be on your side as you’re required to pause at the bottom of the movement and remove the “stretch reflex” factor.
When faced with fatigue in the bent over row, you’re able to use the stretch reflex as well as bring your torso into an upright position when struggling to lift the weight up to your sternum. Overall, the pendlay can be considered a safer movement due to the fact that you are closer to the ground, able to create more intra-abdominal pressure and have the ability to drop the weight in a safe manner.
Final Thoughts on the Pendlay Row
The pendlay row is a great movement for building a strong and sturdy back. It requires a great amount of practice in regards to technique and forces you to implement focus on core stability and stretching of the hamstrings. Try adding this exercise into your workout routine and get ready to experience a whole world of difference in your pull day!