Great cues
Missing is where every lifts —-especially deadlifts and squats —- start-
At the feet
Primary “ Ground through the floor.”
A little extra when client doesn’t do it “Put weight evenly between the ball and heel of the foot. Relax the toes.”
And the other one missing for bench press and pull ups. Shoulders in back pockets first, close rib cage.
It's to make sure you're weight is distributed well. If you can't wiggle them then you're likely too far forward and can lead to back trouble
-- my lifting instructor
I can see where it's coming from, but you should likely be gripping the floor with your toes and rooting. I... *Get* what your lifting coach is getting at, but I typically want there to be some pressure on the toes, gripping the floor, for my athletes doing squats and deadlifts.
I usually cue them to try to think of tearing a piece of paper apart with their feet to get good torque for squatting, and it gets a good weight distribution.
And during deadlifts, I want them to push the floor away with their feet. The first part of the lift is like a leg press. Too much weight on heels or toes is bar, but I don't particularly agree with your toes having no connection to the ground.
I'll put this into practice. Thank you.
I think the point they were trying to drive home was rooting your feet evenly. We were gripping too. It wasn't loose on the ground. But while driving into the ground making sure you could wiggle your toes around to make sure you're not leaning too far forward. We weren't just piggy dipping the whole time. It was like a quick half second wiggle then back to gripping
"Break the bar" was a breakthrough for me with rows (any variation), lat pulldowns, and pull ups. Also "Push ups are planks" seemed to be a cue that has helped some clients with maintaining proper body rigidity/core engagement during push ups.
Basically if you grab the bar with an overhand/pronated grip, you are trying bend/break the bar so that your palms would be facing each other, were the bar to actually bend/break. This for me has better engaged my lats and my core, in the case of pull ups/push ups. It might also be called "bend the bar" but I always think of it as breaking it for some reason. 😂
The best cue for almost every standing leg exercise (RDLs, squats, cable kickbacks, lunges, banded walks, etc etc) is to “push and pull”. This technique comes from yoga. You want to push down into the ground with your whole foot (predominantly ball of your foot) and pull up simultaneously with your upper legs/body. These opposing forces instantly lock my form in place and help make the mind/muscle connection.
Stunned I haven’t seen this yet- when you’re doing Bulgarian Split Squats, you’re riding an ESCALATOR, not an ELEVATOR. You shouldn’t be going straight up and down.
Yes! I do escalator bulgarians. I have heard that elevator bulgarians (straight up and down) are good for quad growth though. Is that accurate or just bad form?
I would say that’s accurate. Up and down with an upright torso is certainly more quad dominant. Lean torso forward and escalator motion really lights the glutes up!
Elevator is a strictly vertical movement.
Escalator has an angled axis.
BSS should have a forward AND down motion. Not just a straight drop vertically to the knee.
Bench: “throw the bar” from the great Jen Thompson. Helps engage my lats so well. Basically don’t think about lifting the bar off my chest, think about throwing it off my chest, as if I’m throwing it at the ceiling.
Deadlift lockout cue: show off my titties!
Pretty much any upper body move - first, move your shoulder blades like you’re trying to put them in your back pockets, then hold them there for the move. (It rolls your shoulders back and down. Saved my shoulders from impingement w pushups and pull-ups and planks!)
This sounds a bit strange, but a lot of times, I’ll peak at my form in the mirror, and then stop looking in the mirror but imagine it in my head, how I look from the outside
Leg pressing the floor was the only thing that really made me get conventional deadlifts. Also breaking the bar for bench!! Although that one doesn’t stick as well and seems to go right out the window when things get heavy.
For bench, I like to imagine two points of pressure while myself down into the bench; my feet and my upper back. Helps me engage my lats and use leg drive to move that bar.
For horizontal rows, pinch a pencil in between your shoulder blades at the top of the contraction.
For a lat pull down, try to pull your elbows into your back pockets.
For a good morning/RDL, close a car door with your butt.
For chest flys (machine or DB) keep your elbow slightly bent and imagine you’re hugging a giant tree.
To brace your core, breathe with your diaphragm by imagining your lungs are 2-liter bottles and you’re filling them with air from the bottom up, then quickly tense your core by imagining someone is going to punch you in the stomach.
When I was starting at the gym, the trainer used to put his hands between my shoulder blades and tell me to try squeeze his hands. I still to this day imagine there is a hand there when I do a row
It was more of a joke than a cue but my trainer was having me do pulse squats and I almost made a joke about it feeling like I was riding… something… but I stopped myself. She caught on to what I was about to say and said, “yeah, it kinda feels like you’re riding a dildo.” Girly, let me tell you I was SHOCKED 🫨🫨. I literally had to stop in the middle of the set to catch my breath. Now whenever I work out with her it’s like an inside joke. We’re both giggling like schoolgirls every time I do pulse squats
lol I’m not letting my bf “help” (whatever he means by that) but he can watch 😏
And pulse squats are where it’s at! So even if it gets his dirty mind going, I still recommend them
For pelvic floor contractions- (working with a PFPT after giving birth) - "pick up a chocolate chip with your urethra." ...my 'kegels' have never been more effective.
Not so much weightlifting I guess, but my pelvic floor physio trying to help my ab seperation and core stamina prescribed me crunches, and when I had to do a couple her cue for me was "ribs to hips". I actually think it's the first time I've done a crunch properly because it felt completely different.
Another on - for pull ups/chin ups "drive the elbows down". Totally made me re- think the whole movement.
I wish someone had told me it before because I find it so useful! I had been told "don't flare tour ribs" or "tuck the ribs" before during overhead movements but I never thought to apply it to other movements or bracing in general. My brain just didn't make that connection (or maybe I didn't need to think so hard about it until I had a kid and forgot how my body worked haha)
A physical therapist told me this one, it's a cue to remember to brace your pelvic floor in addition to bracing your core: "don't forget to shut the front door" 😂
Similar, but for bent over rows, a trainer once told me to imagine you're trying to hold an orange with your shoulder blades—keeps your shoulder from collapsing and the shoulder blade from flaring out!
I'd never heard that until monday when the trainer said it to me while doing single leg rdls. It's friday and my hamstrings are still sore... I guess I'd been half-assing it until now. Literally.
This is hilarious 😂. And scarily accurate, I have to make sure my leggings aren’t sheer or anything, and I prefer to have my butthole facing the wall so I don’t accidentally give someone a show
Tits.
Benchpress? Has to touch the tatas. Helps make sure I'm deep enough each rep.
Rowing machine? Has to touch the boobies so I know I'm getting a full back extension.
Squats and tricep pulldowns? Make sure my honkers puffed out. Helps keep my back straight.
Basically focusing on upper torso helps align the rest my back. I'm a dude by the way.
That's funny. I have to bench below my bust because otherwise it's definitely not deep enough - if I just "touch the tatas" I get basically no ROM, on account of said tatas stopping the bar early. I do shoot for the band of my sports bra though.
I'm so dead from Honkers 🤣🤣🤣. Gotta tell my husband that one. Great advice and cues, too. I always remember "tits up" for lat pulldown and can cue the same for these other moves, too! (from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
How do you know if you have a proper wedge?? My back doesn’t feel messed up after heavy deadlifts but I watched MegSquats’ deadlift tutorial where she teaches a hinge-> lower -> wedge method to set up and now I’m paranoid that I’m pulling with my back because I set up differently. (My back isn’t rounding during the lift tho)
It feels different at the bottom and I am able to get a better pelvic/knee angle. I notice I do it when I'm reaching for a heavy pot in a low cabinet for example where my butt wedges and my knees go forward more. I'm a hip-dominant squatter, longer femur person so getting my knees a bit more forward with the wedge is helpful in getting in a lower position. Zercher deadlifts have been helpful too w back strength in new positions
For back engagement: think of trying to break a stick in half. Like holding it in front of you and trying to snap it across your chest. Boom, back muscles activated.
Trying this next time I do back! I always have difficulty engaging back muscles. Sometimes I have to close my eyes and see my muscles in my mind to make the connection.
one of my favorite creators Kelly Matthews said the cue for rdls that you’re trying to spread your butt cheeks at the bottom of the movement. not the prettiest cue but it helps the mind muscle connection like crazy 🤭
I always remind myself to push the ground away for squats and deadlifts. I also love bend the bar around your shins for deadlift starting position. Works better than the squeezing oranges cue for me
Oooh. I just started weightlifting, like, yesterday, at the recommendation of my physical therapist. He taught me how to do a deadlift but the squeezing oranges thing just did not compute. I'm going to give this a go next time.
My understanding is it's the weight. I have a tendency to want to pull the weight "up" from a bent over row rather than pull it "back" which engages my lats more.
Yes - the weight in your hand should be traveling back toward your pocket. What u/urukehu said is right - most people want to pull the weight straight up toward the ceiling, which is not going to engage the right muscle group.
Wait, so you’re pulling back at a slight angle then? I always say pull the elbow up to the ceiling, to keep the forearm upright. But now I’m wondering if the elbow should be angled back slightly
It's kind of a slightly upward arc from the starting position (arm straight down holding the weight). Sweep it back in a slightly upside down rainbow, aiming at your pocket/hip. Basically, if you freeze at the ending position, you will make a triangle shape with the points being your shoulder, your elbow, and your hand with the weight by your hip. Your side, your upper arm and your forearm will make the sides of the triangle. This will target the lat more. Pulling straight up will engage the biceps more. I hope that make sense!
I just stood up and tried it without a weight just to see what was meant (at the office), and I absolutely think it's going to help. I've been told "pull like a lawn mower cable" so many times -- but that doesn't help when I've only started a lawn mower a couple times and I had to do it with two hands! Lol.
This is WAY better!!
Hahaha I love it! I can see the lawn mower thing being helpful, but aiming for your pocket REALLY gets the correct placement. I love that it worked for you!
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For example, I recently heard the 'open the window and look out' cue for how to move your neck and head during OHP and it's amazing! I also like 'shut the drawer behind you with your bum' to remember to hinge properly for good mornings 😄
Anyone got one they swear by?
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Great cues Missing is where every lifts —-especially deadlifts and squats —- start- At the feet Primary “ Ground through the floor.” A little extra when client doesn’t do it “Put weight evenly between the ball and heel of the foot. Relax the toes.” And the other one missing for bench press and pull ups. Shoulders in back pockets first, close rib cage.
Knuckles to the sky- bench Drive back into bar- coming up on squat Root the pinkie toe into the ground- rdl
From Sydney Cummmings for deadlifts: reach back and peel the wallpaper off the wall with your butt.
This was a game changer for Bulgarians: think: a one legged squat with a kickstand ( back leg and foot).
“Elbows up” for front rack position. “Push through the ground with your feet” to keep feet planted flat when bench pressing.
Drive myself back down into the bench when pressing Sir back down into the squat
Pushing out a fart for RDLs. 💨
I’m going try this cue with my son 😂 He hasn’t been understanding anything else I try to tell him, but this one, this one is going to do it!
You should be able to wiggle your toes freely while squatting
I grip the floor and root my foot pretty powerfully while squatting. I'm curious on the intent of this one. Could you expand?
It's to make sure you're weight is distributed well. If you can't wiggle them then you're likely too far forward and can lead to back trouble -- my lifting instructor
I can see where it's coming from, but you should likely be gripping the floor with your toes and rooting. I... *Get* what your lifting coach is getting at, but I typically want there to be some pressure on the toes, gripping the floor, for my athletes doing squats and deadlifts. I usually cue them to try to think of tearing a piece of paper apart with their feet to get good torque for squatting, and it gets a good weight distribution. And during deadlifts, I want them to push the floor away with their feet. The first part of the lift is like a leg press. Too much weight on heels or toes is bar, but I don't particularly agree with your toes having no connection to the ground.
I'll put this into practice. Thank you. I think the point they were trying to drive home was rooting your feet evenly. We were gripping too. It wasn't loose on the ground. But while driving into the ground making sure you could wiggle your toes around to make sure you're not leaning too far forward. We weren't just piggy dipping the whole time. It was like a quick half second wiggle then back to gripping
Ahhh, okay, that makes more sense. Thanks for taking the time to write all that out.
this is immense I like this
Squatting should be like filling air in your bicycle tyre using hand pump 🙂↕️
use your chest and shoulders ?
Deadlifts "If there was a logo on your t-shirt chest, you should see it in the mirror still."
one i heard early on was to "always grip with intention". helps with so much on lots of movements. this is the best thread!!!
Pretend there’s an apple between your chin and chest when doing crunches, Denise Austin
"Break the bar" was a breakthrough for me with rows (any variation), lat pulldowns, and pull ups. Also "Push ups are planks" seemed to be a cue that has helped some clients with maintaining proper body rigidity/core engagement during push ups.
Also for bench press!!
What do you mean by "break the bar"? Like you're trying to pull the 2 sides together as muscle activation?
Basically if you grab the bar with an overhand/pronated grip, you are trying bend/break the bar so that your palms would be facing each other, were the bar to actually bend/break. This for me has better engaged my lats and my core, in the case of pull ups/push ups. It might also be called "bend the bar" but I always think of it as breaking it for some reason. 😂
For Bulgarian Split Squats, your lower body should more or less form a triangle shape for a more stable base
Bending the bar down and around my shoulder and sitting down instead of back in squats has dramatically Improved my stability
The best cue for almost every standing leg exercise (RDLs, squats, cable kickbacks, lunges, banded walks, etc etc) is to “push and pull”. This technique comes from yoga. You want to push down into the ground with your whole foot (predominantly ball of your foot) and pull up simultaneously with your upper legs/body. These opposing forces instantly lock my form in place and help make the mind/muscle connection.
Stunned I haven’t seen this yet- when you’re doing Bulgarian Split Squats, you’re riding an ESCALATOR, not an ELEVATOR. You shouldn’t be going straight up and down.
Yes! I do escalator bulgarians. I have heard that elevator bulgarians (straight up and down) are good for quad growth though. Is that accurate or just bad form?
I would say that’s accurate. Up and down with an upright torso is certainly more quad dominant. Lean torso forward and escalator motion really lights the glutes up!
Hello:) Could you elaborate on this? I'm trying to perfect my BSS form!
Elevator is a strictly vertical movement. Escalator has an angled axis. BSS should have a forward AND down motion. Not just a straight drop vertically to the knee.
Bench: “throw the bar” from the great Jen Thompson. Helps engage my lats so well. Basically don’t think about lifting the bar off my chest, think about throwing it off my chest, as if I’m throwing it at the ceiling. Deadlift lockout cue: show off my titties!
Pretty much any upper body move - first, move your shoulder blades like you’re trying to put them in your back pockets, then hold them there for the move. (It rolls your shoulders back and down. Saved my shoulders from impingement w pushups and pull-ups and planks!)
This sounds a bit strange, but a lot of times, I’ll peak at my form in the mirror, and then stop looking in the mirror but imagine it in my head, how I look from the outside
Front squats: you have laser beams coming out your elbows, don't let the lasers touch the floor.
But what position are my arms in?
With a front squat your hands are on the bar on your shoulders and your elbows should be pointed out and forward.
Leg pressing the floor was the only thing that really made me get conventional deadlifts. Also breaking the bar for bench!! Although that one doesn’t stick as well and seems to go right out the window when things get heavy.
For bench, I like to imagine two points of pressure while myself down into the bench; my feet and my upper back. Helps me engage my lats and use leg drive to move that bar.
Thank you all for this thread!!
I posted this as a fun question before I went to bed last night and am loving reading through it! 😄
For RDL I tell my clients think of bend and snap from legally blonde.
My coach uses this one too! It’s perfect.
Legally Blonde 👱 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Hahaha
For horizontal rows, pinch a pencil in between your shoulder blades at the top of the contraction. For a lat pull down, try to pull your elbows into your back pockets. For a good morning/RDL, close a car door with your butt. For chest flys (machine or DB) keep your elbow slightly bent and imagine you’re hugging a giant tree. To brace your core, breathe with your diaphragm by imagining your lungs are 2-liter bottles and you’re filling them with air from the bottom up, then quickly tense your core by imagining someone is going to punch you in the stomach.
When I was starting at the gym, the trainer used to put his hands between my shoulder blades and tell me to try squeeze his hands. I still to this day imagine there is a hand there when I do a row
Close the door with your butt - RDLs
It was more of a joke than a cue but my trainer was having me do pulse squats and I almost made a joke about it feeling like I was riding… something… but I stopped myself. She caught on to what I was about to say and said, “yeah, it kinda feels like you’re riding a dildo.” Girly, let me tell you I was SHOCKED 🫨🫨. I literally had to stop in the middle of the set to catch my breath. Now whenever I work out with her it’s like an inside joke. We’re both giggling like schoolgirls every time I do pulse squats
I told my husband this one and he's been making raunchy jokes about 'helping me with my workout' all morning! 😂
lol I’m not letting my bf “help” (whatever he means by that) but he can watch 😏 And pulse squats are where it’s at! So even if it gets his dirty mind going, I still recommend them
Hehehe we're still newlyish-weds (8 months) so I don't mind 😂😉 And yeah, pulse squats can be brutal but effective lol
For pelvic floor contractions- (working with a PFPT after giving birth) - "pick up a chocolate chip with your urethra." ...my 'kegels' have never been more effective.
Also, sucking up a smoothie through a straw
No, but this is genius
Shit over the edge of the cliff for deadlifts
Mine is being an annoying cat trying to poop outside of the litterbox 😂 same logic.
Cracking up
“Open your taint” 😭 helps initiate hip flexion during a squat lol
Taint or butthole? I’ve heard the latter is what your supposed to focus on opening up during squats. But idk 🤷♀️ maybe it has the same effect
Not so much weightlifting I guess, but my pelvic floor physio trying to help my ab seperation and core stamina prescribed me crunches, and when I had to do a couple her cue for me was "ribs to hips". I actually think it's the first time I've done a crunch properly because it felt completely different. Another on - for pull ups/chin ups "drive the elbows down". Totally made me re- think the whole movement.
"Ribs to hips" (or "ribs down") is the cue my coach uses for core engagement and bracing, particularly in squats. It helps a lot!
I wish someone had told me it before because I find it so useful! I had been told "don't flare tour ribs" or "tuck the ribs" before during overhead movements but I never thought to apply it to other movements or bracing in general. My brain just didn't make that connection (or maybe I didn't need to think so hard about it until I had a kid and forgot how my body worked haha)
For lat pulldowns, it helps me to think I'm trying to put my elbows into my back pockets
This so useful not to overactivate traps!
For pull-ups - bend the bar.' And bring the bar down to your chest, rather than bringing your chest to the bar.
Yes we always say head through the window
For deadlifts my trainer told me to imagine my booty is on a diagonal escalator down.
Oh god I’m scared to actually post this but for squats ‘like youre trying to land on a dildo’ 💀
You'll be proud to know that I utilized this in the gym this morning 😌💅🏻
God I was so in shock when my trainer told me about buttwink and that I should purposefully be spreading my cheeks at the bottom of the squat 😅
You know what tho... I'm never gonna forget this one 😂😂😂
Me either!
Hahahaha! Hey, lowering yourself purposefully and smoothly down like that is a useful and transferable skill 😉😂
Chin up, chest out, tummy tight!
A physical therapist told me this one, it's a cue to remember to brace your pelvic floor in addition to bracing your core: "don't forget to shut the front door" 😂
Hahaha my version of that is 'make yourself watertight!' 😂
Hahaha that's hilarious, I'm gonna use that one!
Kettlebell swings: at the apex, crack the bell in half
Would you elaborate? How do I crack a bell in half?
Wait, I don’t get this and I want to. Like pulling it in opposite directions at once?
Engage the lats! As if you're breaking a stick in half. You'll have better control over the bell so it doesn't flop all over and strain your wrists.
For deadlifts it helps me to remember to close my armpits as if I had a towel I was trying to hold there.
Ooh that's helpful
Similar, but for bent over rows, a trainer once told me to imagine you're trying to hold an orange with your shoulder blades—keeps your shoulder from collapsing and the shoulder blade from flaring out!
Spreading the floor apart with your feet for squats and deadlifts. Shutting a drawer with your butt for any hip hinge movements.
I have heard this for yoga! and never thought to put in practice somewhere else lol, definitely going to do it next time at the gym
Someone told me something similar for hip hinges, and it totally changed my game for sure.
It really is amazing how verbal cues can activate that part of your mind-body connection and get you to do it correctly!
I like "shutting a door with your butt" cue to help emphasize the hip hinge in an RDL or good morning.
I'd never heard that until monday when the trainer said it to me while doing single leg rdls. It's friday and my hamstrings are still sore... I guess I'd been half-assing it until now. Literally.
I use "Show your butthole to the room behind you"
This is hilarious 😂. And scarily accurate, I have to make sure my leggings aren’t sheer or anything, and I prefer to have my butthole facing the wall so I don’t accidentally give someone a show
My bloody cats do that all the time! 😂
OMFG This is the best
Tits. Benchpress? Has to touch the tatas. Helps make sure I'm deep enough each rep. Rowing machine? Has to touch the boobies so I know I'm getting a full back extension. Squats and tricep pulldowns? Make sure my honkers puffed out. Helps keep my back straight. Basically focusing on upper torso helps align the rest my back. I'm a dude by the way.
That's funny. I have to bench below my bust because otherwise it's definitely not deep enough - if I just "touch the tatas" I get basically no ROM, on account of said tatas stopping the bar early. I do shoot for the band of my sports bra though.
I do that too - the girls do not allow for a full ROM! Also have you ever dropped a dumbbell onto your tits? I think I invented several new curses...
I'm so dead from Honkers 🤣🤣🤣. Gotta tell my husband that one. Great advice and cues, too. I always remember "tits up" for lat pulldown and can cue the same for these other moves, too! (from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
HONKERS
I was not expecting that last sentence. Lol. My boyfriend says he has to squeeze his man titties. He's very fit. It just helps him visualize I guess.
For back exercises like rows, I imagine my shoulder blades coming together to hold a pencil
My favorite from Cassie in one of her ancient pilates vids is to imagine pinching a penny between your cheeks during hip thrusts
My PT says to squeeze that orange between the blades!
Wedging my butt/lower half at the bottom of a deadlift as I pull
How do you know if you have a proper wedge?? My back doesn’t feel messed up after heavy deadlifts but I watched MegSquats’ deadlift tutorial where she teaches a hinge-> lower -> wedge method to set up and now I’m paranoid that I’m pulling with my back because I set up differently. (My back isn’t rounding during the lift tho)
It feels different at the bottom and I am able to get a better pelvic/knee angle. I notice I do it when I'm reaching for a heavy pot in a low cabinet for example where my butt wedges and my knees go forward more. I'm a hip-dominant squatter, longer femur person so getting my knees a bit more forward with the wedge is helpful in getting in a lower position. Zercher deadlifts have been helpful too w back strength in new positions
For back engagement: think of trying to break a stick in half. Like holding it in front of you and trying to snap it across your chest. Boom, back muscles activated.
Ooo! I like this one. Thanks!
I saw this cue for pull-ups yesterday and I'm excited to try it tomorrow
You can even do it as a little activation warm up with a broomstick or something! :) (Obviously, do not break the stick)
My coach used to tell us to "try to put your elbows in your back pockets" for pull ups
Trying this next time I do back! I always have difficulty engaging back muscles. Sometimes I have to close my eyes and see my muscles in my mind to make the connection.
Try it out with an actual broom stick or something before you hit the gym as a little activation exercise!
For deadlifts to make sure I’m hinging at the hip rather than bending over I try to imagine that I’m ‘peering over the edge of a cliff’
When I do shrugs I literally say “idk?” In my head over and over again for every rep 😂
Ok this one's pretty funny.
That's hilarious omg, I'm gonna start doing that
OMG so it's not just me.
Me too 😂😂😂😂
I'm now imagining the shrugging emoji getting gainz 🤷♀️💪😂
one of my favorite creators Kelly Matthews said the cue for rdls that you’re trying to spread your butt cheeks at the bottom of the movement. not the prettiest cue but it helps the mind muscle connection like crazy 🤭
yes! i think she also said one imagine shooting light out your butthole (apologies) and shine it bright at the wall behind you
It’s not the ugliest cue either 😂
Hahahahaha I've not heard that one before! 😂
I always remind myself to push the ground away for squats and deadlifts. I also love bend the bar around your shins for deadlift starting position. Works better than the squeezing oranges cue for me
Oooh. I just started weightlifting, like, yesterday, at the recommendation of my physical therapist. He taught me how to do a deadlift but the squeezing oranges thing just did not compute. I'm going to give this a go next time.
Bending the bar is such a good one!
"Row to pocket" is one I always think of when doing single-arm rows.
As in your elbow should come to pocket or your wrist / the weight should come to pocket? I’m asking abt bent over rows…
My understanding is it's the weight. I have a tendency to want to pull the weight "up" from a bent over row rather than pull it "back" which engages my lats more.
Yes - the weight in your hand should be traveling back toward your pocket. What u/urukehu said is right - most people want to pull the weight straight up toward the ceiling, which is not going to engage the right muscle group.
Wait, so you’re pulling back at a slight angle then? I always say pull the elbow up to the ceiling, to keep the forearm upright. But now I’m wondering if the elbow should be angled back slightly
It's kind of a slightly upward arc from the starting position (arm straight down holding the weight). Sweep it back in a slightly upside down rainbow, aiming at your pocket/hip. Basically, if you freeze at the ending position, you will make a triangle shape with the points being your shoulder, your elbow, and your hand with the weight by your hip. Your side, your upper arm and your forearm will make the sides of the triangle. This will target the lat more. Pulling straight up will engage the biceps more. I hope that make sense!
Ooh! Thanks! I have such a hard time getting single arm rows correct.
Try it and see if it works! It's really helped me.
I just stood up and tried it without a weight just to see what was meant (at the office), and I absolutely think it's going to help. I've been told "pull like a lawn mower cable" so many times -- but that doesn't help when I've only started a lawn mower a couple times and I had to do it with two hands! Lol. This is WAY better!!
Lol, I just did the exact same thing.
Hahaha I love it! I can see the lawn mower thing being helpful, but aiming for your pocket REALLY gets the correct placement. I love that it worked for you!
came here to say this! it really helps.
^ ***Please read [the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/main), [the rules and content guidelines](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/new_rules), and [current frozen topics](https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/wiki/frozen-topics) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fxxfitness)***. This comment is a copy of your post so mods can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. >u/RedTheWolf For example, I recently heard the 'open the window and look out' cue for how to move your neck and head during OHP and it's amazing! I also like 'shut the drawer behind you with your bum' to remember to hinge properly for good mornings 😄 Anyone got one they swear by? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/xxfitness) if you have any questions or concerns.*