Image credit: Will Heffernan

Barbell Rows are one of the best weight lifting exercises — when done correctly. The usual problems are tight hip muscles causing your lower back to round or too much hip extension, turning Barbell Rows into Deadlifts.

Inverted Rows are a variation of Barbell Rows that remove the above problems. They’re also one of the few strength training exercises that justify the existence of Smith Machines. Here’s how to do Inverted Rows.

Benefits of Inverted Rows. Inverted Rows – also known as Horizontal Pull-ups or Fatman Pull-ups – are an upper-body exercise. Benefits:

• Back Strength. Inverted Rows work your upper-back, lats & traps. They also work your biceps muscles and several small muscles in your back.
• Barbell Row Substitute. If your lower back keeps rounding, you can do Inverse Rows while improving hip mobility using dynamic stretches.
• Improved Posture. Slouching shoulders are often linked with flaring shoulder-blades. Inverted Rows can help realign your shoulder-blades.

How to Do Inverted Rows. Lie back on the floor inside your Squat Rack with the bar at arms length. Pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.

• Pronated Grip. Same grip as for Pull-ups: palms facing away from your body. Grip the bar slightly narrower than on the Bench Press.
• Elbows Tucked. Not parallel to your torso. Keep your elbows close to your body, about 45° angle at your armpits.
• Lead with Your Chest. Not with your stomach or head. Keep your chin tucked, chest forward and shoulder-blades back & down.
• Touch Your Lower Chest. Same place the bar touches your chest on the Bench Press: your xyphoid process.
• Squeeze Your Shoulder-blades. Lead with your chest, keep your shoulder-blades back & down, tighten your upper-back at the top.
• Stay Tight. Straight line from shoulders to ankles. Keep your lower back & abs tight from start to finish.

Here’s a video of Joe DeFranco doing Feet Elevated Inverted Rows.

Inverted Rows Variations. Put your feet on the floor if you struggle with Feet Elevated Inverted Rows. Switch to bent knees if these are still hard.

• Bent Knees Inverted Rows. Knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Use your upper-body muscles as much as you can on the way up.
• Inverted Rows. Knees extended, feet on the floor. Elevate your feet on a box once these get easy.
• Feet Elevated Inverted Rows. Moves the center of gravity towards the bar, increasing difficulty. Body parallel with the floor at the bottom.
• Weighted Inverted Rows. Wear a rucksack filled with plates or Xvest or wrap chains around your body while doing Inverted Rows.
• Ring Inverted Rows. Harder to stabilize. Touch the Rings or Blast Straps handles with your chest on each rep. Feet elevated or on the floor.

Common Inverted Rows Mistakes. Make sure your arms are fully extended at the start of each rep and squeeze your shoulder-blades at the top.

• Elbows out. Increases the torque on your shoulder joint. Keep your elbows tucked: 45° angle to your body.
• Leading with Your Head. Increases risks of neck injuries. Lead with your chest while keeping your chin tucked.
• Letting Your Torso Sack. Bad for your lower back. Keep a straight line from ankles to shoulders. Strengthen your core with Prone Bridges.
• Not Touching the Bar. You lack strength. Switch to an easier version of the Inverted Row while you get stronger.
• Slouching Your Shoulders. Increases risks of shoulder injuries. Keep your shoulders back, shoulder-blades back & down, chest up.

If you’re a loyal reader, you’ve noticed I’ve given you a substitute for Squats, one for Deadlifts, and now one for Barbell Rows. Subscribe to see where I’m going with this (and get a free eBook).

Image credit: Annie White

Reader Koryjane1979 posted in StrongLifts.com Forum:

3 times a week I attempt to do sprints at the track for my intervals. I feel like I am getting a good workout until after when I feel the pain in my shins and sometimes the muscles around my knees.

I don’t get sore at any other time, just after sprints. I run on the track so that it won’t be so jarring on my joints. Is there stretches I can do after that will decrease the pain I feel? Or am I running incorrectly during the sprints?

Why Do You Get Shin Splints? Shin splints is a blanket term. Lack of recovery, like too much sprinting, can result in shin splints. But often there’s more going on. Koryjane1979 mentioned knee pain too.

• Bad Footwear. Wearing shoes with heels can limit the range of motion of your dorsiflexors and tighten your plantarflexors over time.
• Limited Ankle Mobility. Limited dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) and tight plantarflexors force your body to compensate mobility elsewhere.
• External Rotated Feet. Lack of ankle mobility will make your feet turn outward, while your lower-/upper-leg will turn internally to compensate.

Why You Should Look Into This. Lack of ankle mobility forces your feet out and turns your hip inward. This causes loss of external hip rotation ROM, which can force your knees/lower back to compensate mobility.

You understand shin splints, but also plantar fasciitis or achilles tendinosis, are just the tip of the iceberg. Often there’s a lot more going on, which can result in lower back pain or knee pain or your knees buckling in on Squats.

Why Women Should Really Look Into This. Women have an increased Q-angle compared to men: wider hips, narrow knees. Couple this with the chronic wear of high heels, and you understand why women are more prone to ACL injuries.

By the way, the increased Q-angle is part of the reason why women often have a harder time keeping their knees out on Squats, Deadlifts, Lunges, etc.

Image credit: Doctor Latino.

How to Treat Shin Splints. Chances are your sprinting technique isn’t optimal. Stop sprinting for now so your shins recover. In the meanwhile:

• Improve Ankle Mobility. Both plantarflexors and dorsiflexors. Do the exercises from the ankle mobility post and from this & this video.
• Strengthen Your Dorsiflexors. DARD work, Seated Dumbbell Dorsiflexion, Barbell Reverse Calf Raises, etc
• Wear Flat Shoes. Chuck Taylor All Stars for Squats & Deadlifts. Nike Frees for running. Women: drop the high heels at home.
• Go Barefoot. Do all your dynamic stretching exercises barefoot. Walk barefoot at home as much as you can.
• Improve Hip Mobility. You’re probably tight in there. Do the exercises from the hip mobility post, get Magnificent Mobility if you need more.
• Soft Tissue Work. Feet & calves: toes up/in, rotate in/out. Foam roll the rest too while you’re at it. Read the Soft Tissue Work guide.
• Strengthen Your Posterior Chain. Deadlifts, Rack Pulls, Box Squats, Glute Ham Raises, Pull-throughs, Reverse Hypers, Reverse Lunges, …