Lat engagement in RC/PE1

I'm having trouble engaging my lats during hinge rows.  It feel to me like I'm pretty much curling my bodyweight, and is actually harder than any other row variation I've tried.

So anyone got some good advice how to get my lats engaged during the movement?

Try to imagine that you are pulling with your elbows, that usually works for me and I don't feel it too much in my arms.

yes there is a percentage of curling in the movements. Since your ass has to be maintained off from the floor, in the starting position your are using the lats to not pike the hips and of course on the final position when elbows are bent at 90° you use lats to maintain the elbows at these degrees in respect to the rest of the upper body.

Curling strength is necessary since the following exercise use the biceps especially the PE6.

Correct me if I'm wrong but this exercise feels like it is most demanding on my forearms - they're dying out there - and if you can do the mastery 5x15reps for PE1 - your forearms will not be a limiting factor for the more serious work coming for the lats. But to make it happen, you have to take it easy on the lats first.
Nontheless it will engage it and the biceps too to some degree. Just don't worry too much about it, Josh said that keep the elbows down no matter where are you in space, this will force lat activation to some degree.


 

When I first attempted mastery (before I realised the glutes need to be kept off the ground) I hit the mastery easy, but then I had incredible pain in my forearms for a week.  I couldn't even straighten my arms for days.  Now that I'm keeping my glutes off the ground, the higher load has forced me to start from week 1, and my biceps are definitely the limiting factor.  I'll try the elbows cue and get back to you guys in a couple days.

I've always had pretty good activation in my right lat but my left side is hard to control.  I have found that putting the primary focus on pulling the elbow down(instead of my body up) has helped me get some control.

I've realised that the way I was doing hinge rows is different to in the video.  In the demonstration, the elbows are going out to the side, where as I've been keeping my elbows strictly tucked in line with my shoulders.

Just wanted to let you guys know it's a hell of a tweak if you want to get more biceps involvement.  If you've already tested mastery, I suggest you give it another go with my variation!

the description talks about glutes off the ground, but the video does not do it. Should they be slightly off the ground during the entire movement?

federicoC said:

the description talks about glutes off the ground, but the video does not do it. Should they be slightly off the ground during the entire movement?

Yes, your glutes can brush the floor but there should be no weight on it. Like somebody else said it in another thread, think of it as a ground row where you are allowed to pike heavily.

Thanks, I will repeat my mastery then. 

Mmm, I hit mastery with my glutes on the ground when I first tested... Then my forearms exploded and I couldn't straighten my arms for like, 3 days.

I think forearms are the least of my problems. I'll let you know, I want to try mastery again by just brushing the floor. Not that I actively put weight on my glutes but...to try is better than to assume.

I don't touch the floor at all.  But then contrary to when I started the thread, I don't want lat engagement during RC/PE1.  I like my harder variation better

Norbert Marko said:

Correct me if I'm wrong but this exercise feels like it is most demanding on my forearms - they're dying out there - and if you can do the mastery 5x15reps for PE1 - your forearms will not be a limiting factor for the more serious work coming for the lats. But to make it happen, you have to take it easy on the lats first.

Nontheless it will engage it and the biceps too to some degree. Just don't worry too much about it, Josh said that keep the elbows down no matter where are you in space, this will force lat activation to some degree.

 

My forearms are dying. Now that I have a form that keeps my lats activated and glutes off the floor, I'm actually starting to get some real tendon soreness at the joint on the inner elbow. So I'm going to stick on the low volume cycle (Weeks 1-4) until I feel really clean there.

The cue that has worked for me is to really tighten up through the middle and legs and hinge at the hip only. (back flat, no rounding at all) I really feel it through the lats, not so much biceps. Forearms are completely trashed by the end of the fourth set, and the lat stretch coupled with it just kind of seems cruel.

Also, I have to concentrate on keeping the scaps down throughout the movement to do this (what i think is) properly. My shoulders keep wanting to creep up, especially on the left side. 

Hope that's helpful.

What you say seems very reasonable. Tomorrow I'll let you know if I can master it with this form. I hope the gym owner will allow me to make some vid in the gym (not kidding, they'd like to keep their privacy).

I actually did them wrong today during my mastery testing. (Just got F1) I had my butt on the ground the whole time.

I tried PE2 mastery right after that and my forearms were dying after the second set. I didn't feel much in my back.

I'm gonna try mastery again soon on PE1 with the correct form and I'm sure my forearms will be the limiting factor again.