GEORGE SPELLWIN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Enlightening Men about Anabolic Steroids and Bodybuilding for over Two Decades
|
 Elite Fitness Bodybuilding, Anabolics, Diet, Life Extension, Wellness, Supplements, and Training Boards
 Training Discussion Board
 What's better for mass, chins or rows?
|
| Author | Topic: What's better for mass, chins or rows? | ||
|
Pro Bodybuilder 
Posts: 432 |
What's better for building overall upper back bulk, chins, or bent-over rows??     | ||
|
Elite Bodybuilder 
Posts: 1031 |
I would have to say Chins. Anything where you move your bodyweight through space ia always best. | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder 
Posts: 158 |
I'd agree, CHINS. | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 55 |
its like comparing apples and oranges- chins are for width rows are for thickness so why not do both good luck bear | ||
|
Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1031 |
Width and Thickness is an urban legend so to speak. You cannot widen the lats. You can build the lat muscle for it to appear larger, hence wider. Rows and Chins both work the lat muscles. Both movements are variations of the pullover. Chins would be the upper half and rows would be the lower half. But with rows you get the bonus of lower back stimulation. ------------------ | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 55 |
ok steelheart why did my lats get wider from chins the reason i think they did was because they were my only excercise i did at the time. | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 82 |
Big Bear, I had the same thing happen to me, except I only did rows and my lats got wider. But I also got thickness off the rows. Just do rows and see what happens, that'll be the real test for you. | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 55 |
i did rows for years didnt add much to width any type of row you can think of i did them and i did pulldowns when i started training in my basement no lat machine so started doing chins and i am alot wider now than i was doing rows and pulldowns steelheart is right about pullovers being good for your lats | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 167 |
I believe the reason is because Chins are a more productive exercise. But Steelheart is correct. There is no exercise that will give your muscles a certain shape. That has more to do with genetics if anything. And Chins is not an isolation movement. The only isolation exercise for your back is pullovers. I believe that chins are better than rows. Don't get me wrong, I love doing rows, but I feel more stimulation when I do chins. I believe the five best exercises are as follows: Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Presses, Chins or Pulldowns and Overhead Presses. ------------------ -HB- | ||
|
Cool Novice 
Posts: 44 |
"There is no exercise that will give your muscles a certain shape." - HIT Bodybuilder Hmm, just think about that for a minute. First of all, any exercise you do can alter the shape of the muscle. You mean after all these years, my muscles getting bigger was an illusion! Also, keep in mind that there are many exercises that are designed to shape certain muscles. Concentration curls primarily work to add that "peak" on the biceps. Getting back to the point, when people talk about width, they are usually talking about perceived back width, not actually width of the latissimus dorsi. Granted, when people have huge lats, their backs look wider. Where do you get the notion that both chins and rows are variation of the pullover? And I really don't think rows would constitute the lower half of a pullover. To answer Recoome, you first keep variety in your workout. Never just choose one exercise and stick with it. I would recommend pull-ups and rows for a good balanced back. Remember, there is never just one way to do the exercise. Chins, for example, can be done with a pronated or supinated grip, wide grip or narrow grip, and other ways. Rows can be done with a T-Bar, barbell, one arm bent-over, and other ways. Make sure you incorporate different types of movements to further stimulate growth. Genetic | ||
|
Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1031 |
OKay. The reason why I feel that machine pullovers is like the chins and row is because when you chin, your hands are over your head and stretched out, like the pullover on a machine. Then with the row you pull to the waist. The ending of the machine pullover your hands are pulled to you waist. So you get strecth and contraction with one exercise... cool huh?  ------------------ | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 167 |
Ok, let me put it a different way. What I meant was that there aren't any specific exercises that are for width or thickness for your back. Pulldowns and chins don't specifically make your back wider. The width and thickness has to do with genetics. And I don't believe concentration curls will peak your biceps. I don't believe in "shaping" exercises. Your muscles will shape according to your genetics. ------------------ -HB- | ||
|
Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1031 |
Im With HIT. | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 55 |
well if that is a fact why do more than one excercise per bodypart even the hit programs i have seen do more than one set per bodypart why not just do pullovers for back it is the only direct excercise for lats why use bicips to assist your back muscles like in rows and chins by the same logic flys would be betterthan dips,benchpress,but everybody says do compound movements for muscle growth but if your muscles contract all or nothing you would not be training the muscle efficent because of your weak links. j i have trained in the high intensitity style of training for years and i think it is one of the best ways to train for one reason you dont have to live in the gym to see results not like the high volume approach but when i trained on a volume type program i allso made gains you have to find what type of training that fits in your life style and matches your personalitity. good training | ||
|
Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1031 |
The reason why not to do flyes over Compound exercise for the chest? With flyes I can use maybe 80lbs... Weighted dips 150lbs + b/w 220lbs = 370lbs for 10 reps. Its all about overload. You will build more muscle with exercises that stress more muscle per movement. Im not saying 1 sets per bodypart, thats not me but 1-2 heavy sets per exercise. I think this has gotten off topic, but is a good argument. | ||
|
Cool Novice
Posts: 11 |
Chins, definately. Rows don't do much for anything but your lats, assuming you do them right. | ||
|
Cool Novice
Posts: 22 |
personally i think chins are better than rows.. there are a lot of people who 'ego' train when doing rows*hoisting and jerking*.. try doing this on pull-ups, i dont think that u can. it's hard to cheat when doing chins/pull-ups, its good for u.. but again it's a preference between the 2.. happy training | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 167 |
The only time I use isolation exercises is when I want to boost up the intensity. Here's an example from one of my workouts. CHEST By doing Flyes, I'm isolating my chest. Then when I move to my compound movement my chest is still doing the work, but it's failing faster than my tris and delts. Usually if I were doing bench presses first, my delts and tris would fail first. Here are the following exercises that I believe are the best. Squats, Deadlifts, Flat/Incline Bench Presses, Dips, Chins, Pulldowns and Standing Barbell Presses. ------------------ -HB- | ||
|
Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 460 |
HIT....u fatigue your chest first to make it grow with superseting fly movements with compound movemennts. do u wait a couple of seconds after flyes or do u go straight into it? How many sets in your work out do u perform like this? | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 227 |
I love chins....ya can not change or alter the shape of a muscle it only gets bigger. | ||
|
Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 167 |
I'll post my workout one last time. After the isolation movement, I immediately move to my compound movement. I do not stop to rest on supersetted exercises. MONDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY I usually change my exercises around every so often. I also change the number of reps. ------------------ -HB- | ||
|
Novice 
Posts: 1 |
I feel chins more in my lats (stretched position). I feel bent over reverse rows more in my midback & lowerback. I also deadlift on my 'back' day, nothing beats them! Replay |
All times are ET (US) | |
 |
| |
posted September 24, 2000 03:01 AM