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Building Big Back: The Pendlay Row

Big and strong backs are the foundation of big lifts. You can have the strongest legs in the world but if you can't hold yourself up, you're not going to get very far.

douglasperrybio

Written by Douglas Perry Last updated on July 27, 2021

Glenn Pendlay was a renowned strength and conditioning coach who, unfortunately, passed away in 2019 at the young age of 48 losing his battle against cancer.

Glenn Pendlay was a renowned strength and conditioning coach who, unfortunately, passed away in 2019 at the young age of 48 losing his battle against cancer.

A Level 5 USA Weightlifting coach, Pendlay inspired many coaches and athletes through his endeavors in promoting weightlifting and strength training. as well as his training methods and mentorship.

The eponymous Pendlay Row is a variation of the barbell bent-over row that isn’t anything like a bent-over row. It is explosive, often done with heavy weights, that requires the torso remain parallel to the ground throughout the movement.

It’s probably best not to treat it as an add-on exercise but use it as a mainstay of building a strong, powerful, big back.

Do it heavy. Do it first in your routine. Form is key and that’s why the emphasis is on a parallel torso to the floor. But, make sure you keep your knees fluid and you don’t strain the lower back.

And, yes, the correct way to do it will have the weight hit the ground hard. Like we said, it is done with a heavy load. Performed by Greg Walsh, founder of Wolf Brigade, you can feel the ground shaking with every rep. Just as prescribed.

The NSFW version of the Pendlay Row is demonstrated by one of my personal heroes, and one of the best writers on all things strength and conditioning, Jamie Lewis, on his Instagram page,

A post shared by Jamie Lewis (@plagueofstrength)

douglasperrybio

About Douglas Perry

Douglas Perry is a journalist who turned his passion for technology into his profession more than 20 years ago. Since then, he followed, reviewed, and wrote about trends and products that define our mobile lifestyle today. He helped create several technology publications in Europe as well as the US in the past; these days, Douglas earns his living as a technology product and content strategist.

Three teenage athletes at home keep him busy during his free time, but have allowed him to get just enough training time in to remain competitive in road cycling and swimming. Less frequently than he would want to, Douglas manages to squeeze a Criterium ride in his schedule, and occasionally a casual bike race and a 5K with his kids.

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