Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Food Facts
  • Reviews
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Mr. Olympia
      • Arnold Classic
      • Results
      • 2022 WSM
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
    • Food Facts
  • Reviews
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Mr. Olympia
      • Arnold Classic
      • Results
      • 2022 WSM
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
No Result
View All Result
Muscle-Building

The Deadlift Vs The Pull Up Vs The Barbell Row

Justin Robertson

Written by Justin Robertson

Last Updated onMarch 1, 2018

If you have been paying attention during this little Vs series, at least my intention was that it would be little but it is turning into much more than that now, then you know that every week since the first edition I have been putting two exercises into the ring and letting them duke it out to declare either a winner or a draw. This week is going to be a little different. It’s time to step this Vs battle up and throw three different exercises in the cage and see which one survives and can be declared The Ultimate Back Building Exercise. This week it’s the deadlift vs the pull up vs the barbell row.

I’m going to start by looking at the advantages of each exercise and I’ll begin with the exercise that I’m sure most of you consider the clear-cut favorite: the deadlift. The deadlift is a multi joint, compound movement (all three exercises are and that’s the first and last time I’ll mention that fact) that works the muscles of the upper back to a degree as the shoulders and spine must be held in place during this extremely taxing lift, but the deadlift is much more a lower back exercise than it is traditional back building one. The other muscles involved include the quads, glutes, hamstrings and the calf muscles.

Many compare the deadlift to the squat, but the squat has a much greater range of motion than does the deadlift as the thighs do not start or finish below parallel as in the case of a properly executed squat and the barbell rests on the floor between reps as opposed to resting on the shoulders/back as again is the case with the squat. The initial drive from the quadriceps muscles provides the momentum to begin the deadlift and then the load transfers to the spinal erectors and the hamstrings in order to continue the pull and straighten the legs to complete the lift. This is not to say that the deadlift is not comparable as a mass builder to the squat, but that Vs battle is one that will be taking place shortly.

What this all means is that the deadlift most certainly works the muscles of the upper back including the traps, although not through any range of motion as these upper back muscles are held locked in place, and the lats aren’t worked at all. As mentioned above the deadlift is much more of a spinal erector strengthener/builder and the pulling portion of the deadlift relies heavily on the muscles of the legs. This means at best the muscles of the upper back are secondary to this lift and with little to no lat recruitment this exercise is an incomplete back builder. The first victim in this Vs cage match is the deadlift.

That leaves us with the pull up and the barbell row. Let’s first look at what many refer to as the upper body squat: the pull up. The pull up works the largest muscle of the back, the latissimus dorsi. The lats are what every bodybuilder wants to develop to their fullest as when they are built to their potential they resemble wings and dramatically emphasize the V-taper that so many of us seek. They do, however come up short in working many of the other back muscles, such as the traps, and they also are not known for building back thickness. The muscles of the lower back are literally asleep during the pull up so to call this exercise the ultimate back builder would be a mistake. The second victim of the Vs cage match is the pull up.

The exercise that will leave the arena wearing the heavy weight belt declaring itself The Ultimate Back Building Exercise is the bent over barbell row. The barbell row is in fact considered primarily a lat builder, just like the pull up is, but that would be selling the barbell row short as the muscles of the lats, rhomboids, posterior deltoids and erector spinea are all heavily involved. In short, the muscles of the back, from top to bottom and side-to-side are all recruited to complete every rep during a set of bent over barbell rows.

The lower back is worked thoroughly as those muscles must work against the weight of the barbell in order to retain the spines natural shape. Also of note is the middle traps, an area of the back difficult to target, gets a great workout as they are responsible, along with your rhomboids, to draw your shoulder blades together to give a stable base of power from which to generate force from. The barbell row also trumps the pull up in that it builds lat thickness as well as width.

I’m going to state the obvious now and that is that all three exercise combined make for a great back workout. If you only did those three you really would be doing all you need to do to build a complete wide, thick and strong back. Variety is of course the spice of life and therefore training, so exercises like pulldowns, dumbbell rows, cable and machine work can always be included to push the envelope a little further. Make no mistake though, if barbell rows haven’t been given the priority that they should be given in your current training regimen then it’s time for you to look at your program and make sure that they are. Until next time my friends,

Happy Lifting!

  • The Squat Vs The Leg Press
  • Traditional Vs Sumo Deadlift
  • The Pull Up Vs The Pulldown
  • The Bench Press Vs The Dumbbell Fly
  • The Standing Vs Seated Overhead Press
  • Crunches Vs Planks: The Best Exercise For Ripped Abs
  • The Deadlift Vs The Pull Up Vs The Barbell Row
  • EZ Curl Bar And Preacher Curls Vs Barbell And Dumbbell Curls
  • Compound Vs Isolation Movements
  • Free Weights Vs Machines
  • Dips Vs Bench Press: The Best Chest Building Exercise
  • The Romanian Vs Stiff Leg Deadlift
  • Whey Vs Casein
  • Dips Vs Close Grip Bench Press Vs Skullcrushers
  • Bench Press Vs Pull-Ups Vs Shoulder Press – The Best Upper Body Lift
  • Squats Vs Deadlifts – The BEST Lift
  • Squats Vs Deadlifts – The BEST Lift 2
  • Squats Vs Deadlifts – The Best Lift 3
Add Fitness Volt to your Google News feed. Follow us on Google News
For the latest news and updates please follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn
Categories: Muscle-Building Training Exercises
Previous Post

Fat Burners: Myths, Lies and Everything You Need To know

Next Post

Non-Linear Periodization And Overtraining – Part 3

Justin Robertson

Justin Robertson

Related

John Haack

Powerlifter John Haack Cracks 415-kg (914.9-lb) Raw Deadlift PR Ahead of 2023 Ghost Clash

John Haack is considered by many fans to be the greatest of all-time in powerlifting, due to his impressive strength...

Building Muscle For Women

The Complete Guide to Building Muscle for Women

While not all women want to build bigger, more visible muscles, many do. We’re not talking about female bodybuilders or...

Marine Workout Plan

Marine Workout Plan for Battle-Ready Fitness

As a British Royal Marine, I had the pleasure of working with the USMC (United States Marine Corps) on several...

Mitchell Hooper Deadlift Pr

Strongman Mitchell Hooper Sets a 420-kg (925.9-lb) Raw Deadlift PR In Training

Mitchell Hooper's impressive feats of strength have earned him a reputation as one of the strongest men in the world,...

Best Assistance Exercises

The 22 Best Assistance Exercises For Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift

Most powerlifters stick to the big three (i.e., squat, bench press, and deadlift). These compound (multi-joint) lifts train almost all...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Dr. Khan Says Big Ramy Looks Better After Stem Cell Therapy, ‘Confident’ He Can ‘Fix’ Ronnie Coleman

10-Year-Old Jordan Mica Sets Three USAPL State Records At 2023 Third Street Barbell Open

Samson Dauda Reveals Being ‘Squashed Backstage’ for 5 Hours at 2022 Mr. Olympia

The Ultimate Rugby Workout for Strength, Speed, and Power

7-Time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger Involved In A Traffic Collision With A Cyclist

Levator Scapulae Stretches to Alleviate Neck Stiffness and Pain

Reviews

Best Bone Broth Supplements

10 Best Bone Broth Supplements of 2023 (Reviewed & Ranked)

Body Fortress Whey Protein Review

Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein Review

Best Coffee Creamer

10 Best Coffee Creamer For Intermittent Fasting of 2023 (Review & Ranked)

Fitness Volt

At FitnessVolt.com Our mission is to help our readers to achieve their fitness goals, regardless of where you’re at on your journey, we are on a mission to educate You with the latest from strength and fitness space. Read more.

Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com

Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis.

Follow Us

Trending Topics

  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • At Home Workouts
  • Bodyweight Exercises
  • Best Pre-workout
  • Best Fat Burners
  • Bodybuilding Diet
  • Bicep Workouts
  • Triceps Workouts
  • Chest Exercises
  • Back Workouts
  • Leg Workouts
  • Front Squat Guide
  • Calf Workouts & Exercises
  • Forgotten Exercises
  • Jefferson Deadlift

Calculators

  • Calorie Burning Calculators
  • IF Calculator
  • TDEE Calculator
  • Calorie Calculator
  • Keto Calculator
  • RMR Calculator
  • Macronutrient Calculator
  • Creatine Calculator
  • Wilks Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • FFMI Calculator
  • IBW Calculator
  • LBM Calculator
  • Fat Intake Calculator
  • Calories Burned Swimming
  • Calories Per Meal Calculator

  • Food Nutrition Analysis
  • Carb Cycling Calculator
  • Weight Gain Calculator
  • Weight Loss Calculator
  • Calories Burned Calculator
  • Strength Standards
  • One Rep Max Calculator
  • Body Fat Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • Weight Loss Percentage
  • Treadmill Calorie Calculator
  • Body Surface Area Calculator
  • Running Pace Calculator
  • Bench Press Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Water Intake Calculator
  • Body Type Quiz
  • Steps to Miles Calculator
  • Calorie Deficit Calculator
  • Home
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Accessibility
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Syndication
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
  • Training
  • Nutrition
  • Reviews
  • More
    • News
    • Mr. Olympia
    • 2022 WSM
    • Diet
    • Arnold Classic
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • Food Facts
    • Fitness Calculator

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.