MD Training Camp: Dorian Yates - #1

Barbell Rows for Massive Back

Barbell Rows for Massive Back

Hey Dorian, I know you were big on barbell rows but I have never seen you train with or heard you talk about T-bar rows. Do you think the T-bar row is an important back exercise?

 I never liked T-bar rows, as the plates hitting your chest cut down on the range of motion compared to a barbell row. Some have suggested using smaller plates, 25s instead of 45s, to increase the range of motion. The problem you will run into there if you have decent pulling strength is that you will run out of room on the end of the bar before you have enough resistance to truly challenge you! The T-bar also tends to put more strain on the lower back. So I would stick with barbell rows, a good machine row like Hammer Strength, or cable rows.

Asymmetrical Body Parts – What’s the Cause?

Dorian, did you ever have any symmetrical issues with a body parts? I’m sure everyone has them. Over the past year, my back was experiencing great amounts of growth, so I never really noticed that even though I added a lot of size, it wasn’t very evenly spread. My left lat has gained a lot of thickness where if I were to do a front relaxed pose, it pushes my left arm very noticeably farther apart than my right arm goes. So when posed, it seems as if my body was tipped over to one side, throwing my balance off. It would be great if you could offer some advice. I believe it had to do with one-arm rows and lack of careful form.

It’s probably unrelated to the exercises you do. The issue could be structural. If a nerve is impinged, it affects nerve flow/signals. One lat could be getting much more stimulation than the other. If a nerve is blocked, doing more sets for the weaker side is futile and a wasted effort. You would need to get to the root of the problem. See a chiropractor, for starters. All bodybuilders should do so once a month anyway. Also, look into deep-tissue massage to break up scar tissue. As for asymmetry, Arnold had two differently shaped biceps. Most bodybuilders are asymmetrical to one degree or another, but few will ever notice it unless the difference is significant— or you point it out to them!

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