HIHI

The back is a complex muscle group with no shortage of possible exercises, so many that an overeager newbie armed with a Flex magazine and a belly full of ambition could easily hammer away at his back for hours, yet still barely scratch the surface of available options. The Golden Age of bodybuilding was a decidedly simpler time. While there were many exercises for bodybuilders to use, the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid) was usually first in mind, and for building back thickness, one didn't have to look any further than the barbell row (along with the deadlift). But it wasn't a case of "happily ever after." Cautious critics would target the barbell row due to the propensity for technique errors and the trainee's inability to fully recruit the lats – not to mention that "safer" alternatives like dumbbell rows and lat pulldowns allowed for greater range of motion and more focus on the targeted back muscles. So we labeled it as dangerous, ushered in ...