How do I make sure that I don't end up doing rear delt rows in stead of bent over r..

[SuperFob]

How do I make sure that I don't end up doing rear delt rows in stead of bent over rows? They're very similar exercises it looks like, and I realized that I had made a mistake when I felt nothing at all in my upper back doing these.

 

[goergen1]

Bent over rows

Make sure you squeeze your shoulders back before you bend your elbows when you are doing a row. This will recruit the muscles that you are trying to train first. Shoulder back. Make sure it is not a shrug.

Many people tend to bend the elbows first. That recruits the biceps and the rear delt first.

 

[R.Lewis]

Also by bringing the bar up to your mid section rather than the chest. This will help work the traps before the delts.

 

[SuperFob]

I use dumbbells for my rows BTW

 

[dswithers]

Concentrate on the feel of your lats as you move the weight. Try different planes of motion (to waist, to chest, to somewhere in between) until you fell it in your lats. Try stretching out farther at the bottom, or holding for a 1 second count at the top, or ... Just keep experimenting and doing them until you get the feel you are looking for. Also, be extremely strict, don't use a torso twist or jerking motion, or you will place more strain on your lower back or abs or something other than your lats.

BTW, your lats are a much larger and stronger muscle than the rear delt so the tendancy should be to use the lats if you are using a heavy enough weight to challange your lats.