STOP Doing Renegade Rows and Do THIS Instead

Cool name aside, renegade rows kinda suck.

The idea is to perform a dumbbell row while in a push-up position, doubling as a core/back combo.

Sounds great, but seldom looks great.

Over-pulling, rounded shoulders, lack of core stability, and little to no control on the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the laundry list of mistakes associated with renegade rows.

Which begs the question...why are they so popular?

If you said most people do them because they think "it's a great exercise"...you'd be right.

The problem is...it's NOT.

Namely because of how poorly it's executed.

Which begs the next question...what should you do instead?

Insert birddog rows.

Is it a cool name? No.

Are they way better than renegade rows? You bet your fucking ass.

Do I swear too much? Probably.

Let's get to it.

How to Do Birddog Rows

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Benefits

• Anti-rotation. When you minimize your points of contact with the ground (i.e. balance on one hand and knee vs two), you challenge your ability to resist rotation. This is one of the primary benefits of birddog rows.

• Anti-extension. Your anterior core musculature is also working hard to resist hyperextension in the lower back throughout the set.

• Proprioception. Balance and coordination are challenged when you add an element of core stability into the mix with your rows. I.e. Rowing with one leg up in the air challenges your brain more than if you had both feet on the floor. This is why I love birddog rows for some of my older clients.

Coaching Cues

• Reach with your back foot. Try to touch the wall behind you with your back heel, keeping your ankle dorsiflexed by pulling your toes up towards your shin. This helps you maintain tension and alignment throughout the set.

• Pull with your elbow. Imagine your hand is a hook holding on to the kettlebell and "pull" with your elbow. You'll feel your back muscles more (as opposed to your arms).

• Slow, controlled lowering. The biggest mistake when performing birddog rows is lowering the weight too fast and throwing yourself off balance.

Progressions and Regressions

• Start with both knees on the bench (easy). Both knees and one hand stay on the bench as you row. Learn how to maintain "flat" hips from this position as you row by pretending you're balancing a glass of water on your lower back.

• Place your back foot against the wall (medium). Progress to the birddog row and press your back foot against the wall behind you for added stability before moving on to the full, free-standing variation.

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• Increase weight of the kettlebell and/or wear a weight vest or chains (hard). Wearing a weight vest and/or chains won't make the row harder, but will challenge your core strength like crazy. Like craaaazy, man.

Programming Recommendations

• Program in Block B. Use birddog rows as a supplemental exercise in Block B of the training session.

• Pair with an upper body push or knee-dominant exercise. If you're programming an upper body-focused session, you could pair birddog rows with a horizontal pushing movement (ex. push-ups or dumbbell bench press). If you're programming a full body workout, you could pair them with a knee-dominant exercise like squats or split squats. I prefer NOT to pair them with a hip-dominant movement (ex. deadlift or RDL) as they use similar muscles as the birddog row. Plus, pairing two grip-intensive exercises usually isn't a great idea (especially for clients with weak grip in the first place).

• 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. No sense in going south of 8 reps here. I usually cap it at 12 (max) and stick with sets of 8.

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