Meadows Row

The Meadows Row is a unilateral landmine exercise performed standing perpendicular to the bar, targeting the upper back and lats. By gripping the thick sleeve of the barbell, it challenges grip strength while allowing for a maximized range of motion and deep lat stretch.

How Iridium Helps

Since the Meadows Row relies heavily on grip strength due to holding the fat end of the barbell, our AI analyzes your performance drop-off to distinguish between muscular back failure and grip fatigue. By tracking your daily recovery status and HRV, the app optimizes your volume to ensure you're stimulating the lats without overtaxing your lower back or central nervous system. If you report elbow pain or grip issues, the system can instantly suggest neutral-grip alternatives or strap recommendations to keep you training effectively.

Form Cues

Do
  • Stand perpendicular to the landmine with a staggered stance
  • Hinge at the hips so your torso is nearly parallel to the floor
  • Grip the thick end of the barbell sleeve with an overhand grip
  • Drive your elbow up and back towards your hip bone
  • Allow your shoulder to reach forward at the bottom for a deep stretch
Don't
  • Don't rotate your torso excessively to hoist the weight
  • Don't let your lower back round; keep a neutral spine
  • Don't jerk the weight up using momentum from your legs
  • Don't flare your elbow out too wide; keep it angled naturally
  • Don't shorten the range of motion; fully extend the arm at the bottom

Common Mistakes

  • Using too much momentum
  • Standing too upright
  • Cutting the stretch short
  • Pulling with the biceps
  • Rounding the lumbar spine

Muscles Worked

This exercise is a powerhouse for developing the upper back, specifically targeting the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and rear deltoids. The unique angle and thick-bar grip also place significant demand on the brachialis and forearm muscles, while the unilateral nature helps identify and correct strength imbalances between sides.

Primary

Latissimus DorsiRhomboids

Secondary

Biceps Short HeadBiceps Long HeadForearms

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