Pendlay Row

The dead-stop row — every rep starts from the floor, building explosive back power with zero cheating.

Back, Lats, Rear DeltsBarbellAdvanced
TARGET MUSCLES

Setup

  1. Hinge to near-parallel, flat back, bar on the floor.
  2. Grip just outside knees, shins vertical, lats tight.

How To Do It

  1. Explode the bar to your lower chest, elbows driving up and back.
  2. Squeeze the blades hard at the top.
  3. Return the bar all the way to the floor — dead stop — reset each rep.

Breathing

Big breath before each pull, exhale at the top.

Common Mistakes

  • Standing up as you pull — the torso stays parallel the whole set.
  • Bouncing reps off the floor — full dead stop resets the tension.
Coach Sam's cue: Explode to the chest, reset on the floor.

Programming It

GoalSetsRepsRest
Strength3–54–62–3+ min
Muscle3–48–1260–90 sec
Endurance / Conditioning2–315–2030–45 sec

Form guide for educational purposes — not medical advice. New to training or working around an issue? Apply for coaching and get a plan built for your body.