Why do the the PENDLAY ROW??? The Pendlay row is similar to the barbell row, except you don’t use your lower body to help hoist the bar off the floor. This means you probably won’t be able to lift as much weight as you do with other row variations, but it also means your lats, traps, and rhomboids do more of the work and you aren’t limited by your lower-body strength. Overall, it gives you the chance to focus more on the back, and less on the lower body. Try swapping it out with a conventional b