Lou Ferrigno’s Go-To Back Builder – How to Do the Row Variation That Built His Legendary Physique

Lou Ferrigno is proving you’re never too old to lift heavy. Even at 74, the bodybuilding legend is still in the gym pumping iron – nearly 50 years after the release of the Pumping Iron documentary, in which he famously competed against Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Mr Olympia title.

In a recent video shared on Facebook, Ferrigno is seen performing T-bar rows with the same intensity that made him one of bodybuilding’s biggest stars. It’s an exercise that formed the backbone of his workouts in the 1970s.

‘Amazing, over 50 years later Arnold and I are still doing this exercise: T-bar rows,’ Ferrigno says. ‘This is called pumping iron. Back over 50 years ago, we didn’t have the fancy machines. We had iron, pumping iron, blood, sweat, and tears, kicking butt. We’re still here, buddy, kicking butt.’

The T-bar row is a fantastic back builder that requires just a barbell and a few weight plates, targeting the lats, teres major, trapezius, erector spinae, rear deltoids, biceps, core and glutes. It builds muscle and strength across the entire back and, depending on the variation, may place less stress on the lower back than a traditional bent-over row.

This isn’t just a one-off gym session for Ferrigno, either. He continues to train regularly, prioritising consistent movement and working through a variety of exercises in his home gym.

‘Stay active and feel young,’ he says.

Ferrigno has now been lifting weights for more than 60 years.

• Use a landmine attachment, rest the unloaded end of the bar on a plate or wedge it into a corner to create a sturdy ‘anchor’. Load plates onto the opposite end of the bar.
• Use a set of gymnastics rings, straps, a rope or even just a towel, passing it under the barbell, behind the plates to create a set of ‘handles’.
• Straddle the bar and hinge at the hips until your torso is near parallel to the ground. Grip your handles, take a deep breath and brace your core. Create tension through your entire body.
• Draw your elbows up and back, keeping them close to your body, rowing the weight up as far as possible before the plates make contact with your torso. Squeeze your shoulder blades and pause at the top of each rep before slowly lowering the weight back to the ground under control.
• Elevate your feet by standing on plates or blocks to increase the range of motion, alternatively you can use smaller plates on the bar for a similar effect.

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