Great exercises you might not be doing: Renegade Row

The other day I was at the gym and an experienced weightlifter asked me if I wanted to learn some new lifts to complement my fitness routine.
I said, “Sure. It’s always good to learn something new.”
The gentleman introduced me to a classic lift known as Renegade Rows.
The rows are a regular part of the workout routine of many kettlebell users and if done correctly will work all the muscles of your upper body at once.
I was really impressed with the lift and also how hard they were. I plan on working these rows into my workout and trying to get better at them in the coming weeks. My pecs, back, biceps, triceps and abs will all thank me in the long run.

How to:The way experts teach to do Renegade rows is to put two kettlebells about shoulder-width apart on the floor. Make sure it’s flat surface.
Get over the kettlebells in a pushup position, supporting yourself with your hands squeezing the handles.
Push down hard on the right handle, while pulling up the left handle in a row exercise. Do the opposite to row on the other side. Keep the elbow of the bottom arm locked
You can either do sets on each side, or alternate left and right.
One tip I was told was to practice shifting your balance slightly so you can get used to supporting yourself over the kettle bells before even lifting any weights. Before doing any rows, you might want to simply practice raising the right arm while you balance with the left arm holding the other handle.
Another tip is to place the legs farther apart to start to aid with balance, which I had to do. As you get better, the legs can be moved closer together.
It’s always fun to add a new twist to your workout routine and Renegade Rows are an exercise I’d highly recommend trying.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net