Pendlay rows bad for the back?

[galapogos]

Hi,
I've been doing pendlay rows as best as I know how to based on the pictures and descriptions I've seen on this site and others, but haven't done them ever since I got my hip injury. Recently a friend of mine was doing it and a trainer at the gym we were at stepped into correct him, telling him that it was bad for his back.

Now usually I'd dismiss this as most PTs don't know what they're talking about, but this is a guy whose opinions I respect tremendously, since he's a certified strength, conditioning and rehab specialist with over 20 years of experience, who has trained olympic athletes, professional sportsmen, given seminars, and hangs around the likes of Michael Boyle and Steven Cotter.

Granted, my friend wasn't doing the pendlays with good form(hips were high, knees weren't really bent, torso wasn't as close to horizontal, motion was unnatural), but he seems to believe that you shouldn't deweight the bar and that you should keep a 90deg angle at the hip and that the torso should be 45deg to the groun, or you'll screw your back up. That sounds like a normal row to me.

I'm kinda confused because it's kinda impossible to keep a 90deg angle at the hip when doing pendlay rows since your back will almost be horizontal. Also, while I trust him with anything related to strength/weight training, I also know that Glenn Pendlay is a very well respected person in the strength circles as well. Does anyone have any thoughts on the correct pendlay row execution(preferably with images/video), and any potential for injury?

Thanks.

[karky]

err.. keeping the back horizontal parallell to the floor is not harmful aslong as you keep your upper back straight.

With the pendlay row you are suppose to bend your upper (thorotical) back, but keep the lower back in place, then straighten up the thorotical back, pull the shoulderblades back and pull the bar towards your body at the same time. Was it the bending of the upper back the PT said was bad? alot of people bend their lower back when they try to do it..

[OldGuy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIUg8nDVEFs

There's more on youtube if you do a search.

[galapogos]

Thanks. I did search on youtube, but anyone and their dog can post on youtube so I won't be certain if they're doing it correctly.