do y'all prefer barbell rows or cable rows? i honestly prefer barbell rows but all my gym friends think im crazy
cable row isolates lats and biceps much more as far as i know, but barbell rows are a real compound exercise that works lats+bi's as well as smaller muscles such as rear delt, other back muscles and your core. i do them both but would choose barbell row if my time was limited and i wanted a efficient quick workout
They are both effective and cause me to gain weight, especially barbell rows. First, I'd typicaly hit some heavy barbell rows, followed by one or two-handed dumble or cable rows off the bench as an isolation killer. On the other back day, I'd start with some weighted pull-ups, followed by one or two-handed cable or hammer style lat pulldowns...
However, here is the thing - an effective barbell row workout requires previously developed stability or stabilising muscles... Simply put, bros who avoid such compounds have weak stabilising muscles, not to mention that the actual exercise is incredibly energy consuming.