There are three critical angles to work when you train your back. You need a downward movement, a horizontal movement and an upward movement. Keath and Shea are demonstrating three basic exercises to cover all those movements. Reps and recommended weight are discussed below.
1. The wide grip pulldown (downward movement) Set your weights for your desired goal; pull the bar down to your collarbone as you squeeze the shoulder blades and exhale on the exertion. Pause, then Inhale on the return.
2. The cable row (horizontal movement) Brace your feet, pull the handles back to your torso while squeezing your shoulder blades together and exhaling. Pause, then return the weights as you inhale.
3. The bent over row (upward movement) Grab dumbbells for this exercise and hold them at your sides. Bend over at a 45 degree angle. Get a nice curve in the lower back by sticking your butt out and your shoulders back, looking straight ahead. Pull the weights up and straight up to your sides as you exhale. Pause, then return the weights to the starting position.
How much weight should you use and how many repetitions should you perform? That depends on your goals. If you are more focused on endurance and weight loss, adjust the weight to hit failure in the 15-18 repetition zone of your first set. If you want a balance of strength and endurance, target 10-12 reps. Finally, if you do want to add shape or strength, jack the weights up to make 8-10 or even 6-8 reps a true challenge.