Kirk Karwoski Rows

[BigJosh]

As described by Jim Wendler:

Kirk Karwoski rows. This is like a shrug/upright row hybrid. Holding a heavy barbell, shrug and row it up to your belly button. Hold for a second at the top and repeat. With heavy weight and high reps, this is also great for grip strength. This will make your traps look like mountains of beef.

T NATION | Building a Bigger Yoke

Here they are referred to as Grip Shrugs:

Thursday's workout was interesting because Karwoski did an exercise he invented called grip shrugs, which he used to get his deadlift up to 800 in the gym. The exercise, “grip shrugs,” was a hybrid upright row/shrug done with a thumbless grip and paused at the navel, and was designed to help Karwoski develop a grip that would enable him to pull big poundages. Unfortunately, he expended so much energy on the squat in competition that he was never able to pull 800+ in competition, but it improved his grip strength considerably.

http://chaosandpain.blogspot.com/201...2-captain.html

Another reference:

Kirk Shrugs for Massiveness
This is a great exercise for grip strength, trap and delt development and for static strength. I call them "Kirks" after my friend Kirk Karwoski. Kirk started doing these after his deadlifts to develop his grip strength. Kirk has small hands, and he and his coach Marty Gallagher put these in his training to help him hang on. Obviously it worked as Kirk has deadlifted over 800 pounds. To perform them take a grip right outside your thighs. Pull the bar to your belly button, bending your arms and shrugging at the same time. PAUSE for a 2 second count and repeat. You can cheat slightly to get it started. Kirk also used a thumbless grip on this, which makes it even more difficult.

http://www.basbarbell.com/2011/09/ki...ssiveness.html

[BendtheBar]

Thanks for posting. Good info.

[miked96]

In action

[Disciple X]

I did these a time or 2 and i remember my biceps getting sore. Lol. Probably need to practice them more. I personally like the power shrugs better. Very similar but i got a lot more out of them...

[BigJosh]

Power Shrugs just don't work for myself. Maybe I am doing them wrong, but every time I have ever tried them it's an upper body jerk that is hard on my lower back and does very little for my traps.
That is why I use things like power cleans and kirk karwoski rows and "strict" shrugs. I am certainly the minority here at MaB with this experience, but I just haven't been able to make power shrugs work for myself.

[Squatter]

Originally Posted by BigJosh

Power Shrugs just don't work for myself. Maybe I am doing them wrong, but every time I have ever tried them it's an upper body jerk that is hard on my lower back and does very little for my traps.
That is why I use things like power cleans and kirk karwoski rows and "strict" shrugs. I am certainly the minority here at MaB with this experience, but I just haven't been able to make power shrugs work for myself.

I am the same as you Josh - my lower back also takes a brutal bashing on power shrugs. I think your right on track doing the cleans and these Kirk Rows. I am also going to try these. Thanks for the great post.

[Fazc]

These are how Starr teaches Dynamic Shrugs in OSSS.

[BendtheBar]

This isn't too far from the high pulls to the belly button that I've used in the past.