Row
The basic seated row: sitting at a machine or a low cable, you pull the handles or bar to your torso and squeeze your shoulder blades together, working your upper back and lats.
Equipment
- Primary muscles
- Upper back, Lats
- Secondary
- Biceps, Rear delts
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Upper back, Lats
- Secondary
- Rear delts, Biceps, Forearm flexors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Why do it
It's a straightforward row for any level, and a good main back exercise for beginners because the seat supports you and the weight is easy to adjust. The machine version has a chest pad and a fixed path, so you can push hard with no position to hold. The cable version lets your shoulder blades travel further forward and back and asks you to hold your torso steady yourself. Pick the machine for heavy, simple sets and the cable when you want the longer range.
How to do it (Machine)
Set the seat so the chest pad sits against your sternum and your arms reach the handles with your chest on the pad.
Grip the handles with your arms extended and your feet planted.
Pull the handles to your torso, driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Return slowly to full extension. Keep your chest on the pad instead of pulling away from it to move more weight.
Attach a straight bar to the low pulley, sit down and put your feet on the footrests with your knees slightly bent.
Grip the bar overhand at about shoulder width, arms extended, leaning forward slightly from the hips with a flat back.
Pull the bar to your upper stomach, driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Extend your arms slowly and let your shoulder blades travel forward at the end. Let your torso rock a little, but don't heave the weight with your lower back.
Common mistakes
Pulling your chest off the pad
On the machine, leaning back away from the pad lets your body weight move the handles. Keep your chest in contact and use a weight you can row from there.
Heaving with your lower back
On the cable, a small rock is fine, but swinging back on every rep moves the load with your hips. Hold your torso still and let your arms and shoulder blades work.
Shrugging as you pull
If your shoulders creep toward your ears, your traps take over the squeeze. Keep your shoulders down and drive your elbows straight back.
Skipping the forward reach
Let your arms straighten and your shoulder blades spread at the end of each rep. Staying locked in the squeezed position cuts every rep short.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
