Rows
Horizontal pulling — counterpart to pressing and a key to healthy shoulder posture.
Execution
- Bodyweight: hang under a low bar or TRX, body in a straight line.
- Weighted: hinge over with a flat back, weight near shin height.
- Initiate with the shoulder blades — retract first, then pull the elbows toward the hips.
- Lower back under control until the shoulder blades feel long again.
Tips
- Pull to the lower ribs to bias the lats; pull to the chest for the mid-back.
- No kipping — the trunk stays still, only the arms and upper back move.
The horizontal counterpart to pressing
Most training plans have an imbalance: lots of pressing, little pulling. The result is rounded-forward shoulders and, over time, front-shoulder-joint issues. The row is the direct remedy — it trains the muscles that pull the shoulder blades back and down.
A good rule of thumb: at least as much pulling volume as pressing volume. Three sets of push-ups deserve three sets of rows in return.
Execution without equipment
Inclined rows under a stable bar, a table, or with rings: the body hangs extended under the grip, heels on the floor. Retract the shoulder blades first, then pull the chest to the bar. The body stays a straight line — the hips must not sag.
You control the difficulty through body angle: the more horizontal, the harder. Elevating the feet makes it noticeably harder still.
Common mistakes
- Pulling with the arms alone. Without the scapular movement, the back stays uninvolved.
- Hips sagging. Just like the plank — glutes braced, ribs down.
- Elbows flared wide. Roughly 45 degrees to the torso is the shoulder-friendly position here too.
Programming
Three to four sets of 8 to 15 reps. Holding a one-second squeeze at the top with the shoulder blades deliberately pressed together does more than extra reps.