Strength Training · Bodybuilding · Calisthenics
Inverted Row
The inverted row is a bodyweight pulling exercise performed beneath a fixed bar. It trains your back and arms while your core keeps your body steady.
- Beginner
- Compound
- Low injury risk
- Rest 1 min 30 sec
How to do it
- Set a bar securely in a rack at about waist height.
- Lie beneath the bar with your chest directly below it.
- Grasp the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with an overhand grip.
- Place your heels on the floor with your legs straight.
- Lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Pull your chest toward the bar by driving your elbows back.
- Lower yourself under control until your arms are straight.
Form cues
- Squeeze your glutes
- Keep your shoulders away from your ears
- Exhale as you pull
Common mistakes
- Reaching with your chinKeep your neck aligned with your torso rather than stretching your head toward the bar.
- Flaring your elbowsKeep your elbows roughly 30–45 degrees from your sides instead of pointing them straight outward.
- Bouncing through repsPause briefly at the bottom to remove momentum before starting the next pull.
Safety
An unsecured bar can roll or come out of its supports, dropping you onto your back. Pulling through fatigue or shoulder discomfort can strain your shoulders or elbows.
- Test the bar with a firm pull before getting underneath; it must not roll or lift out of its supports.
- Keep the floor beneath you clear and use a surface where your heels will not slide.
- End the set when you cannot complete another controlled rep.
- At the end of your set, rest your hips on the floor before releasing your grip.
If the straight-leg version is too demanding, bend your knees or raise the bar; persistent shoulder, elbow, or wrist pain warrants advice from a physiotherapist.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Barbell
- Power Rack
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 6–12 reps
- Rest
- 1 min 30 sec
Choose a body angle that leaves you able to perform about two more reps at the end of each set.