Exercise guide · Back
Machine Chest-Supported Row
The chest-supported row machine trains your upper back and lats with your torso fixed against a pad, so you can focus on pulling without hip swing or lower-back rounding.
- Targets: Mid back
- Equipment: Machine
- Type: Compound
Step by step
How to do the Machine Chest-Supported Row
- Adjust the chest pad so your sternum rests flat against it when seated, with handles at a height where your arms can start nearly straight.
- Sit firmly on the seat, feet flat on the platform or floor, and grip the handles with a neutral or overhand grip.
- Set your shoulders down and back, brace your core lightly, and keep your chest glued to the pad throughout the set.
- Pull the handles toward your lower ribs by driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
- Lower the weight under control until your arms extend without rounding your lower back or lifting your chest off the pad.
Form cues
- Chest stays flat on the pad
- Elbows drive back toward your hips
- Squeeze shoulder blades at the top
- Controlled return on the way down
Common mistakes
- Lifting your chest off the pad to heave the weight
- Shrugging shoulders up toward your ears
- Jerking the stack with momentum
- Rounding the lower back at the bottom
Muscles worked
Primary
Mid back
Secondary
Lats, Biceps, Rear delts and Forearms
Safety: Start with a light weight to find the pad height and pulling path. Stop if you feel sharp pain in your shoulders or lower back, or if you cannot keep your chest on the pad.
Alternatives
