Hips sagging
Squeeze the glutes and brace the abs to stay rigid.
Horizontal pull · Bodyweight, Rack
Inverted Row
A bodyweight row where you hang under a bar set in a rack and pull your chest up to it. It builds the upper back and biceps. Great for beginners and as a high-rep back finisher.
- Primary
- Back
- Secondary
- Biceps
- Starting rep range
- 8–15 reps
- Target effort
- 2 reps in reserve
- Progression
- Add reps, then difficulty
Muscles worked
The lats, rhomboids, and mid traps pull the shoulder blades and arms back. The biceps bend the elbows; a wider grip shifts more work to the upper back.
How to set up
- Set a bar in a rack around waist height.
- Lie underneath and grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Straighten your body with heels on the floor.
- Brace your abs and glutes.
How to do each rep
- Pull your chest to the bar, driving the elbows back.
- Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top.
- Lower until arms are fully straight.
- Keep the body in a straight line.
Common inverted row mistakes
Pulling only with the arms
Start each rep by squeezing the shoulder blades back.
Partial range
Touch the chest to the bar and fully straighten the arms.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the inverted row at 8–15 reps with about 2 reps in reserve. As a compound lift it usually belongs early in the session, when you are fresh.
Make it harder by lowering the bar or elevating your feet on a bench, so your body gets closer to horizontal. Once you can do 15 strict reps that way, add a weighted vest or plate on your chest.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Inverted Row alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Questions
Are inverted rows good for beginners?
Yes. You can scale them by raising or lowering the bar, so almost anyone can start. They also build the pulling strength that carries over to pull-ups.
Inverted rows vs. pull-ups?
Inverted rows are a horizontal pull that hits the mid back and rear delts more, while pull-ups are vertical and lean on the lats. Both belong in a well-rounded program.