Banded Squat Row
- Primary muscleGlutes
- EquipmentResistance Band
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeCompound · Pull
- Secondary muscles
- Hamstrings, Quads, Upper Back
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Squatting between rows against a waist-height band anchor makes this more of a lower-body movement than the name suggests: glutes and quads drive each rep while the row keeps your torso upright out of the bottom. Treat it as a light full-body circuit piece rather than a back builder, since a band cannot load your legs hard.
How to do the Banded Squat Row
- Attach the band to a sturdy anchor point at waist height.
- Stand facing the anchor point with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold the band handles with your palms facing each other and your arms extended in front of you.
- Bend your knees and lower into a squat position, keeping your back straight and chest lifted.
- From the squat position, pull the band handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly release the tension and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Pause for a full count with the handle at your torso before letting it go back.
Muscles worked
Primary
Glutes · Legs
On bent-over and squat-row variations the glutes and hamstrings hold the hinge position and should feel a steady tension in the back of the hips.
Secondary
- Hamstrings
- Quads
- Upper Back — The rhomboids and mid traps squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of each rep, which is where you should feel the strongest contraction.
Common mistakes
- Yanking with the arms — the rep should start with the shoulder blades pulling back, then the elbows follow; if the biceps give out first, you are curling the weight.
- Torso heaving up — on bent-over rows the back angle should not change between reps; if it does, drop the weight.
- Shrugging the shoulders up — pull the elbows back and down and keep the shoulders away from the ears, especially on face pulls.
- Skipping the stretch — let the arms straighten fully and the shoulder blades slide forward at the start of each rep, then pull from there.
Where it fits in a workout
Rows are a main movement in any pull or back session and go before pulldowns and arm work. They pair well with a chest press or a push-up as a push and pull superset.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.