Narrow Grip Alternating Machine Seated Row
In SetGrip: Machine Seated Row (Narrow Grip, Alternating)
- Primary muscleUpper Back
- EquipmentMachine
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypeIsometric
Alternating pulls on the narrow neutral handles mean one arm is always stretching forward while the other finishes, and your torso must resist twisting toward the working side for the entire set. That anti-rotation demand is what separates it from rowing both handles together. Slot it after your heavy bilateral rowing is already done.
How to do the Narrow Grip Alternating Machine Seated Row
- Adjust the seat height and footplate position to ensure proper alignment.
- Sit on the machine with your back straight and feet flat on the footplate.
- Grasp the handles with a narrow grip, palms facing each other.
- Keep your chest up and shoulders back throughout the exercise.
- Pull one handle towards your torso while keeping the other handle stationary.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the movement.
- Slowly return the handle to the starting position and repeat with the other side.
- Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: On holds, squeeze hard and end the set before the position degrades; on rows, pause for a beat with the handle at your torso on every rep.
Muscles worked
Primary
Upper Back · Back
On rows the rhomboids and mid traps pull the shoulder blades together and should feel the strongest contraction at the top of each rep.
Common mistakes
- Losing the set position — whether it is a hold or a supported row, set the torso once and keep it there; when the position starts to drift, the set is over.
- Holding the breath — breathe steadily and brace on each exhale instead of trapping air.
- Shrugging on rows — pull the elbows back and down, keep the shoulders away from the ears and squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top.
- Chasing time or reps over quality — a 20 second hold with everything tight beats a minute of drifting, and a paused row rep beats three thrown ones.
Where it fits in a workout
Machine and landmine rows work as a main pull movement, while holds go after the main lifts as accessory work. Pair a row with a press for a push and pull superset.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without machine
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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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.