Machine Seated Row
- Primary muscleUpper Back
- EquipmentMachine
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeIsometric
A chest pad, a fixed arc, and a stable seat make this the row where you can chase mid-back effort without guarding your posture; the machine holds your torso so the upper back can simply pull. That stability suits high-rep sets and rest-pause work that barbell rows tolerate poorly. Its narrow-grip and single-arm siblings tweak the emphasis from here.
How to do the Machine Seated Row
- Adjust the seat height and footrests to a comfortable position.
- Sit on the machine with your chest against the pad and your feet on the footrests.
- Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
- Pull the handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the peak of the movement.
- Slowly release the handles and return to the starting position.
- Repeat 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.