How to do inverted rows: bar, rings and straps, body angle, the steps up, and rows against pull-ups

A row under a bar

Hang under a fixed bar at about waist height with straight arms and your heels on the floor, keep your body straight, and pull the middle of your chest to the bar. Lower slowly until your arms are nearly straight.

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It works your back and biceps hard

In 13 men and 13 women, the lats, biceps, lower trapezius and back of the shoulder worked above 61% of their maximum, with either grip.

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The more level you are, the harder it is

In one study of 12 trained athletes on suspension straps, with the body nearly level, the arms took about 70 to 76% of body weight. No study has measured other angles; raising the bar or bending your knees makes it easier, and lowering the bar or raising your feet makes it harder (coaching practice).

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Kind to your lower back

Of three rows tested in 7 men, the inverted row loaded the lower spine least, so it suits a back that tires in the bent-over row.

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How many

3 sets of 6 to 12, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure, with about 90 seconds' rest, as our pull-up guide and first pull-up workout use. When you can do 20 or more, make it harder: Catalyst Athletics suggests sets of 5 to 20.

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A step to the pull-up

The one pull-up training trial used inverted rows with assisted pull-ups, chin-ups and slow lowering, and pull-ups rose in every group. Our first pull-up workout tries a chin-up once you can do 10 inverted rows at a low bar.

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One exercise, several names

Inverted row, Australian pull-up and bodyweight row are names for the same pull: you hang under a bar with your heels down and row your chest up to it. Ring rows and suspension trainer rows are the same pull on rings or straps.

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What it works

Your lats, the middle and lower trapezius and rhomboids between your shoulder blades, the back of your shoulders and your biceps. Your trunk, glutes and the back muscles beside your spine hold your body in a straight line.

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Muscle activity isn't growth

The studies use EMG (electromyography: electrodes measuring how hard a muscle works over a few reps). It isn't a validated predictor of growth, so treat these numbers as clues, not verdicts.

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Your back and biceps work hardEmerging evidence

In 13 men and 13 women on a portable bar, the biceps, lats, lower trapezius and back of the shoulder worked above 61% of maximum whether the palms faced down or up and whether one foot or two stayed on the floor. The upper and middle trapezius worked at 41 to 60%. Lat activity differed a little by grip with both feet down.

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Your trunk works tooEmerging evidence

In 26 adults, the six-pack and outer obliques worked at 34 to 40% of maximum and the back muscles beside the spine at 54 to 66%. The authors note that physiotherapists use the row early in rehabilitation for shoulder impingement.

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The most back work and the least spine load of three rowsEmerging evidence

In 7 men comparing a standing bent-over row, an inverted row and a one-arm cable row, the inverted row drew the most lat, upper-back and hip-extensor activity with the lowest load on the lower spine. The bent-over row loaded the lower spine most.

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About 70 to 76% of your weight near levelEmerging evidence

In 12 trained male track athletes rowing on suspension straps that hung straight down, with the body straight and nearly level, the arms took 69.5 to 75.7% of body weight, equal to about 66 to 73% of their lying barbell row maximum, with similar muscle activity to that row. Feet in the straps took slightly more. It's one small study, and no study has measured other body angles.

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Changing the angle: coaching practiceEmerging evidence

Coaching bodies make the row harder by lowering the bar or raising the feet and easier by raising the bar, and Catalyst Athletics aims for a body that's horizontal at the top of the row. The size of each step hasn't been measured.

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Rings and straps change the row littleEmerging evidence

Across 18 studies, suspension versions drew more muscle activity than stable ones for most exercises, but not for the inverted row. In 25 adults, suspension raised the activity of at least one muscle in each exercise tested, and in 14 men straps changed muscle activity less in pulls than in pushes.

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A step towards the pull-upEmerging evidence

In 30 inactive men, 8 weeks of a pull-up routine twice a week, with assisted pull-ups, inverted rows with the feet on the ground, chin-ups and slow lowering, 3 sets each, raised pull-ups in every group: from 4.3 to 7.0 with interval training, 2.7 to 6.5 with core work and 4.0 to 12.9 with forearm work. The rows can't be separated from the rest.

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The more level, the harder

The flatter your body, the more of your weight your arms pull: about 70 to 76% with the body nearly level in one study of trained athletes. Standing more upright takes some of that away, but nobody has measured how much at each angle.

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To make it easier

Raise the bar, bend your knees with your feet flat, or use rings or straps and walk your feet back so you stand more upright.

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To make it harder

Lower the bar, straighten your legs, raise your feet on a box or bench, pause for a second or two at the top, or lower more slowly. The inverted tuck row is the advanced step.

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One change at a time

When every set reaches the top of the range, make one thing harder, then drop back to the bottom of the range: add reps, then slow the lowering, then move to the harder option, as our plans advise for body weight moves.

Sets and reps

3 sets of 6 to 12, as our first pull-up, more pull-ups and calisthenics workouts use; our bent-over row guide gives 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 as its editorial starting point. Catalyst Athletics suggests sets of 5 to 20; past 20, move up a step.

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How hard

Stop 2 or 3 reps short of failure: 2 or 3 RIR (reps in reserve: how many more reps you could have done). Leave 3 or 4 in your first two weeks. Going to failure added a trivial amount of growth at most across 15 studies, and people underestimate the reps they have left by about 1.

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Rest

About 90 seconds, as our pull-up guide and more pull-ups workout use. A review found a small growth benefit from resting more than about 60 seconds.

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How often, and weekly sets

Two or three times a week as part of your pulling. Each set counts as a back set and about half a biceps set. Our pull-up guide starts at 6 to 12 hard pulling sets a week if a pull-up is your goal, building towards 12 to 18; about 10 or more hard sets a week builds a muscle, and how often you train it made little difference when weekly sets matched.

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Towards a pull-up

Our first pull-up workout tries a chin-up once you can lower yourself for about 5 seconds and do 10 inverted rows at a low bar.

Your hips sag

Squeeze your glutes and keep your hips up in line with your body, as our move page cues; bend your knees if you can't.

Chin to the bar

Lead with the middle of your chest, not your chin.

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Half reps

Bring your chest to the bar and lower until your arms are nearly straight.

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Shrugging

Keep your shoulders down away from your ears as you pull (coaching practice).

The wrong bar height

Set it so you can reach the bottom of your rep range; if you can do 20 or more, lower it, as our calisthenics workout advises.

An unsafe set-up

A bar that can roll, a table that can tip or a strap anchor that can slip. See the home set-ups below.

Use something that can't move

A bar fixed solidly at about waist height, rings or a suspension trainer on a secure anchor, or a sturdy table that can't tip. Our move page says to test the bar, rings or table edge with your feet still on the floor before you hang your weight from it; an unsecured or rolling bar is the main way this one goes wrong.

Under a table

Only a heavy, sturdy table that can't tip towards you, as our arm challenge workout says. Lie under the edge, grip it with your hands about shoulder-width apart, and row with your knees bent at first.

Rings and straps

Check that the anchor and straps will hold your full weight before you lean back, as our move pages say. Walk your feet back to make it easier and forward to make it harder.

Nothing safe to row from

Band rows train the same pull: anchor the band at chest height in a closed door, on the hinge side, and check it before every set, as our workouts advise.

Different directions, many of the same muscles

Rows pull towards your chest and pull-ups from overhead, and both work the lats, biceps and the muscles between your shoulder blades. Do both if you can.

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Rows let you set the load

You can make a row easier or harder for any level just by moving the bar, which is why our pull-up guide puts rows on its ladder and the one pull-up training trial used them.

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Easier on the spine

Chin-ups and pull-ups produced the highest spine loads of the pulls tested in one study, and the inverted row the lowest lower-spine load of three rows in another.

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Against the bent-over row

The inverted row drew more lat and upper-back activity with less lower-spine load in 7 men. Our bent-over row guide covers the barbell row.

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Against a barbell row lying on a bench

In trained athletes, a near-level suspended inverted row equalled about two-thirds of their lying barbell row maximum, with similar muscle activity.

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Dumbbell, cable and machine rows

They train the same pulling muscles and are easier to load in small steps; our dumbbell row and seated cable row guides cover them.

Sore shoulders

Rows usually suit sore shoulders better than overhead pulls, and physiotherapists use them early in rehabilitation for shoulder impingement. Keep pain during exercise to about 5 out of 10 or less, settling by your next session, the rule our shoulder guides use, and see a GP if shoulder pain gets worse or doesn't improve after 2 weeks.

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Sore elbows

Discomfort up to about 3 to 4 out of 10 that settles within an hour and is no worse the next morning is acceptable, as our chin-up guide says. With front-of-elbow pain, try a palms-in grip on rings or straps, and see our elbow pain from pull-ups guide if it lasts.

Pregnancy

The NHS says strength training at a gym is fine if you already do it. As your bump grows, a more upright ring row or a band row is easier to set up (our reading); stop if you feel uncomfortable or unwell.

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High blood pressure, heart conditions and eye conditions

Breathe out as you pull and keep the effort moderate, as our breathing guide says. With controlled blood pressure, the American Heart Association considers low- to moderate-intensity strength training with proper breathing safe.

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After heart surgery

After heart surgery through the breastbone, follow your surgeon's advice before pulling with your arms, as our back workout at home advises.

Stop and get medical help

If you get chest pain or pressure, feel faint or dizzy, are unusually breathless, or your heart races or beats irregularly during exercise, as our plans advise. The American Heart Association says these need immediate medical evaluation.

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Call 999 (911 in the US)

For chest pain that feels tight, heavy or squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck, jaw or back; arm pain that comes on suddenly with pressure, heaviness or squeezing across your chest; a headache that starts suddenly and is extremely painful, especially while lifting or straining; someone who faints while exercising; palpitations that don't go away, or come with chest pain, breathlessness or feeling faint; severe difficulty breathing; or angina pain that doesn't stop after rest and your medicine. Don't drive yourself to A&E.

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Check before lifting heavy

If you haven't exercised for some time or have a medical condition, speak to your GP first, as the NHS advises. Get advice before heavy lifting if your blood pressure is uncontrolled, or you have heart disease or chest pain when you're active, a pacemaker or defibrillator, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, a hernia, recent eye or tummy surgery, or you're pregnant, as our breathing guide lists.

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After a faint, or dizziness that keeps coming back

See a GP after any faint, and for dizziness that won't go away or keeps coming back.

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Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E: a pop at the elbow

A sudden pop at the front of the elbow during a heavy pull, with bruising, a gap at the front of the elbow or a bulge in the upper arm, can be a torn biceps tendon: don't wait for it to settle, because it's best repaired within the first 2 to 3 weeks. Also after an arm injury with a snapping noise or a change in shape. In the US, go to urgent care or the emergency department.

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Get help from NHS 111: your arm

If your arm hurts when you exercise but the pain goes away when you rest. See a GP if elbow or arm pain doesn't go away after a few weeks.

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Ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111: your shoulder

For sudden or very bad shoulder pain; if you can't move your arm; if the shoulder has changed shape or is badly swollen; for pins and needles that don't go away or no feeling in the arm; if the arm is hot or cold to touch; for pain after an injury or in both shoulders; or if you feel feverish or unwell.

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Call 999 or go to A&E: back pain with these signs

Loss of feeling or numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels, changes in genital sensation during sex or problems with erections or orgasm, or pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs. These are signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs treating in hospital urgently. Don't drive yourself.

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A pulled muscle

A sudden sharp pain in your back, side or armpit during a row may be a strained muscle. Get help from NHS 111 or an urgent treatment centre if it's very painful or getting worse, there's a lot of swelling or bruising, it's very stiff, or it isn't getting better with self-care.

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"Inverted rows are only for beginners"Emerging evidence

With the body near level, trained athletes pulled about 70 to 76% of their body weight, about two-thirds of their barbell row maximum, and the main pulling muscles worked above 61% of maximum. Raised feet, pauses and the tuck row make them harder still.

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"Inverted rows won't help your pull-ups"Emerging evidence

They work most of the same muscles, and they were part of the routine in the one trial that raised pull-ups in 8 weeks, though their share can't be separated.

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"Rings or straps always make it harder"Emerging evidence

Suspension raised muscle activity in most exercises but not the inverted row, and straps changed pulling less than pushing. Use them for comfort and variety; lower your body to make it harder.

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"Squeeze your shoulder blades together as hard as you can"Emerging evidence

Draw them together as you pull, but in one study a coached hard squeeze raised the load on the spine. A firm, controlled pull is enough (our reading).

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"You can't build strength without a barbell"Strong evidence

An overview of 137 reviews found the type of equipment didn't consistently change strength or muscle gains, and the American Heart Association says body weight training can be as effective as machines or free weights. The home trials are small: push-ups matched the bench press in three, and bands matched weights across 8 trials. A row under a bar is real strength training.

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