Machine row

The machine row focuses on your back, with additional emphasis on your shoulders and biceps.
Take special care performing this exercise if you’ve had lower back or shoulder injuries.

Getting set
Sit facing the weight stack of the machine with your chest against the chest pad. Adjust the seat so your arms are level with the machine’s handles and you must stretch your arms fully to reach them. This adjustment is important —and one that many people forget to make. If you can’t fully straighten your arms when you grasp the handles, you’ll end up using your arm muscles a lot more than your back muscles. Grasp a handle in each hand, slide your shoulders down, and sit up tall. See photo A.

The exercise
Pull the handles toward you until your hands are alongside your chest. As you bend your arms, your elbows should travel directly behind you, not out to the side. At the same time, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Slowly straighten your arms, feeling a stretch through your shoulder blades as you return the handles to their original position. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO sit up even taller as you pull the weight.
• DON’T lean back so far that your chest comes off the pad as you bend your arms.
• DON’T round your back or lean forward as you return the handles to the starting position.
• DON’T stick your neck forward as you pull the weight.

Other options
Other machines: Although each manufacturer has its own version of the machine row, the same basic rules apply. Depending on the brand, the handles may be parallel, perpendicular, or diagonal; some machines have all three grips. Experiment with different grips to get a different feel from this exercise.
Advanced machine row (harder): Do this exercise without keeping your
chest on the chest pad. Without the support, you have to work harder to sit up straight.