Strengthening your back means having a variety of exercises in your arsenal, from lat pulldowns and pullups to bent-over rows and rear delt flyes. One of the best back exercises that often flies under the radar, however, is the inverted row. It doesn’t require weights or fancy equipment, just your body weight and an anchored surface to pull yourself toward, like a Smith machine bar or TRX straps.
It’s normal to feel fatigue in your lower back during bent-over rows, due to the held hinged position throughout the reps. Inverted rows offer a way to train many of those same upper-body pulling muscles without putting the same pressure on your lower back. Because your body is supported under a bar or straps, you can focus on strengthening your lats, rhomboids, traps, and rear delts, all while keeping your torso in a supported position. It’s an effective way to build back strength and add variety to your routine without the need for heavy weights.
Related: Your Upper Back Matters More to Your Squat Than You Think—Try This Simple Drill
How to Do Inverted Rows
- Set a barbell in a rack or Smith machine at about waist height and lie underneath it. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with your palms facing away from you.
- Extend your legs and keep your body straight from head to heels, with your arms fully extended beneath the bar.
- Pull your chest toward the bar by driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause at the top, then slowly lower yourself until your arms are fully extended to complete one rep.
Related: The 4 Daily Core Exercises Personal Trainers Use to Instantly Fix Bad Posture
Why You Should Trust Me
I’m a health and fitness writer for Men’s Journal and an ACE-certified personal trainer with more than five years of experience training clients and coaching various group fitness modalities, from HIIT to indoor cycling.
