Seated machine row: how to do it
Main muscles: Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps. Helpers: Biceps, Rear delts (posterior deltoid). Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Machine
Reps
8–12
Rest
105 s
Muscle group
Back
How to do it
- Chest against the pad, back flat, feet planted.
- Pull the handles to the torso, elbows along the body, squeeze the shoulder blades at the end.
- Let it back slowly while the torso stays still.
Common mistakes
Chest coming off the pad, riding momentum.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
- Secondary
- Biceps, Rear delts (posterior deltoid)
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Alternatives: similar exercises
Barbell row
Barbell · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
T-bar row
Barbell · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
Reverse pec deck
Machine · Rear delts (posterior deltoid), Rhomboids, Middle traps
Seated cable row
Cable · Rhomboids, Middle traps
One-arm dumbbell row
Dumbbells · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major, Rhomboids
Face pull
Cable · Rear delts (posterior deltoid), Infraspinatus, Middle traps
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500