04/08/2026
🏋️ INVERTED ROWS - One of our favorite exercises at the Trainers Den because of its many benefits, multiple variations and how it can be adapted to every level of fitness.
This is a pulling exercise that strengthens the upper back, shoulders, arms and core.
👉It helps train the shoulder blades to move back and down with control.
👉It improves grip strength.
👉This can support posture that is often affected by long periods of looking at screens.
👉Improved posture may make breathing feel easier by allowing the chest to expand more freely.
INVERTED ROW VARIATIONS
There are countless variations of inverted rows, many using different grips or pulling from different types of apparatus.
If you train at home without a power rack or barbell, the exercise is sometimes done with a home adjustable chin up bar - often the type that telescopes so you can do these inside a door frame. Inverted rows with suspension straps (such as TRX) or the Lebert Equalizer Bars are also very popular and give a unique variation. Dipping/
rowing bars like the Lebert Equalizer let you do inverted rows easily at home and also let you do them with a neutral grip - a third possible hand position.
Other variations involve changing your grip or making the exercise unstable for a greater challenge. For example, a wider grip may hit the rear deltoids and upper back more, while a narrower grip and definitely a reverse (supinated) grip will work the biceps more. Putting your heels up on a stability ball will create a balance challenge, as will doing these with only one leg supporting your lower body.
Inverted rows are a bit easier than pull-ups, so it's a good place to start with bodyweight pulling exercises. At the same time, you can keep doing inverted rows even after you've gained experience and strength - it's an exercise you can keep returning to.
Inverted rows also have numerous variations which can make the exercise harder (progressions) or easier (regressions), and which allow you to hit your upper body pulling muscles from different angles, with different grips.
ARE INVERTED ROWS BETTER THAN BARBELL ROWS? Not necessarily. You can use a plate on your chest, a weighted vest, or a backpack to increase the load on the inverted row, but barbell rows can be done with much heavier loads. However, an advantage of the inverted row is that it takes all the strain off your lower back. It's the perfect rowing exercise for people with low back pain. It's also the ideal horizontal pulling exercise when you don't have access to a barbell.
DISADVANTAGES: The fact that the inverted row is not a true "free-hand" body weight exercise is sometimes considered a limitation, because technically you do need some equipment. However even the most die-hard enthusiasts of body weight exercise realize that they will eventually have to get pullup and dipping bars if they want to keep progressing without moving to barbells and dumbbells.
If you do have free weights and a power rack at home, you can do inverted rows in your rack or smith machine by placing the bar on the pins at the appropriate height.
EX*****ON / PROPER FORM
Set the bar at about waist height. If the bar height is adjusted properly, when you hang from it, your back is slightly off the ground (your back should not be able to hit the floor at the bottom).
Get underneath the bar.
Grip the bar with a pronated hand position (palms forward) slightly wider than shoulder width apart
From the bottom position with your arms extended (straight), pull yourself up towards the bar, keeping your body tight and straight from heels to shoulders.
As you pull up, lead with your chest, keep your body in a straight line, and pull all the way up until you touch or almost touch the bar at the lower chest.
Lower back down until your arms are straight again.
If you train at home but don't have a lot of space, or buying expensive equipment is not in you budget, or if body weight training is simply your preference, it's still worth it to find or make a way do inverted rows at home. The reason is because there aren't many other options for pulling exercises at home with nothing but your body weight, yet including a rowing exercise is vitally important.
The Lebert Equalizer Bars are one of the most cost-effective, versatile, space efficient pieces of equipment for this exercise. You can also do the inverted row quite effectively under a sturdy table. It's not quite as comfortable as having a bar to wrap your hands completely around, but it gets the job done. It's important to make sure you have a sturdy and well balanced table to make sure it doesn't tip over, slide or even break. (Disclaimer: You've been warned. I assume no liability for injury or broken tables!)
TRAINING TIPS
If you were extremely squeezed for time and you wanted an ultra quick but complete upper body workout at home without using any free weights, you couldn't do much better than supersetting push ups and inverted rows (horizontal push and horizontal pull superset).
If you simply did 3 to 4 sets of each exercise, back to back with no rest (and a short rest in between supersets), you would cover every muscle in your upper body: chest, back, rear deltoids, front deltoids, biceps, triceps and you'd be activating your core on top of that. With this inverted rows workout, you'd be done in minutes. You always have time! You're welcome.
SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS
The inverted row is not necessarily better than the barbell row, but it does remove all the strain from the lower back, making this exercise a great choice if you have a history of low back pain.
As one study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning research reported:
"The standing bent-over barbell row produced large activation symmetrically across the back, but it also produced the largest lumbar spine load. Some exercises may be better for rehabilitation (e.g., having the training goals of modest muscle activation with low spine load), whereas other exercises may be better for athletic training (e.g., resulting in higher muscle activation and larger spine load). When prescribing exercises, those wishing to spare the low back may choose the inverted row, given the lowest spine load exercise."
INVERTED ROW PROGRESSION (make it harder or add intensity)
A lot of people are unsure about how you get progressive overload with exercises that only use body weight. It depends on the individual exercise, but with inverted rows, you can adjust the difficulty level for a rank novice to an elite athlete.
From the easiest to the hardest, here are the inverted row progressions:
1. INCLINE ROW: During the incline row you are not actually inverted (back down toward floor, face up toward ceiling), you are standing on your feet more upright and simply lowering yourself back at and angle.
2. KNEES BENT, FEET FLAT ON FLOOR INVERTED ROW: This is the simplest way to make the inverted row easier. Instead of extending your legs out straight and putting the weight on your heels, bend your knees at a 90 degree angle and place your feet flat on the floor. Most people with a moderate level of upper body pulling strength will be able to do this variation so it's a great way to start.
3. HIGHER ANGLE INVERTED ROW (legs straight): The higher you set the bar and the steeper the angle of your body (the closer you are to standing up), the easier it gets. When the bar you grab onto is higher relative to your feet, your feet are supporting more of your weight, so essentially you are lifting less and the exercise is easier. If you have a smith machine, power rack, adjustable low pullup bar, or a suspension trainer, you have the ability to adjust the angle. If you're doing rows under a table, as many people do at home when they have no special fitness equipment, you do not have this option - the table height is fixed.
4. FEET ELEVATED INVERTED ROW (legs straight): One way you make inverted rows harder is by making your body more horizontal. The more horizontal your body is, the less of your weight is supported by your feet and the more of your body weight you have to lift up. That means you set the bar as low to the ground as possible while still being able to lower yourself without your back hitting the floor. In addition, if you put your feet up on a bench, stool or stability ball, that will make your body completely horizontal and that is the more difficult variation.
5. WEIGHTED INVERTED ROW (legs straight): When you reach the point that you can do high reps with straight legs, if it feels too easy, you can start adding weight. The ideal option is a weighted vest. If you don't have one and don't want to buy one, then if you have a backpack, you can load weight inside it and use that. Another option is putting a weight plate on your chest (it may be slightly more awkward though to get the plate on and off).
6. ONE ARM INVERTED ROW: Probably the hardest progression of all (only for advanced trainees) is doing this one arm at a time. In addition, the one arm inverted row could go through the whole range of two arm progressions as well, such as starting with the feet flat on floor and or the body at a higher athlete, then going through each progression once again. Even the strongest athlete could get challenged with this advanced variation.
If you have access to a gym full of free weights, most people will switch over to doing mostly bent over barbell rows if maximum muscle mass and strength are the primary goal, and this is why inverted row generally stays a body weight movement or is only done with light weights when it is progressed that far.
If you enjoy inverted rows, and want to keep doing them without adding extra weight, it's okay to simply work on doing more and more reps, even 15 to 20 reps or more. Always remember that increasing reps is a form of progression that's especially useful for body weight exercises.
HOW MANY INVERTED ROWS SHOULD YOU BE ABLE TO DO? Start wherever you are now and simply set a goal to do more reps. I know some people who can do 25 reps per set or more. Usually however, once you build up to around 20 to 25 reps, you'll want to move up to a harder variation of the exercise or add weight.
Increasing sets is also a form of progression, so if you are accustomed to doing 3 sets and you can't or don't want to do a harder variation or add weight, you could simply add a set. You can't add sets forever, and more sets and reps is not always better, but this is just one additional method of progression.
Let me wrap up with a killer secret progression trick for building amazing back muscle: Do a superset of two different inverted rows: Start with the harder version, with your legs straight, then when you're about to fail, switch to the bent knee inverted row. You'll be able to keep going for even more reps and work your back beyond what a normal straight set would do. Go try this inverted rows workout, and then leave us a comment about what you think.
Train Hard. Train Smart.
Train Consistent.
