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Exercise library / Chest-Supported Machine Row

Chest-Supported Machine Row

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

A seated rowing machine exercise with a chest pad that supports the torso, so the lats and the muscles between the shoulder blades do the pulling and the lower back stays out of it. You pull the handles back by driving the elbows behind you, then let them return forward with control.

Main focus
Strength
Level
Starting
Equipment
Gym machines
Load
A guided machine path
Stability
Guided by a machine
Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

A gym machine, with a trained person to show you the set-up the first time.

How to do it

  1. Adjust the seat so the handles sit at lower-chest height, then sit with your chest against the pad and your feet planted.
  2. Reach forward and take the handles with your arms extended and your shoulders relaxed.
  3. Brace your trunk, then pull the handles back by driving your elbows behind you.
  4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the pull without lifting your chest off the pad.
  5. Pause briefly, then extend your arms to return the handles forward under control.
  6. Repeat for the planned repetitions, keeping your chest on the pad throughout.

How much

To start: 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 12 slow repetitions, resting 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

As it gets easier: 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12 repetitions with good form, resting 1 to 3 minutes. Add load or repetitions gradually, no more than about once a week.

How it should feel: The muscles you are working should feel the effort. The last repetitions should be hard but controlled, never shaky or painful.

Make it easier

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Make it harder

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Tips

  • Pull with the elbows rather than the hands, so the lats and mid-back lead and the biceps assist.
  • Keep the chest on the pad and the shoulders down; shrugging or leaning back turns the row into an upper trapezius pull.
  • Let the shoulder blades spread forward at the start of each repetition to get a full stretch before the next pull.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Adjust the seat, pads and range so the machine fits your body before you add weight.
More safety notes
  • Start with a light weight and learn the movement.
  • Use the full, controlled range that feels comfortable. Do not let the weight stack drop or bounce.
  • Keep your back long and neutral. Do not round your lower back under load.
  • Brace your abdominal muscles gently before you lift and keep the load close to your body.
  • Use a lighter load until your form is steady, and add weight slowly.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • A pad or handle does not fit and cannot be adjusted.
  • You cannot control the weight through the whole movement.
  • You feel pain in your lower back, or your back rounds and you cannot correct it.
  • You feel pain, tingling or numbness that spreads into a leg.

Other ways to do this movement

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Where this comes from

Steps and tips are from an open exercise dataset named below. Starting amounts, equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general guidance. Nothing here is clinically reviewed.

Steps and tips: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co). License: RepDB Free Tier License v1.0: personal or commercial use inside applications, visible attribution, no redistribution as a dataset or API. All credits.

    This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.