Row Progressions

Progressions

1. 01

   Incline Rows

   • Set up a bar or rings at roughly chest height: the higher the bar, the easier the exercise as your body is more upright

   • Walk your feet forward and lean back until your arms are fully extended, body straight from head to heels with only the heels on the ground

   • Grip the bar or rings shoulder-width apart and depress your shoulder blades before the first rep

   • Pull your chest to the bar by driving the elbows back at roughly 45 degrees: squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top

   • Lower back down with control over 2 seconds to full arm extension: do not drop into the bottom position

   • Keep your core braced and body rigid throughout: do not let the hips sag or pike upward

   • This is an entry-level progression: focus on building perfect form before moving to steeper angles

2. 02

   Bend Knee Rows

   • Set up a bar at roughly hip to waist height: position yourself underneath with knees bent and feet flat on the ground

   • Grip the bar shoulder-width apart with arms fully extended, keeping a straight line from knees to shoulders

   • The bent knees reduce the lever length and make this progression easier than straight-leg horizontal rows

   • Retract and depress the shoulder blades before pulling, then drive the elbows back to pull your chest to the bar

   • Squeeze the shoulder blades together hard at the top, hold briefly, then lower with control over 2 seconds

   • Keep the core braced throughout: do not let the hips sag or pike even with bent knees

   • Focus on pulling with the back rather than the arms: use the bent-knee advantage to build the mind-muscle connection

3. 03

   Horizontal Rows

   • Set up a bar at roughly hip height so your body hangs almost horizontally underneath with arms fully extended

   • Keep a rigid straight line from head to heels: squeeze glutes and brace core to prevent any hip sag or pike

   • Grip the bar shoulder-width apart, heels planted on the ground, only your heels and hands touching anything

   • Retract and depress the shoulder blades before pulling, then drive the elbows back at roughly 45 degrees to pull the chest to the bar

   • Squeeze the shoulder blades together hard at the top: try to touch the bar with your chest for a full range of motion

   • Lower with control over 2 seconds to full arm extension: do not drop into the bottom position

   • This is the standard bodyweight row: master it with perfect form before progressing to feet-elevated or weighted variations

4. 04

   Decline Rows

   Listen

   • Set up a bar at roughly hip height and elevate your feet on a box, bench, or chair: the higher the feet, the harder the exercise

   • Grip the bar shoulder-width apart with a rigid straight line from head to elevated heels: this is significantly harder than horizontal rows

   • The elevated feet shift more of your bodyweight onto the pulling muscles and increase the demand on core stability

   • Retract and depress the shoulder blades before pulling, then drive the elbows back to pull the chest to the bar

   • Squeeze the shoulder blades together hard at the top: the elevated angle makes the contraction more demanding at the top position

   • Lower with control over 2 seconds to full arm extension: the decline position makes it tempting to drop quickly, resist this

   • Keep the hips in line with shoulders and ankles throughout: the elevation makes hip sag much more likely, so brace extra hard

Common mistakes

• Letting the hips sag downward
• Not retracting the shoulder blades
• Using momentum or kipping
• Piking at the hips
• Not reaching full range of motion