Upper Back Exercise: Seated Row

The seated row exercise works your upper back and latissimus dorsi muscles (lats).

Equipment: Resistance Band

• Seating: If you have a well-anchored object at chest height (such as a doorknob of a closed door), thread the resistance band through it. Some bands come with a doorknob attachment loop. Then do the exercise seated on a chair or exercise ball.
  Photo and description of seated row
• If you have no object to attach the resistance band to, sit on the floor with your legs fully extended in front of you and use your feet as the anchor. Position the resistance band with the midpoint around your feet.
• Grasp one end of the band in each hand. Position yourself so there is some tension on the band to start, and there will still be tension when you fully extend your arms forward.
• Extend your arms forward with the palms facing each other, feeling a back stretch.
• Pull straight back, keeping your elbows close to your body, ending the backstroke when your elbows are at your torso.
• Keep your shoulders relaxed, you will feel your shoulder blades squeezing together in back.
• Keep your back upright and tall. Don't lean backwards on the backstroke or collapse forward on the forward row.
• Tighten your abs and exhale on the backstroke, inhale on the forward row.
• Repeat 12 to 20 times for each set. Perform 3 sets with 30 to 60 seconds rest in between each set.

Variations