The inverted row is a bodyweight exercise that targets the upper back and also works the bicep and forearms. It involves pulling your chest up to a bar or suspension trainer while keeping your body straight, making it an effective movement for building upper body strength and improving posture.
Also Works
BicepsForearms
How to Perform
1
Set up a bar at waist height or use a suspension trainer.
2
Stand facing the bar or suspension trainer, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3
Grab the bar or handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
4
Lean back, keeping your body straight and your heels on the ground.
5
Pull your chest towards the bar or handles, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
6
Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
7
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Pro Tips
•Set the bar at waist height and walk your feet forward until your body is at a challenging angle (roughly 45 degrees for intermediate).
•Pull with your elbows driving straight back, not out to the sides, and finish with the bar touching your lower chest.
•Squeeze your shoulder blades together for a full second at the top of each rep.
Common Mistakes
•Letting the hips sag or pike, breaking the straight-line body position that makes this exercise effective.
•Using a partial range of motion by not pulling the chest all the way to the bar.
•Looking up at the bar during the pull, which hyperextends the neck instead of keeping it neutral.