- EquipmentMachine
- PatternPull
- Reps6 to 12 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Lie face down on the machine's angled pad with your feet on the platform. Grip the handles with straight arms.
First cueKeep your chest on the pad.
How to do the Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
Set up. Lie face down on the machine's angled pad with your feet on the platform. Grip the handles with straight arms.
- Lift the weight off its rest and pull the handles toward your chest.
- Squeeze your upper back at the top.
- Lower under control to straight arms.
Form cues
- Keep your chest on the pad.
- Lead with the elbows.
- Keep your neck relaxed.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the chest off the pad.
- Shrugging toward the ears.
Muscles worked
Main target: Upper back. The upper back is the muscle between and around the shoulder blades. It pulls the shoulder blades together and back, which is what every row trains and what holds a posture against a long day at a desk.
On the way: Lats, Biceps and Rear delts.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Chest-Supported T-Bar Row, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Machine Chest Press Superset partner: it trains the other side of the horizontal push and pull pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Power Clean Same pull session: it trains the traps.
- Wrist Curl Same pull session: it trains the forearms.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Chest-Supported T-Bar Row first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Chest-Supported T-Bar Row 3 × 6 to 12 reps
- Machine Chest Press 3 × 8 to 15 reps
- Power Clean 3 × 1 to 5 reps
- Wrist Curl 3 × 12 to 25 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Seated Cable Row
Cable
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Working weight and 1RM calculator
Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.
Training zones
| Zone | Share of 1RM | Usual reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 85 to 90 % | 3 to 6 |
| Muscle growth | 70 to 80 % | 6 to 12 |
| Endurance | 60 to 65 % | 15 to 20 |
A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.
Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: T-Bar Row.
Do before it: Band Pull-Apart (shoulder blades), Cat-Cow (bracing) and Chest-Supported Row (same movement, lighter).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Chest-Supported T-Bar Row is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Chest-Supported T-Bar Row?
Set up: Lie face down on the machine's angled pad with your feet on the platform. Grip the handles with straight arms. Steps: 1. Lift the weight off its rest and pull the handles toward your chest. 2. Squeeze your upper back at the top. 3. Lower under control to straight arms. Form cues: Keep your chest on the pad. Lead with the elbows. Keep your neck relaxed. Common mistakes: Lifting the chest off the pad. Shrugging toward the ears.
What muscles does the Chest-Supported T-Bar Row work?
It trains the upper back as its main target and works the lats, biceps and rear delts on the way.
What can I do instead of the Chest-Supported T-Bar Row?
At home: Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row. In a gym: Seated Cable Row. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Chest-Supported T-Bar Row with?
Good partners in the same workout are Machine Chest Press, Power Clean and Wrist Curl.
How heavy should the Chest-Supported T-Bar Row be?
Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.