Inverted Row

What you'll gain

• Builds horizontal pulling strength as a foundation for the pull-up.

• Develops the mid-back, lats, and biceps with bodyweight only.

• Improves shoulder health by balancing out pressing work.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Set a barbell in a rack at about hip height or use a sturdy fixed bar at the same level.

2. 2

   Lie on your back under the bar and grip it with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, palms facing forward.

3. 3

   Walk your feet out and lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from your heels to your head.

4. 4

   Pull your chest up to the bar by driving your elbows down and back, keeping your core braced.

5. 5

   Touch the bar with your chest and hold for a count, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top.

6. 6

   Lower yourself slowly back to a full-arm hang over 2 to 3 seconds, then start the next rep.

Common Mistakes

• Letting the hips sag, which removes the core from the lift and reduces the working range.

• Pulling with the arms only and never squeezing the shoulder blades back, leaving the back out.

• Cutting the range short by stopping before the chest touches the bar.

• Dropping fast on the way down instead of controlling the descent, where most of the back work lives.

About This Exercise

The inverted row is the cleanest bodyweight horizontal pull there is. Lying under a fixed bar and pulling your chest up to it, you train the mid-back, lats, and biceps with full bodyweight load and zero equipment beyond the bar itself. It's also the perfect bridge between band rows and full pull-ups — strong enough to challenge intermediate users, scalable enough for total beginners. For app and course content, this clip is a non-negotiable in any pull-day, calisthenics, or balanced bodyweight program. It's also one of the most-requested teaching pieces because most users have weak horizontal pulling, and the inverted row exposes that fast. Drop it into your pull-day asset library and pair with the band row and the pull-up for the full bodyweight pull progression.

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