Machine Neutral Row
What you'll gain
Builds the lats and mid-back with no lower-back fatigue.
Wrist- and shoulder-friendly thanks to the neutral grip position.
Easy to load progressively without compromising form.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Set the chest pad so it sits across your upper chest with your shoulders just above the handle position.
- 2
Grip both neutral handles with palms facing each other and let your arms hang fully extended.
- 3
Brace your core and press your chest firmly into the pad to lock your torso in place.
- 4
Pull the handles toward your ribs by driving the elbows back and squeezing the shoulder blades together.
- 5
Pause at the top of the pull with the elbows behind the body, feeling the mid-back contract hard.
- 6
Lower the handles slowly over 2 to 3 seconds back to a full stretch, then repeat without losing chest contact.
Common Mistakes
Pulling with the biceps instead of leading with the elbows, which steals work from the back.
Letting the chest peel off the pad to use body english, which defeats the support and overloads the low back.
Cutting the lowering short and dropping the handles fast, missing most of the muscle-building tension.
Shrugging the shoulders up at the top of the row, swapping mid-back work for trap dominance.
About This Exercise
The machine neutral row puts the lifter chest-down on a pad with palms facing each other, then lets them pull a pair of handles toward the ribs. The chest support takes the lower back out of the equation entirely, so all of the work goes into the lats and mid-back. The neutral grip is wrist- and shoulder-friendly, making it easy to load week over week. For app and content use, this clip is a strong beginner row option for pull-day programming, especially in apps that target older lifters or anyone with low-back limitations. It also pairs well with deadlift and pull-up content as the chest-supported counterpart in a balanced pulling track.
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A chest-supported neutral-grip row that trains the lats and mid-back through a fixed horizontal pull — easy to learn, hard to cheat.
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Compare our packs to find the right fit, all with commercial licensing included.
Specifications
Built for
- Pull-day programming in fitness apps
- Back-friendly row content for older-adult tracks
- Beginner pull pattern education in coaching platforms
- Hypertrophy back blocks in bodybuilding programs
Muscles Worked
Details
License Includes
Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
$4.99A plate-loaded T-bar row taken from a prone chest pad, so the mid back and lats pull without a free hinge.
Hammer Strength High Row
$4.99A plate-loaded machine row pulled from a high anchor, driving the elbows down and back into the upper back.
Hammer Strength Iso-Lateral Row
$4.99A chest-supported plate-loaded row with independent arms, pulling horizontally into the lats and mid back.
Machine Assisted Pull Up
$4.99A counterweighted machine pull-up that offsets part of your bodyweight so you can train the full pulling range.
Machine Lat Pullover
$4.99Seated pullover machine that pulls the upper arms down from overhead so the lats work without elbow flexion.
Machine Plate Loaded T Bar Row
$4.99A plate-loaded T-bar row that builds the lats and mid-back through a heavy hip-hinge pull — the gym's classic mass-builder.