Banded row

Back · Band

The banded row trains the back with a resistance that grows as the band stretches, which suits home training and travel.

It is easy to set up and gentle on the joints, but the load is hard to compare week to week, so write down the band and how many reps you got.

Sets, reps and RIR

Sets2 to 4

Reps12 to 20

RIR0 to 2

Bands give the least resistance where you are strongest, so chase reps and control, not load.

RIR means reps in reserve: how many you could still have done when you racked it. RIR 2 is two short of failure.

Anchor the band at chest height, or sit with it around your feet. Take one end in each hand with straight arms.
Sit tall with the chest up and the shoulders down.
Pull the hands toward your lower ribs, squeezing the shoulder blades together.
Hold for a second at the end, then let the band pull your arms out slowly.
Do 10 to 15 reps. Take a thicker band or step back to make it harder.

Shrugging the shoulders: If the shoulders rise toward the ears, the neck takes over. Keep them down and start the pull from the shoulder blades.
Leaning back: Leaning back lets the weight of the body help, and the band does less. Sit tall and move only the arms and shoulder blades.
Letting the band snap back: The slow return is half of the exercise. Control the band on the way out.

A cable row gives the same load through the whole range and is easier to log. The band gets harder at the end of the pull.

A dumbbell row lets you load one side heavily. Choose the band when you do not have equipment.

It suits you if you train at home or travel, or if you want a gentle warm-up for the back before heavier work.

Primary: Lats, Upper back.

Secondary: Biceps, Rear delts, Rotator cuff.

athlate logs this exercise, keeps the numbers, and tells you what you lifted last time.