How many sets and reps of the seal row should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps with a moderate barbell load, pausing for a full second at the top of every rep rather than rushing through them. Add reps toward 12 before adding weight, since strict control matters more here than it does on rows where some body movement is normal.

What can I use instead of a barbell for the seal row?

Two dumbbells set up the same way on an elevated bench work just as well and are the more common substitute if a barbell and enough riser height aren't available. Without an elevated bench at all, a chest-supported row on an incline bench, angled so your torso is pinned, gets close to the same strict, momentum-free pull.

What is the seal row good for, and when should I choose a different row?

Removing the hips and legs from the equation makes it one of the strictest ways to build real, honest back thickness and to expose a weak mid-back squeeze that other rows let you hide. If you don't have a bench and risers sturdy enough to trust with real weight, a chest-supported or single-arm dumbbell row gets you most of the same strict pulling without the setup demands.

Intermediate

Seal Row

Lying face-down on a bench elevated enough for the bar to clear the floor removes the hips and lower back from the equation entirely, so every ounce of effort goes into the mid-back and lats. Because you cannot cheat with body english, it exposes and fixes weak retraction and delivers strict, honest back growth. Use it as a primary row when you want maximum back stimulus without loading the spine.

Equipment: Barbell, Bench
Body part: Back, Lats
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius Middle
Browse by movement: Horizontal Pull

How to do it

1
Set a flat bench on sturdy risers high enough that a loaded bar hangs clear of the floor beneath it.
2
Lie face-down with your chest on the bench and reach down to grip the bar just wider than shoulder width.
3
Let the bar hang at full arm extension and set your shoulder blades.
4
Row the bar up to the underside of the bench by driving your elbows back and up.
5
Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top, then lower under full control.
6
Keep your chest glued to the bench and your legs relaxed throughout.

Tips

Keep your chin tucked and chest down so momentum can't creep into the pull.
Pause briefly at the top to force a hard mid-back contraction on every rep.
Make sure the bench and risers are stable and can hold your bodyweight plus the load before you start.

Variations

Common mistakes

The chest lifts off the bench a fraction as the bar comes up, reintroducing the very body english this setup is supposed to remove entirely.
The bar only travels a few inches because the bench sits too low relative to the plates, so the stretch at the bottom never really happens.
Yanking the bar up fast off the dead hang uses the sudden jerk instead of the lats to start the pull, since there is no leg drive here to help absorb it.
A shrug up toward the ears at the top substitutes traps for the mid-back squeeze the pause is there to build.
A setup that looks stable from the top can still slide or tip once real weight is loaded and pulled against it, so it is worth testing before adding plates.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the seal row should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps with a moderate barbell load, pausing for a full second at the top of every rep rather than rushing through them. Add reps toward 12 before adding weight, since strict control matters more here than it does on rows where some body movement is normal.
What can I use instead of a barbell for the seal row?: Two dumbbells set up the same way on an elevated bench work just as well and are the more common substitute if a barbell and enough riser height aren't available. Without an elevated bench at all, a chest-supported row on an incline bench, angled so your torso is pinned, gets close to the same strict, momentum-free pull.
What is the seal row good for, and when should I choose a different row?: Removing the hips and legs from the equation makes it one of the strictest ways to build real, honest back thickness and to expose a weak mid-back squeeze that other rows let you hide. If you don't have a bench and risers sturdy enough to trust with real weight, a chest-supported or single-arm dumbbell row gets you most of the same strict pulling without the setup demands.

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