Muscles worked
The seated band row trains the same muscles as a cable row: your lats and the muscles between your shoulder blades, helped by the back of your shoulders and your biceps. The difference lies in the band. It gets harder the further it stretches, so the pull is lightest with straight arms and heaviest with your elbows furthest back, just as your shoulder blades squeeze together. If your hamstrings are tight, a folded towel under your bum makes it easier to sit tall.
Common mistakes
- The band slips off your feet. A band that comes loose mid-pull snaps back towards you. Loop it around the middle of your soles rather than by your toes, and point your toes up so it has something to catch on.
- Your arms never straighten. As the band gets heavy, the movement easily shrinks to a few centimetres and your shoulder blades never slide forward. Straighten your arms fully between reps, or switch to a lighter band.
- Pulling with your arms alone. If your elbows bend while your shoulder blades stay put, it turns mostly into biceps work. Start each pull by drawing your shoulder blades back, and hold them together for a second at the end.
Variations and alternatives
- The close grip seated cable row is the same pull in the gym, with weights you can increase in small steps.
- The standing band row suits you when you have somewhere to anchor the band and would rather stand than sit on the floor.
- The inverted row is the next step once the band feels easy, with your bodyweight as the resistance.
Sets and reps
Bands suit high reps better than heavy sets, and to build muscle, 12 to 20 reps over 2 to 4 sets works well. How reps, sets and rest fit together is covered in the guide to sets and reps.
A band has no kilos to add. Instead, add reps first, then move to a stiffer band or two bands together. Holding the band shorter or wrapping it once more around your feet adds tension too, and a pause with your elbows back makes the same band heavier. That is progressive overload without weights. Note which band you used and how you held it, so you know what to beat next session.