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Towel door row

Horizontal pull for the back with other equipment.

How to do it

1 of 3

Lean back holding the towel

  1. Starting position

    Close the door and stand on the side where it opens away from you, loop a towel around the handle and lean back with one end in each hand.

  2. The movement

    Pull your chest toward the door by driving your elbows back, then straighten your arms and lean back.

Most common mistake

Don't let your hips sag back, brace your body and keep a straight line from your head to your heels.

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Muscle group
Back
Equipment
Other
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Reps

Muscles worked

The towel door row trains your back with your bodyweight as resistance, much like an inverted row. Your lats and the muscles between your shoulder blades pull your chest towards the door, with support from the back of your shoulders and your biceps. Holding the towel asks a lot of your forearms, and for many people grip gives out first. Your abs and glutes keep your body straight. Your feet set the difficulty: the closer they are to the door, the further you lean back and the more of your bodyweight hangs from your arms.

Common mistakes

  • The towel slides off the handle. On an ordinary lever handle, the towel can creep towards the free end. Place it as close to the door as possible, check that the handle is firmly fixed and lean back gently before trusting it with your full weight.
  • Your feet slip. In socks on a smooth floor, your feet can shoot out mid-set. Train barefoot or in shoes with good grip.
  • Hanging slack at the bottom. If you sag into your shoulders between reps, your bodyweight pulls them forward. Keep a little tension in your back even with your arms straight, and let each pull start at your shoulder blades before your elbows bend.

Variations and alternatives

  • The inverted row lets your body get almost horizontal under a bar, which makes it harder once the door is no longer enough.
  • The backpack row works at home without a door, and you can weigh the load.
  • The standing band row can be anchored in the same door with a door anchor and is easier for a beginner to adjust.

Sets and reps

Aim for 8 to 15 reps over 3 to 4 sets to build muscle. Past 20 clean reps, move your feet closer to the door, and if it is too hard, step back and stand more upright. Which range suits you depends on your goal, as the guide to sets and reps explains.

With no weight to read off, measure the distance instead. Count how many foot lengths your heels are from the door and note it alongside your reps. Half a foot length closer is a sensible step. That way you can follow progressive overload even when your body is the weight.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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