How to Use a Seated Row Machine? Proper Form & 7 Seated Row Workouts

Want to build a back that looks strong and actually feels even stronger? A seated row machine is effective for building a strong and defined back that improves posture, leading to upper-body strength. It is an effective exercise that you can add to your daily routine. But knowing how to use the seated row machine is essential as wrong posture can lead to back strain and back injury.

To learn it properly, in this guide, you will read about how to use a seated row machine, its workout, and how it is different from cable rowing. Plus, we’ve included 7 proven rowing workouts—from beginner-friendly to advanced—so you can finally feel your back working.

A seated row machine is a great low-impact home gym piece of equipment that is primarily designed to focus on back engagement, making it one of the most effective pulling exercises for improving posture, upper-body strength, and back definition. The muscles it targets include

• Arm Flexor: Biceps
• Coracobrachialis Muscle: Upper Arm
• Trapezius Muscle: Neck
• Large Round Muscle: Back
• Large Back Muscle: Back
• Larger Rhomboid Muscle: Back
• Small Round Muscle: Back
• Posterior Deltoid Muscle: Shoulder
• Latissimus Dorsi: Lats
• Rhomboids
• Core Muscles

By engaging these muscles, a seated rowing machine is particularly valuable for combating "tech neck" and desk posture, building functional strength, creating that V-taper, and improving shoulder health.

A seated row machine and a cable row look similar, but the way they work the muscles feels different.

The Seated Row Machine

The seated row machine has a fixed path that it follows with a guided motion, making it easy for beginners because it limits unwanted torso movement. It works simply by pulling the handles towards you on a consistent track, keeping tension steady and predictable throughout the range. It is ideal for building strength and correcting your posture while isolating the back muscles with little or no risk of swinging.

The Seated Cable Rowing Machine

A seated cable row offers freedom of movement. On a cable row machine, you sit in front of the low cable pull and pull through a wider range of angles, which engages your core to keep your upper body stabilized. It also offers attachment options, such as ropes, wide bars, V-handles, and single handles, providing versatility in workouts and targeting different areas of the back.

In a nutshell, both are effective in their ways; it is up to the user whether they want controlled isolation or adjustable dynamic pulling. To understand the difference better, here is a quick comparison of the seated row machine vs the cable row.

Getting your posture right can be crucial, as poor form is more likely to minimize the effectiveness and increase the risk of injury. Whether you’re training at the gym or at home, follow these steps to get the most out of every rep.

Adjust the Setup

Once you assemble your seated rowing machine, check that the seat height is set correctly by adjusting the handles to your mid-chest or shoulder level.

Next, firmly place your feet on the footplates or the floor, and keep your knees slightly bent. Make sure you sit upright with your chest, shoulders pulled back and down, and brace your core.

Avoid slouching or rounding your back.

Grip and Starting Position

The handles are usually V-handles, straight bars, or ropes, held with a neutral grip. Grab the handles so your palms face each other, or use a grip that feels natural.

Extend your arms completely and start so you feel a gentle stretch in your lats and your mid back.

The Rowing Motion

Start by retracting your shoulder blades, and exhale while doing that. Squeeze your shoulder blades before bending your elbows. This will ensure you pull with your back instead of your arms.

Pull the handle towards your lower chest or abdomen; they must not be high up at your chest level, and keep your elbows close to your body.

Briefly pause for a second or two at full contraction, squeezing your back muscles. While doing that, inhale and extend your arms slowly back to stretch, maintaining control. Don’t let the weights drop quickly.

Breathing, Control, and Workout Tempo

Exhale on the pull and inhale on the return. Use a controlled tempo to avoid jerking or swinging. A slower, deliberate pace improves muscle activation and minimizes the risk of form breakdown.

Once your form is solid, any seated row machine can work, but the right one makes good technique easier to repeat, set after set. A well-designed seated row machine should support correct posture and provide smooth and consistent resistance.

A model like the Merach Novarow R50 Air Rower fits well into this role. It has adjustable footplates for proper posture, and the adaptive air resistance provides immediate feedback that naturally matches your effort level. To reduce discomfort during long sessions, the cushioning has been upgraded, offering a softer and more comfortable experience compared to other rowing machines, especially for beginners or those training at home.

Ready to turn proper form into real results? To help you start training with purpose, we design 7 adaptable seated row machine workouts for various goals and fitness levels and an exercise plan that you can do at home. Here are the 7-seated rows workout variations you can add to your whole routine

1) Standard Close-Grip Seated Rowing with Neutral Grip

Set up your machine. Use a D-handle or V-handle, palms facing each other, elbows close to your sides. It will focus on the lower lats and middle lats, mid-back thickness.

Sets: 3 to 4 sets of this exercise with 8 to 12 reps for muscle building and 12 to 15 reps for conditioning/endurance.

2) Wide Grip Seated Row, Straight Bar

Use a straight bar attachment whose grip is slightly wider than your shoulders. It will focus on your upper back, rear deltoids, and outer back for width.

This creates a wider, thicker upper back, which is ideal for improving shoulder posture and upper back aesthetics.

3) Underhand Supinated Grip Seated Row

Use an underhand grip if your exercise machine allows, with palms up. This will focus on your lower lats and more biceps engagement.

This exercise is good for the bottom part of the lats and improves arm back symmetry.

4) Single Arm Seated Row

Use a single handle and row with one arm at a time. Make sure to keep your torso straight and stable as the core will be engaged.

This exercise will focus on unilateral back development, improve the muscle imbalance, strengthen stabilizer muscles, and the core.

5) Chest Supported Machine Seated Row

For that, use a chest pad row machine. Sit chest against the pad and feet on the footplate. This focuses on removing the torso momentum while isolating the mid and upper back muscles.

This exercise is a good start for beginners or for those working strictly on their form, or for isolating the back without engaging the lower back or core heavily.

6) High Rep Endurance Row/Finisher

Stand close or wide grip row with a lighter weight. Repeat for 15 to 20 reps for 2 to 3 sets. This will focus on the muscle endurance, pump, and metabolic stress.

It is suggested to use this towards the end of your workout to flush your back muscles with blood, as it will boost hypertrophy.

7) Slow Tempo Row with Pause

For this workout, choose a grip close, wide, or underhand, but make sure to perform the rep slowly. The technique is a 2 to 3-second pull, 1 to 2 seconds hold at full contractions, i.e., the scapula squeeze, and 3 seconds return.

This will give maximum time focusing on under tension, deep muscle contraction, improve the mind muscle connection, and ensure better muscle activation.

Sample Back Day Workout Plan

Beginners unconsciously commit these mistakes that can likely reduce the effectiveness of the workout. When working out on a seated rowing machine, make sure to avoid

• Rounding or arching the back. It will collapse the spine
• Flaring your elbows out. This will shift the stress to the shoulders rather than the lats and mid-back.
• Shrugging your shoulder during a pull. Make sure to keep them down and back.
• Using momentum, swinging your torso, or jerking the weight minimizes effectiveness and leads to injury.
• Cutting range of short motion, not allowing full stretch at the start, or failing to pull to full contraction.
• Locking out your knees rigidly. A slight bend is better for safety and more control.

The seated rowing machine is a popular choice among people, but there are a few queries that can be confusing. Here are a few common queries about rowing machines for Merach.

Q1: What if I feel the movement mostly in my arms instead of my back?

If you are experiencing this type of situation, it indicates that you are over-reliant on your arms rather than initiating with your back muscles. To get it right, start to focus on the pull by retracting your shoulder blades, elbows tucked, and imagining your elbows moving back instead of your hands. This is the proper form that will ensure the lats and mid-back do the majority of the work.

Q2: Does seated row improve my posture?

Yes, working out on the seated row positively improves your posture because it strengthens mid-back muscles (rhomboids, mid-traps, rear deltoids). Seated rows counteract forward-rounded shoulders, common in people who work on desks and use phones for extended hours.

Q3: What grip is best for lats?

A neutral or slightly closed grip, with palms facing each other, tends to target more, especially when the elbows remain close to the sides and pull the handle toward the lower abdomen.

Q4: Is the seated row machine better than free-weight rows?

If you are the one who is concerned about lower-back or beginner, then yes, a seated row machine is better. The reason is its fixed movements, chest pad if it is available, and stability that reduces the risk of lower back strain or any other severe injury, yet provides effective back engagement.

Q5: How often should you do seated rows?

It depends on your fitness goal. However, if you want to integrate a seated rowing machine, then you can follow this.

• For strength and muscle growth: Add a seated row workout for 2 to 3 times per week with a 48-hour rest between back workouts.
• If you want hypertrophy, 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps are recommended.
• For conditioning and endurance: 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps.

Keep in mind, always start your workout with a warm-up, which could be light cardio + shoulder or back mobility to prepare the muscles before your routine workout.

If you use a seated row machine correctly with proper form, it works as a foundation exercise for a strong and balanced back. With the right technique, a single equipment will engage multiple muscles and even your core.

For the overall back development, a rowing machine like Merach Novarow R50 is the perfect choice to incorporate different variations with its multiple resistance levels. With this single exercise equipment, you can set up your home gym.