Pull · A bar at waist height, or a sturdy table
How to do
Inverted Rows
The horizontal pull, and by far the most accessible pulling movement in the Alea pool. If pull-ups are out of reach, this is where you build toward them.
| Movement pattern | Pull |
| Measured in | reps |
| Equipment | A bar at waist height, or a sturdy table |
| Effort weight in Alea | 1.4 per rep |
| Appears from | D13 exercise die upward |
How to do it
Setup
Set a bar at roughly waist height, or lie under a solid table and grip the edge. Hang underneath with your arms straight, body in a straight line from heels to head, heels on the floor.
The movement
Pull your chest to the bar by driving your elbows back and squeezing the shoulder blades together. Pause briefly at the top, then lower under control until the arms are straight again. Keep the hips up throughout so the body stays in one line.
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging so the chest arrives at the bar before the rest of the body
- Pulling with the arms only, without retracting the shoulder blades
- Shortening the range at the bottom by never straightening the arms
- Using a table that is not stable, which is a genuinely bad time
Too hard? Scale it down
Raise the bar higher, or bend your knees and plant your feet flat. The more upright your body, the less of your weight you pull. It scales smoothly from very easy to very hard just by changing the angle.
Too easy? Scale it up
Lower the bar, elevate your feet on a box so the body is above horizontal, or slow the tempo. From there, pull-ups.
Where this sits in the Alea pool
Alea draws exercises from an ordered pool of twenty, and the die size slices from the top of that list. Inverted Rows is number 13 of 20, so it enters the draw once your exercise die reaches D13. Below that, you will never roll it.
Its effort weight is 1.4 per rep, which the app uses when it builds 100-rep sessions and tailored workouts, so a session containing inverted rows carries fewer total reps than one built from lighter movements.
Roll it now in your browser, or set your dice and let it come up on its own.
General information, not medical or fitness advice. Stop if you feel pain or dizziness, use the easier variation when in doubt, and see the full training disclaimer before starting.
Let the dice pick it for you
Alea draws inverted rows at random alongside nineteen other bodyweight movements. Free, no account needed.
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Related
Inverted Rows FAQ
What can I use if I have no bar?
A sturdy dining table works well: lie underneath and grip the edge. Test that it takes your weight before committing. Two chairs with a broom handle is a common improvisation but needs care.
Are inverted rows a good pull-up substitute?
They are the best available regression for the pulling pattern, and the standard route to a first pull-up alongside negatives. They are not a full replacement, since the vertical pull differs, but they build the base.
How do I make them harder without a lower bar?
Elevate your feet on a chair or box so your body is above horizontal, slow the lowering phase, or pause for two seconds at the top of each rep.