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Seal Row
How to do the Seal Row with good form: step-by-step technique, the muscles it works (upper back and traps), coaching cues and the mistakes to avoid.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Upper back, Traps
- Secondary
- Biceps, Forearms
How to do it
- Lie face down on an elevated flat bench with a barbell resting on the floor beneath you.
- Ensure your chest, torso, and hips are completely supported by the bench, legs extending straight back.
- Reach down and grab the barbell with a pronated, shoulder-width grip, letting your arms hang fully extended.
- Pull the barbell straight up towards the underside of the bench by driving your elbows up and back.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together forcefully when the bar touches the underside of the bench.
- Lower the barbell under strict control back to a dead stop on the floor.
Coaching cues
- Glue your chest to the bench
- Pull the elbows high
- Start every rep from a dead stop
Common mistakes
- Lifting the chest or head off the bench to use momentum
- Not elevating the bench high enough, causing the plates to hit the floor prematurely
- Swinging the legs to generate upward force
Equipment and setup
Flat bench elevated on blocks, barbell, weight plates
Flat bench elevated sufficiently so a barbell on the floor can be reached with fully extended arms without hitting the ground.
Also known as: Bench Pull
Track your Seal Row in ROAN
ROAN fills in last session’s weight and reps, estimates your 1RM and keeps your best sets.
