Seal Row

Also known as: Barbell Seal Row

Anton YefanovUpdated October 10, 2026

Seal Row demonstration, with the back and traps highlighted

The seal row is a barbell row done face down on a bench raised high enough for the plates to clear the floor. With the chest pinned to the pad, the hips and lower back are taken out of the movement, so each rep is produced by shoulder extension and scapular retraction. That loads the lats together with the middle trapezius and rhomboids, while the biceps and rear deltoids assist. Free bent-over rowing carries the largest lumbar spine load of the common rowing variations, which is the reason chest supported versions exist.

How to do the Seal Row

Raise a flat bench on blocks or plates until a loaded bar clears the floor at arm's length.
Lie face down with your chest on the pad and your head past the end of the bench.
Take an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders and hang the bar with straight arms.
Pull your shoulder blades together and drive your elbows up until the bar reaches the bench.
Hold the top for a beat without lifting your chest away from the pad.
Lower the bar under control to full arm extension and repeat.

Muscles worked

The seal row works the lats and the mid back, especially the middle traps and rhomboids, while the biceps and rear delts assist. With your chest pinned to the bench, nothing below the shoulders can help, so every rep comes from shoulder extension driven by the lats and scapular retraction driven by the traps and rhomboids.

The top of the rep is the hardest point, as the bar reaches the bench and the shoulder blades squeeze together. Pausing there without lifting your chest off the pad is what makes the seal row so strict. The overhand grip slightly wider than the shoulders lets the elbows flare a little, which favors the upper back and rear delts. The bottom position, hanging at arm's length, puts the lats and mid back under a full stretch before each pull.

Primary:: Back and Traps
Secondary:: Biceps and Shoulders

Why train it

Removes hip drive and lumbar load, so the back muscles do the work.
Enforces a repeatable range because the torso cannot shift between reps.
Trains mid-back thickness alongside the lats in one horizontal pull.

Common mistakes

Peeling your chest off the pad to finish a rep, which puts back the momentum the bench position exists to remove.
Setting the bench too low, so the bar hits the floor and the bottom of every rep is cut short.
Leading with the hands instead of the elbows, which hands the work to the biceps and starves the mid-back.
Dropping the bar quickly on the way down, which loses tension in the lats over most of the range.

Frequently asked questions

What equipment do I need for the Seal Row?

The Seal Row needs a barbell. Nothing beyond that is required to run the movement the way it is described above.

Is the Seal Row suitable for beginners?

With some training behind you. The Seal Row is rated intermediate, which means the setup matters as much as the effort. It is a reasonable first month goal rather than a first session one, and the alternatives below are the easier way in.

Can I do the Seal Row at home?

Yes, if you own a barbell. That is the whole requirement, and it is the reason this one travels well between a home setup and a gym floor.

How many sets and reps of the Seal Row should I do?

Three to five sets of 6 to 12 reps. Pulling responds well to a full stretch at the top, so pick a load you can control all the way out rather than one you have to heave.

What are good alternatives to the Seal Row?

Smith Machine Bent-Over Row, Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row, and Inverted Row train the same primary muscles as the Seal Row. Pick whichever one suits the equipment in front of you.