Weighted Inverted Row

How to do the Weighted Inverted Row

1. 1Put on a weighted vest, or have a training partner ready with a weight plate, then set a barbell in a rack (or use a Smith machine bar) at roughly hip height.
2. 2Lie underneath the bar so it sits directly above your chest when your arms are fully extended upward.
3. 3Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width with an overhand (pronated) grip, thumbs wrapped fully around the bar. If you are using a plate, have your partner rest it flat on your chest now and keep both hands on the bar for the whole set.
4. 4Brace your core, squeeze your glutes, and extend your legs so your body forms a straight line from heels to the back of your head.
5. 5Initiate the pull by driving your elbows back toward your hips, not out to the sides, and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you rise.
6. 6Pull your chest up until it lightly touches or nearly reaches the bar, pausing for one count at the top to feel the mid-back contraction.
7. 7Lower yourself under control — aim for a 2–3 second descent — until your arms are fully extended while keeping your body rigid.
8. 8Complete all reps, set your feet flat on the floor, and have the plate lifted off (or take the vest off) before standing up.

Form tips

• Think 'elbows to back pockets' rather than pulling with your hands — this cue keeps the focus on your lats and mid-back rather than your biceps.
• Keep your hips level and your core braced for every rep; your body should move as one unit, not hinge at the waist.
• A slow, controlled lowering phase (2–3 seconds) places more time under tension on the back muscles and produces better strength gains than dropping quickly.
• Adjust bar height to control difficulty — lower the bar increases the challenge; raising it reduces the load, which is useful when learning the weighted version.

Common mistakes

• Letting the hips sag during the pull — this breaks the rigid body position, reduces lat engagement, and transfers stress to the lower back.
• Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears instead of retracting the shoulder blades, which overloads the upper traps and takes tension off the middle and lower trapezius fibers where it belongs.
• Using momentum or a kipping action to get the chest to the bar, which shortens time under tension and reduces the training stimulus on the target muscles.
• Adding too much weight too soon — excess load forces the hips to sag or the range of motion to shorten, undermining both form and muscle development.
• Allowing the elbows to flare wide rather than tracking back along the torso, which shifts the work away from the lats and infraspinatus and onto the shoulders.

Frequently asked questions