Bent Over Row Machine (plate loaded)

Hinge at your hips, lean your torso forward, grip the handles, and brace your core with a straight back. The machine limits swaying, but you still have to maintain your torso angle and abdominal pressure, so set up carefully.

Pull the handles close to your body by driving your elbows back. Your elbows should move before your hands, and your chest should stay lifted so your lats and mid-back contract together.

Squeeze your back at the most pulled-in position, then slowly straighten your arms to return the weight. Maintain your torso angle and core tension as you lower, and clearly feel your back lengthen.

Pull by thinking about driving your elbows back with your lats and mid-back. When your back shortens first and your hands follow, you're pulling with your back before your arms.

Bobbing your torso or yanking only with your hands spreads the effort around and quickly fatigues your lower back. As the weight gets heavier, it's easy to skip the lowering phase, so keep the standard of repeating at the same torso angle.

Exhale as you pull and inhale as you return. Consistent breathing makes it easier to maintain abdominal pressure and noticeably reduces upper-body sway.

On this machine, repeating the same posture matters more than lifting more weight. First check that every rep finishes at the same torso angle and pull height; add weight only when it does.