Linear T Bar Row Machine

Stand behind the machine with your chest on the pad and grip the handles at both ends of the bar with your palms facing each other. Bend your knees slightly to stabilize your lower body, and keep your back straight with your arms extended.

Drive your elbows back and pull the bar up toward your lower chest. The plate-loaded sled travels straight up along the rails, so pull steadily along the same path.

Squeeze your back and pause briefly at the top, then slowly straighten your arms as you lower it. Control the speed all the way so the plates do not drop.

Focus on your mid-back and lats drawing together. If the area between your shoulder blades squeezes as your elbows travel back past your torso, you are doing it right.

Lifting your chest off the pad and using upper-body momentum tires your lower back before your back. Bending your wrists or shrugging as you pull reduces the work on your back, so keep your wrists straight.

Exhale as you pull and inhale as you lower. Do not hold your breath through the set; breathe with every rep.

Start with a light plate and get your body used to the path the sled travels. Keeping the pull height the same every rep keeps your form consistent even as you add weight.