Pin Loaded High Row

Press your torso firmly into the chest pad, grip the handles, and set your shoulders down. Relax your neck and make full use of the chest support so you can focus on your upper back and rear shoulders.

Pull the handles while driving your elbows up and back. Rather than dragging with your hands, think about lifting your elbows behind you; your upper back and rear shoulders will contract together, and you will feel less strain in your neck.

Briefly squeeze your upper back at the point of greatest contraction, then slowly straighten your arms to return to the starting position. On the way back, preserve the feeling of your upper back stretching wide to make the movement much more stable.

Pull as if your upper back and rear shoulders are sending your elbows behind you. You are using the right muscles when your elbows travel higher than your hands and you feel the area around your shoulder blades tighten.

If you yank with your arms or jut your head forward, your traps and neck will fatigue before your upper back. If your elbow height changes from rep to rep, the point of tension will shift too, so make consistent elbow height your first priority.

Exhale as you pull and inhale as you return. Coordinating your breathing with the movement lets you hold the pause steadily without building excessive tension in your upper back.

Even with the same weight, a small change in elbow height or where you pull the handles can drastically change the feel. Once you find the height where your back contracts best, keep it consistent on every rep.