Horizontal bodyweight pull performed lying beneath a fixed bar, pulling the chest up to the bar while the body stays rigid like an upside-down plank. The most fundamental horizontal bodyweight pull and a key stepping-stone toward the vertical pull-up.
Demo: Gym Shorts
Sets
3
Reps
8-15
Rest
1:30
Contraindications
None significant; suitable for almost all populations including beginners and rehab contexts.Setup
Set a bar at roughly waist height (rack, Smith bar, or sturdy railing). Lie beneath it, grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width, body forming a straight line from head to heels, heels on the floor.
Execution
- 1Brace the core and glutes to keep the body in a rigid straight line
- 2Pull the chest up toward the bar, driving the elbows back
- 3Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top
- 4Lower under control back to full arm extension
Key cues
- Body stays a rigid plank the whole rep, no sagging hips
- Pull the chest to the bar, not just the chin
- Squeeze the shoulder blades, don't just bend the elbows
- Control the descent — 2 seconds up, 3 seconds down is a good tempo target
Common faults
- Sagging hips, indicating disengaged core and glutes
- Using momentum/bouncing instead of a controlled pull
- Half reps that don't reach full chest-to-bar range
- Bar height set too low too early, making the exercise excessively difficult before the trainee is ready
Tweaks
- Raise the bar to make it easier, lower it to make it harder
- Elevate the feet on a bench for a harder, more horizontal angle
- Perform on gymnastic rings for an unstable, more advanced variant
Progressions
Muscles
Primary: Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboids
Secondary: Biceps Brachii, Rear Deltoids, Core
Notes
Also known as the Australian pull-up; widely used both as a pull-up progression tool and as a standing accessory row in its own right due to its excellent joint tolerance.
Sources
- The Inverted Row: Gym Shorts (How To)
- Inverted Rows: Muscles Worked, Benefits, and How To - Healthline
Attribution: General Calisthenics / Physical Therapy Canon