How to do the Machine High Row
Step by step
- Set the seat low so the handles sit above shoulder height when you sit down.
- Sit with your chest against the pad and reach up to grip the handles, arms extended.
- Pull the handles down and back toward your ribs, driving your elbows behind your torso.
- Squeeze your upper back, then let the handles return up and forward under control.
The thing people get wrong
Lead with your elbows and pull them back, not just your hands - thinking about squeezing your shoulder blades keeps the work in your back, not your arms.
Coaching cue
Keep your chest pressed into the pad so you do not pull yourself up off the seat.
Make it easier or harder
- Harder: Pause one second at the squeeze on every rep.
Muscles worked
- Primary: Upper Back, Lats
- Secondary: Biceps, Forearms
What to do instead
Same job, different movement — useful if you don't have the equipment or it doesn't feel right today.
Daily Coach builds this into a real weekly plan. It picks the exercises for your equipment and experience, swaps around injuries you tell it about, and tracks what you actually lifted.