Seated Row: Lats

Modern Repertoire Beginner Seated Upper Body & ArmsCore Integration 📦 Sitting Box

Seated rowing on the short box facing the risers: the straps pull back against the springs while the spine stays long and the feet brace into the headrest.

AI-generated illustration: an instructor performing Seated Row: Lats, on a Reformer, springs set to 1-2 strong springs, footbar Medium, headrest Up, using Sitting Box. Illustrative only — the schematic diagram below shows the movement. — AI-generated illustration The schematic below is the authoritative instruction — follow it, not this photo.

Body
Reformer
Strap
Equipment
Movement

Schematic — Seated Row: Lats Reformer · 1-2 strong springs · Footbar Medium · Headrest Up

⚠️ Clinical Contraindications

Shoulder Impingement: Keep the elbows low and the pull to the ribs; avoid shrugging the shoulders.
Low Back Pain: Keep the spine tall with the ribs stacked over the pelvis and the heels braced into the headrest; stop if the back aches.

Apparatus Setup

Reformer

Spring Tension 1-2 strong springs

Footbar Position Medium What this means →

Headrest Up

Target Muscles

Transverse Abdominis (Secondary)Latissimus Dorsi (Primary)Rhomboids (Primary)Trapezius (Secondary)Biceps Brachii (Secondary)

Setup Instructions

Sit tall on the short box facing the risers at the back of the reformer, legs extended long with the heels braced into the raised headrest, holding a strap in each hand at shoulder height with the shoulder blades drawn back and down.

Execution Instructions

Exhale to draw the straps back past the ribs, leading with the shoulder blades and keeping the spine long and still; inhale to extend the arms forward with control until the elbows are soft, resisting the springs the whole way back.

Teaching Cues

Integration

"Draw the shoulder blades down and together as the elbows pass the ribs."

Form

"Keep the spine tall and the ribs stacked over the pelvis."

Control

"Resist the springs on the return — no collapsing the shoulders forward."

Modifications & Progressions

Single-Spring Tall Spine Row (Regression)

Drop to a single strong or medium spring and reduce the range to keep the spine tall.

Held Extension (Progression)

Pause for two counts with the arms long to build scapular and core endurance.

Elbows Low, Short Pull (Injury Modification)

For shoulder impingement, keep the elbows below shoulder height and draw the straps only to the ribs, stopping before the shoulders shrug.

Related Exercises

The rest of the Seated Row family.

Mid Back Beginner · Seated Upper Back Intermediate · Seated