Overview
Seated Row is the foundational pulling exercise of the Modern Reformer repertoire — the balance to all the pushing (Push-Up, Chest Expansion, Long Stretch). Seated tall with the legs long, the client rows the straps toward the ribs while the spine stays stacked. It teaches scapular control before the prone pulling work.
Setup
- A medium-strong setting (in our reference ladder: 1-2 Red); footbar medium.
- Sit tall on the carriage facing the footbar with the legs extended long, holding a strap in each hand with the arms long.
Key Teaching Cues
- Draw the shoulder blades down and together as the elbows pass the ribs.
- Keep the spine tall and the ribs stacked over the pelvis — no leaning back.
- Exhale to draw the straps back, inhale to extend the arms forward with control.
- Resist the springs on the return — no collapsing the shoulders forward.
Common Faults
- Shrugging the shoulders as the arms pull.
- Leaning back to gain leverage.
- Flaring the elbows wide instead of grazing the ribs.
- Letting the chest sink on the return.
Variations
- Regression: drop to a single spring and reduce the range to keep the spine tall.
- Progression: hold the extension for two counts to build scapular and core endurance.
- Safety: keep the spine tall and the ribs stacked for low-back comfort.
Programming Notes
Place Seated Row early in the upper-body block, before the prone pulling work, so the shoulder blades learn to move before the body is inverted. Pair it with Chest Expansion or Midback Press Down for a complete scapular-control mini-set. Six to eight repetitions with a two-count extension hold builds the endurance the arms need for the straps work.