Smith Machine Row

How to do it

1. Stand inside a Smith machine with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Grip the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulders.
3. Hinge at the hips until your torso is roughly 45 degrees.
4. Pull the bar toward your lower chest by driving your elbows back.
5. Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top.

Muscles it trains

Percent of one session's target for that muscle. Anything at 100% finishes that muscle on its own.

How it compares

Compared with the Seated Cable Row, it loads Lower back / erectors 25 points higher, Rear delts 15 points lower, Lats 5 points higher. It needs Smith machine where the other uses Cable machine. Compared with the Smith Machine Upright Row, it loads Side delts 75 points lower, Rear delts 55 points higher, Mid-back / traps 50 points higher.

Other ways to train this

• Seated Cable Row Cable machine
• Barbell Row BarbellIntermediate
• Dumbbell Row Dumbbells
• Machine Row Machines
• T-Bar Row BarbellProfessional
• Chest-Supported Row DumbbellsBench
• Inverted Row Pull-up bar
• Two-Arm Kettlebell Row Kettlebells
• Cable Bent-Over Row Cable machineIntermediate
• Chest-Supported Kettlebell Row KettlebellsBench
• TRX Row Suspension trainer
• Pendlay Row BarbellIntermediate
• Wide-Grip Cable Row Cable machine
• One-Arm Chest-Supported Row DumbbellsBenchIntermediate
• Chest-Supported Smith Row Smith machineBench
• One-Arm Kettlebell Row KettlebellsIntermediate

Other exercises for the Mid-back / traps

• Smith Machine Upright Row 45% Smith machine
• Barbell Shrugs 70% Barbell
• Dumbbell Shrugs 70% Dumbbells
• Barbell Rear Delt Row 55% BarbellIntermediate

Exercise illustrations and data by RepDB (repdb.co), used under licence.