Back row exercises are essential for achieving a massive back, providing health benefits such as reduced stiffness and improved mobility. There are numerous types of back rows and row alternatives. Including barbell row, bench row, machine high row with dumbbells, elevated row, machine high row cable, and single-arm cable row.
The machine high row, also known as the Hammer Strength high row machine, is a popular choice for strength and muscle gains. Back rows and massive backs are a combination that trains posterior muscles in a natural and functional way. Incorporating the machine high row into your back day can help you achieve a ripped back and improve your overall health. We will be looking at the machine high row in this article. Directing you on, how should the machine high row be executed? Talking about the high row machine muscles worked, high row machine variations and its alternatives.
What Is A High Row Machine?
As an isolated workout, the machine high row requires each arm to control its own weight and have its own lever. This variation in gait offers an alternative stimulus to maintain attention and keep muscles trained. Benefits of isolated exercises include exercising one side at a time (independent training) or both sides at once (dual training). Utilizing a variety of weights on each side to correct muscular strength imbalances, and executing alternate repetitions. It is crucial to remember that isolated workouts are more beneficial for muscular growth. Since they prevent the strong side from compensating for the weak side.
A popular option from top strength and conditioning company is the Hammer Strength high row machine. Which features high lever arms that reach overhead. High row machine is a complex exercise, which involves the elbow and shoulder. However, it may develop a large amount of muscle and support huge loads. Weighted plates are a common feature of high row machines, a unique type of training equipment that may offer resistance. This weight suspends the pulley arms off the ground. This compels the person using them to draw the arms inward toward their body.
All things considered, the high row machine is a useful and efficient instrument for improving your exercise regimen.
The Machine High Row: How To Do It
Though there are a few important guidelines to remember, carrying out a high row is quite simple. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the machine high row technique along with a few clues.
Seat Height, Thigh Pads, And Chest Pad Adjustments
First things first, you should adjust the chest pad, thigh pads, and seat height. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your thighs should be straight out and parallel to the floor when the seat is at the proper height. Your thigh should feel securely supported by the knee pad. To produce force, make sure you can press onto the pad. You should be able to put your chest firmly at a distance from the chest pad. You want it tight enough so you can “pull into it,” thus this is crucial.
A word of caution regarding the thigh pad and seat. In case you have to make a decision, adjust the thigh pad to be lower instead of higher. You won’t be able to hold yourself down or push into it if it’s too high.
Get Up And Grip The Handles.
The next step is to rise up and use an overhand grip to hold the handles. Most of them have their handles tilted slightly so that your hands’ palms face each other at a small angle. Securing one grasp, take a seat, align your legs beneath the thigh pads, and compress your torso tightly on the chest pad. You can switch up your grips if you are able to employ an underhanded grip. Whereas an underhand grip focuses more on the lower back, an overhand grip is more focused on the upper back.
Shoulders Back And Low
Pull your shoulders back and lower your shoulder blades when you’re ready. This is a crucial component of the workout. Never lift your shoulders forward when doing this exercise. This puts your elbows and shoulders at risk and reduces the amount of force your back muscles can produce. Therefore, before pulling, at all times you should be looking to retract your scapula.
Elbows Down And Back
You will force your elbows down and back after pulling back your scapula. Instead of bringing the grips to your chest when you pull, try pushing your elbows down toward the floor. When trainees concentrate on the handles, they often overuse their biceps. Usually, in an attempt to curl and bring the handles closer together. Rather, simply concentrate on pushing your elbows back; the handles will follow suit.
Pull Back
When the handles are at chest height, pull back. Press a little, and then slowly and gradually release the handles. After your arms are completely extended, you have the option of letting them drag your shoulders forward. Requiring you to retract your scapula once again, or you may just maintain it retracted and complete another rep.
Programming The High Row Machine
The back will definitely be exercised on one of those pulling days as the machine high row is a pulling exercise. Naturally, this relies on how your particularly program your workouts.
You are able to use the high row anyway you see suitable, once you have determined which training session it will be used for. Since it’s typical to utilize machine high rows for both small and heavy loads. They differ slightly from other types of machines. Put differently, it may be employed as a means of training your back for larger or stronger muscles.
One advantage of machines is their ease of unloading, which makes them perfect for specialty setups like drop sets. Additionally, if you exercise with a partner, using a machine for forced or aided repetitions is considerably simpler. This makes the high row machine an excellent choice. When paired, the machine high row is a fantastic way to exercise your back muscles. That too beyond the point of failure for the best possible hypertrophy.
However, strength training can be done on the machine’s rear row. The machine high row cable’s design enables a large weight to be pulled with less chance of joint damage. This is because of the machine’s excellent position and pulling motion. Nevertheless, there are strength-related advantages to the machine high row. Higher degrees of force can be produced by thrusting your body into the chest pad. This translates to greater strength and weight.
High Row Machine Muscles Worked
The machine high row cable is an excellent substitute for the T-bar row. Given that it works the same muscles that other back rows do. The primary distinction is in the way the muscles are moved, which has an impact on the percentage of muscle activation. These are the primary high row machine muscles worked, along with an explanation of how they operate.
Latissimus Dorsi
The main muscle that the machine high row cable targets is the latissimus dorsi. This muscle terminates beneath the shoulder blade and extends at an angle between the upper and lower backs. Every time you draw a weight in the direction of your body. Like when you pull a bar on a pulley or do a barbell or a machine high row with dumbbells. You get a little bit closer to having the desired V-shaped back with precisely defined lats.
Rhomboids
The rhomboid major and minor together make up the rhomboids, a collective group of muscles. The bearing capacity of the scapula and shoulder girdle as well as upper limb mobility are dependent on the rhomboids. The rhomboids come into action whenever your shoulder blades are pulled together. When doing out on a high row machine, bring the bar nearer the belly to work your rhomboids.
Trapezius Muscle
With upper, middle, and lower fibers, the trapezius muscle is a massive back muscle that starts at the base of the skull. It extends into the mid back and crosses the collar bones.
All three types of fiber can be targeted independently during physical activity. While upright rows or shrugs put strain on the higher fibers, the cable row highlights the middle and lower fibers. During a machine high pull, the trapezius muscle’s principal job is to retract the scapula and keep it in place. Your traps create a solid pulling basis, so the force won’t pull your shoulders forward.
Biceps
The brachialis and biceps brachii, the long and short heads of the biceps muscle. Both are readily discernible on the front of the upper arm. Positioned behind the biceps brachii is the brachialis. The purpose of both muscles is to decrease the angle between your forearm and humerus and to flex your elbow. Every time you draw the bar of the high row machine in toward your body, you do this biceps motion.
Spinal Erectors
The purpose of the spinal erectors, also known as the erector spinae, is to rotate and straighten the back. Strong and extending along the spinal column, the erector spine muscle group ends in the lower back. Working out on a cable row machine is exactly what activates this muscle group. Bending at the waist and moving your torso backward causes the erector spinae to stretch. Spinal stability is achieved by erector spinae extension.
What Are The Benefits Of High Cable Row?
Enhances Back Fitness
Your general back health can greatly benefit from back exercise. By strengthening the muscles in your back, you can prevent further back discomfort and injuries.
You truly cannot undervalue the advantages that a compound exercise like machine high rows may have. It is incredibly good for your general back health. Given that back discomfort is one of the most prevalent conditions among people. In addition, strengthening your back can help repair an existing injury. Or prevent one from occurring in the first place. Particularly if you emphasize modest weights and high repetitions rather than heavy weights and low reps.
The fact that the machine high row is a machine workout is among its most important advantages. It appears from this that the movement pattern will be established and stabilization will not be necessary. Thus, the only muscles worked in this exercise are your back muscles. And it implies that every single back muscle, including the lats, traps, and rhomboids, will receive an amazing workout. Since the weight is fixed, you can concentrate all your concentration on pulling with the back. Providing a more intensive workout for muscular development and strength.
Better Posture And Amazing For Rehab
By strengthening the upper back muscles, machine high rows serve to improve posture while also being extremely gentle on the lower back. Particularly when seated, machine high row almost completely eliminate lower back pain.
The fact that it’s a machine workout adds still another benefit. The high to low row machine is an excellent exercise to train around any discomfort. Given that it requires stability and can be performed while sitting. Additionally, it might be much safer to start training an elderly person. Specifically, when they are seated in order to reduce the possibility of balance problems.
Strengthens Your Arms And Grip
Machine high reps are an excellent way to strengthen your grip and tone your arm muscles. Particularly if you combine them with premium protein supplements. When executing the underhand variety of this exercise when the arms are parallel with the torso, the pulling action the row utilizes is on-par with a bicep curl. It is one of the most underappreciated bicep workouts in fitness, along with the chin-up.
Not Attainable With Free Weights
The high to low row machine is special because it allows for pulling at an angle that is not possible with free weights. Yes, you could put it up using a pulley system. But it wouldn’t be the same and you couldn’t utilize such large loads with it. This implies that the high machine row is the sole method for effectively training your back muscles. Including this special movement into your strength and hypertrophy training is crucial since variety is key to improving results.
Provides Both Unilateral And Bilateral Movements
Due to the separate arms used by most machines. Training regimens can benefit greatly from both unilateral and bilateral pulls. This enables a variety of movements for optimal outcomes. Use of alternate training patterns, such as rep bilateral, repetitions unilateral, can enhance the engagement of exercises. These training patterns offer distinct sensations. A broad range of motions is ensured for best outcomes in a program. Especially as a result of its flexibility, which permits a variety of movements.
Easy Setup
The disadvantage of barbells is that their setup might take a long time and leave plates stuck in the barbell. Moreover, clamps are needed to hold the weight in place unless desired otherwise. Either adding plates if the barbell is plate loaded, or by using a weight stack in place of the pin. The machine high row deals with these problems.
This is especially helpful following strenuous deadlifts and fatigue. The machine high row approach gets rid of these issues. Which either loads the barbell with plates or uses a weight stack to change the pin. This increases the convenience and efficiency of rowing, especially following strenuous deadlifts and fatigue.
Great for Beginners
It’s probable that you may find it difficult to complete free weight workouts like the barbell row with perfect technique if you are new to weightlifting. You may work the same muscles with the machine high row, which has the added advantage of being very simple to do. Due to this, machine high rows are a great choice for people who are just starting to strengthen back muscles.
High Row Machine Alternatives
Using a specifically built exercise machine, the high row machine exercise is a compound movement. It targets the upper back and shoulder muscular groups, causing tremendous stress and dynamic contraction. Due to problems with the workout itself or lack of access to a high row machine. Many exercisers look over to the high row machine alternatives, despite its safe and effective training potential.
Since the high to low row machine is not particularly special in any way. It is simple to replace it with other exercises and motions that can still meet the needs of the exerciser. Nevertheless, there aren’t many high row machine alternatives. It is difficult to replicate the machine high row’s movement pattern, especially when using large weights.
The most frequent reason for switching out the high row machine is when its precursor equipment is unavailable. But in other circumstances, it could be necessary to swap it out for a different row variant. That offers a different resistance distribution throughout the different back muscle groups. Moreover, because the upper row is less advantageous and machine-based. It could be necessary to substitute this type of training stimulus in a program, especially for athletes that require it. This is because it is less successful at recruiting stabilizer muscle groups.
In conclusion, the exerciser should select a different exercise that best fits their training objectives. Regardless of the rationale for their decision to substitute the high row machine in their program.
Kneeling High Machine Row Cable
The kneeling high cable row is the exercise that has the most comparable motion. To perform this exercise, situate the cable high and kneel on the ground a few feet away from the pulley. You can fairly accurately imitate the movement pattern at this point.
You will not be able to utilize the same level of heavy objects. Since you will not have the padding to support yourself. Additionally, in order to balance your body, you will be using your core muscles far more frequently. A research looked into kneeling lat pulldowns as an alternative to pull-ups. However, they were not exactly the same. They discovered that, with the exception of extremely high levels of core activation. The muscle activation was quite comparable to the pull-up. Their justification was the necessity for stabilization, which is probably comparable to the high cable row performed while kneeling.
The ability to employ numerous handles with the kneeling high cable row is one of its many amazing benefits. You may give him different grips, straight bars, ropes, and single handles, to name a few methods to vary his movement. Once more, the optimum use case for this machine high row substitute is as a workout for muscular building. Just because you won’t be using large weights.
High Row Barbell
The barbell high row is the free weight equivalent of the high row machine. Only the exerciser pulls a barbell from the floor towards their chest rather than an object from overhead. This is comparable to a regular barbell row, but because of the different resistance distribution. It applies to the shoulders and back, it is more like to a high row machine. This is because it trains the trapezius, posterior deltoid head, and rhomboids more than other row variations.
The barbell high row, on the other hand, works the stabilizer muscle groups in a way that the high row machine exercise does not. Requiring the exerciser to bend over while performing the exercise. This increases the amount of effort needed to complete the movement. Additionally, it lowers the overall number of cycles that are possible.
Dumbbell Rear Delt Row
You can practice the dumbbell rear delt row exercise at a lesser intensity than the high row machine activity. It works the same muscles in a different way, but it does it in a less intense way. The performer completes this exercise, much like previous forms of the free weight row. By bending at both knees and hips while pulling a pair of dumbbells in the direction of their chest. The only distinction is that the performer must draw the elbows in a rigid line behind the torso.
When done correctly, the dumbbell rear delt row should almost exactly mimic the muscle activation pattern. But with less resistance and intensity overall. For this reason, it can be used as an auxiliary or accessory exercise. Much like some types of high row machine exercises.
Face Pulls
The face pull is a traditional exercise for strengthening the posterior deltoid head. It involves gripping both ends of a pulley rope handle and pulling it towards the exerciser’s face. This exercise works the rhomboids, trapezius, biceps, and posterior deltoid head muscles to a moderate degree. If you want a lower intensity exercise that still has the advantages of a machine-based workout. But, lowers your risk of overtraining and issues associated with your shoulder joint. The face pull is a good substitute for the high row machine.
To ensure the application of an equivalent level of effort. It is important to increase the total volume of repetitions within the exercise. Especially when replacing the high row machine with the face pull.