Modified Inverted Row
1. Grasp the sides of a sturdy table, keeping the knees bent at about 90-135 degrees and heels planted firmly on the ground. It’s a good idea to perform this exercise over a forgiving surface such as soft carpeting.
2. Keeping the body in a straight line from the knees to the shoulders, pull your body up until your chest meets the table.
3. Lower your body to starting position under control.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Latissimus dorsi, brachialis, posterior deltoid
Secondary: Trapezius, rhomboids, biceps brachii
Exercise Notes The inverted row is a staple upper-body pulling movement using body weight. If you don’t have access to a standard exercise bar or suspension system, it can be performed several ways. First, if you have a table that is the right width and doesn’t have anything blocking your path, you can use a table by holding on to the sides. Second, if you have a sturdy broomstick, you can suspend it between two chairs and use it as a rowing bar. Third, you can use the edges of two chairs by positioning the arms close to the end of the chairs and wrapping the hands over the top in a neutral position. Make sure you keep the chest up and use a full range of motion on these. When you gain proficiency, you can elevate your feet on a chair to increase the exercise’s difficulty. The steeper the angle, the easier the exercise. The most challenging angle of performance is achieved when the body is parallel to the ground.
TRX alternative >>
Side-to-Side Inverted Row
Execution
1. Begin suspended in a stretched position with the body in a straight line and the core tight with legs straight, heels against the ground, and palms facing forward.
2. Raise the body to one side.
3. Lower the body to the starting position and repeat, alternating sides.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Latissimus dorsi, brachialis, posterior deltoid
Secondary: Trapezius, rhomboids, biceps brachii
Exercise Notes The side-to-side inverted row is an advanced movement, and just like the side-to-side pullup, it places about 70 percent of the load on the side you’re working and 30 percent of the load on the other side. This makes for a much more challenging exercise for the lats and scapular muscles. Rowing strength is critical for long-term shoulder health, so don’t underestimate its importance. Although they’re not as sexy as pull-ups, they’re every bit as important for scapular stability and shoulder health.
Scapular Shrug
Execution
1. Position your body between two couches, chairs, or weight benches with the feet on the floor, the hips extended in line with the shoulders, and the backs of the upper arms resting on the platform at about 45-degree angles relative to the torso.
2. Dig your elbows into the platform and squeeze your shoulder blades together. This will cause your chest to rise in a short range of motion.
3. Lower the body to starting position under control and repeat.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoid
Secondary: Latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius), erector spinae (spinalis, longissimus, iliocostalis), hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus)
Exercise Notes
During this exercise you hold your body in a bridging motion while suspended between two chairs. By digging your elbows into the chairs and squeezing the scapulae together you’ll perform a short-range movement that targets the scapula retractors. Keep the chest up and the hips high, and control the movement on the way down.
Towel Face Pull
Execution
1. Hold on to the ends of a towel that is looped around a pole and lean back with the towel supporting your weight in a stretched position.
2. Keeping your chest up, your core tight, and your body in a straight line, pull your hands toward your ears while squeezing the scapulae together.
3. Lower to the starting position.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoid
Secondary: Latissimus dorsi, brachialis, biceps brachii
Exercise Notes The towel face pull is an excellent exercise to perform from time to time to develop scapular stability and shoulder health. It works the scapular muscles slightly differently than rowing movements and provides variety. You won’t be able to perform towel face pulls from the same angle that you perform inverted rows because you won’t be quite as strong in this movement pattern and will therefore require a steeper body angle. Keep the chest up and use a full range of motion. This exercise doesn’t require much of an angle to challenge the muscles if you keep the body tight and squeeze the scapula together at the end range.
Side-to-Side Pull-Up
Execution
1. Hang from a chin-up bar or rafter with the hands pronated and slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. The knees can bend slightly or remain relatively straight.
2. Keeping the chest up and the core tight, pull the body up toward one side until the chin is over the rafter.
3. Lower to starting position and repeat, alternating from side to side.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Latissimus dorsi, brachialis, rectus abdominis
Secondary: Trapezius, rhomboids, biceps brachii, external oblique, internal oblique
Exercise Notes The side-to-side pull-up is an advanced movement that places about 70 percent of the load on the side you’re working and 30 percent of the load on the other side. This makes for a more challenging exercise for the lats and other pulling muscles. Keep the core in a neutral position. It will want to contort itself, either hyperextending at the lumbar spine or flexing at the hips. Think of the chin-up as a moving plank (it’s good to think this way about push-ups, too) and keep a straight line from the shoulders to the knees throughout the movement.
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