Hey, what's up guys?
Sean Nalewanyj here, Seannal.com, BodyTransformationTruth.com, and today, I want to show you an awesome free
weight rowing variation that I recently started adding into my back workouts and that I’m
really liking.
And that exercise is called, “The Seal Row,” where you’ll basically be laying facedown
with your entire body pinned against a flat bench that’s been elevated off the ground
slightly.
And then hanging your arms off the sides of the bench and rowing a barbell or dumbbells
up towards yourself.
Now, the three main benefits of this exercise are that it takes your lower back out of the
equation, so that you can place 100% of your focus on activating your lats and your mid
back muscles, rather than having your lower back and your legs come into play.
And it’s also a really good way to reduce lower back fatigue if you’re performing
big compound lifts frequently throughout the week like squats and dead lifts.
Also, if you experience lower back pain or discomfort during regular bent over free weight
rows where your chest isn’t supported, then this is obviously another area where the seal
row will benefit you.
The seal row also prevents the use of excessive momentum and cheating, because since your
entire body is pinned against the bench, you’re not able to heave the weight up like you can
on other standard free weight rowing variations.
And lastly, having your chin pressed against the bench helps to maintain a neutral neck
position throughout the exercise, which is the way that all rowing exercises should ideally
be performed.
So, the execution of this is really simple like you just saw.
You’re just going to lay across the bench and row the weight up towards yourself.
And if you want to put more of the emphasis on your lats, then you’ll want to use a
narrower grip and pull more towards your waist.
And if you want to target your upper back and rear dealts a little bit more, then you
can use an over hand grip and pull more towards your chest.
Now, the only real challenge with the seal row is sometimes getting the initial set up
in place.
There are a lot of different ways that you can do this.
But basically, you’re goal is just to get a bench parallel to the floor and to have
it high enough off the ground, so that you can fully extend the weight below you.
So, you can either use a decline bench and prop up one end on a box, or some other type
of platform or you can just use a flat bench like you saw in the video and prop up both
ends.
Or if you can find some other creative way to do them safely, then that’s also fine
too.
The seal row can be done using a barbell or dumbbells, either one is effective.
But I personally prefer the dumbbell seal row, because it lets you work isolaterally
to prevent strength imbalances.
And it also helps you retract your scapula more effectively.
And that’s going to give you a better contraction in your lats.
The seal row does look pretty easy, but you’ll probably end up having to use a much lighter
weight than you think when you first get started.
Definitely don’t try to go overboard on weight here.
Just start out modestly and really focus on squeezing and contracting the muscles of your
back as best you can.
And then gradually increase the weight once you have the proper form nail down.
And as with all rowing exercises for the back, always think about driving the weight back
using your elbows, rather than just yanking the weight up with your hands.
And make sure to retract your shoulder blades as you row the weight up.
So, give the seal row a try and let me know what you think.
Thanks for watching this video.
I hope you found this tips helpful.
For more useful training nutrition and supplementation advice to maximize your muscle building and
your fat burning progress, you can check out my complete body transformation blueprint
system over at BodyTransformationTruth.com by clicking here or using the link in the
description box.
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And you can also check out my official blog over at Seannal.com for all of my latest articles,
tips and other updates.
Talk to you again soon.