Liftworthy
ExploreTrainFeed
Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

Rankings
  • All rankings
  • Add an exercise
  • Build a workout
About
  • How scores work
  • The app
  • Your tiers
Legal
  • Privacy
  • Terms & community rules
General training information, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and see a professional.
  • Explore
  • Train
  • Feed
  • You
Explore/Back

Seal Row

BarbellCompoundEasy to learn
Front
Back
Primary Secondary

Works

Upper back & lats

Also traps, delts, biceps

You need

Barbell, Bench

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Squeeze
Main musclesAlso working
  1. 1Lie face down on a high bench
  2. 2Arms fully extended at the bottom
  3. 3Row the bar to the underside of the bench

Most common mistake

Bench too low, so the plates hit the floor before the stretch.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Keeps the work on the target muscle

Compare with

vs Chest-Supported Rowvs Machine Rowvs Machine High Row
A
For back
#11 of 40
See the full list →
Research
84
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 84
Target tensionExcellent
Loaded stretchStrong
ProgressionStrong
Low costStrong

Lying face down on a high bench removes momentum and lower-back strain, so the upper back does the pulling.

Research behind these criteria

  • Target tension: Zabaleta-Korta et al., 2021 · Kinoshita et al., 2023
  • Loaded stretch: Maeo et al., 2021 · Maeo et al., 2023 · Pedrosa et al., 2022 · Kassiano et al., 2023
  • Progression: Plotkin et al., 2022 · Pelland et al., 2026
  • Low cost: Schoenfeld et al., 2021 · Refalo et al., 2023
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SMachine RowMachine
  • SAssisted Pull-UpMachine
  • SLat PulldownCable
  • AMeadows RowBarbell

Takes

None yet
needed to post
280