Back · Resistance bands

Band Close Grip Row

The band close grip row is a seated horizontal pulling exercise that strengthens the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, middle trapezius, and biceps. It serves as an accessible upper-body pulling movement for home workouts or as a high-rep accessory movement on back days.

Muscles: Back, Biceps
Equipment: Resistance bands
Type: Strength
Animation: Men and women

How to do it

Sit on the floor with your legs extended and loop the middle of the band around the soles of your feet.
Take a handle in each hand with your palms facing each other, arms extended and hands close together.
Sit tall with your back straight and your core braced.
Inhale. As you exhale, pull the handles toward your waist, keeping your elbows close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Inhale and slowly extend your arms back to the starting position.

Common mistakes

Rounding the lower back places unnecessary stress on the lumbar spine and reduces back engagement.
Flaring the elbows outward shifts the tension away from the lats and onto the rear deltoids.
Leaning back to jerk the band uses momentum rather than muscle contraction to complete the pull.
Allowing the band to snap the arms forward cuts out the eccentric phase and risks joint strain.

Tips

Initiate the movement by retracting the shoulder blades before bending the elbows.
Hold the contraction at your torso for a full second to fight the band's peak resistance.
Slightly bend your knees if tight hamstrings make it hard to sit upright with a flat back.

Sets and reps

Perform 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps with 45 to 60 seconds of rest between sets. High-rep sets with controlled eccentrics work best to match the escalating resistance curve of the band.

Muscles worked

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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On a computer? Point your phone's camera here to get the app.

Questions

Can the band close grip row replace the seated cable row?

Yes, it trains the same muscle groups through the same movement pattern, making it an effective alternative when gym cables are unavailable.

How can you increase resistance if the band feels too loose?

Grip the band further down toward your feet to shorten its working length, or switch to a thicker, higher-tension resistance band.

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