WhatWorksWhat.
Rhomboids

Inverted Row

Mid-back squeeze every rep. Easier than a pull-up, equally productive for the rhomboids.

Complexity · Lowcalisthenicsbeginner+BarbellSquat rack
  • Biceps
  • Lats
  • Rear delts
  • Rhomboids
  • Rhomboids - Rhomboids
  • Traps
  • Rhomboids

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Rhomboids

    Hit

    Squeeze the blades together.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

4:44· Zack Henderson

Inverted Rows (Beginner to Advanced Progressions)

Bottom (extended)

Top (squeezed)

Bar set at hip height in a rack. Lie under it, grab with shoulder-width grip. Body straight, heels on the floor. Pull the chest up to the bar, squeeze blades, lower.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips sag - must stay in a plank.
  • Pulling with the biceps - drive the elbows back.

Where you should feel it

Mid-back squeeze every rep. Easier than a pull-up, equally productive for the rhomboids.

Injury risk · 1/10

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains rhomboids. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • Feet-elevated inverted row

    Feet on a bench.

    100% on target

    On target

    More body weight, harder.

  • Ring row

    Gymnastic rings.

    100% on target

    On target

    Adds stability cost.

  • Weighted inverted row

    Plate on the chest.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Lat Hang

    Dead hang from a bar, fully relaxed shoulders. 30–60s. Decompresses everything pulling-related.

    LatsRhomboids

  • Child's Pose

    Knees wide, big toes together. Sit hips back to the heels, arms long overhead, forehead to the floor. 60s. Walk the hands one direction to bias one side.

    LatsLower backRhomboids

  • Downward Dog

    Hands and feet on the floor, hips in the air making an inverted V. Press the heels toward the floor. Pedal the heels alternately for a stronger calf stretch. 45s.

    CalvesHamstringsLatsFront delts