Why you should do these exercises with chest support

A really good example is the difference between doing a barbell bent over rows and using a chest-supported rowing machine or doing an incline bench chest-supported dumbbell row. Both exercises work the lats, the traps, and the rhomboids but the bent over row challenges the core way more as it tries to stabilise the lower back. There is a higher chance of swinging as well, leading to poor form. The advantages are that it teaches one to hip-hinge properly and there is a positive carry-over effect to doing deadlifts.

This is where knowing why you’re doing the exercise helps. If the goal is to target the upper back’s size and strength, then you’re better off doing chest-supported rows. If the goal is grip strength and getting better with barbell work like cleans and deadlifts, then bent-over rows even with lighter weights will help.

“If you want to develop a more defined, muscular back, the chest-supported row lets you target your lats, rhomboids, and traps without your lower back and core being a limiting factor. From there, you can tailor the exercise to support your physique goals by going heavier, altering the tempo, changing the incline angle, or experimenting with different set and rep ranges. Either way, the chest-supported row stands out as an obvious choice if you want to isolate certain muscles on back day,” says a breakingmuscle.com article titled Chest-Supported Row vs. Bent-Over Row: Which Variation is Best for Building a Bigger Back?

Larger gyms will have a machine which allows you to use a narrow grip on a large weight rack and there is usually a seated chest-support row machine as well. The bench can be an easy replacement for these. The other exercise which I feel is better than the standing hinged version are reverse flys. These can be done in a sitting position on a pec-deck machine, by clicking the two handles to their narrowest point and sitting on the seat facing the support. It’s the exact reverse position compared to chest flys.

Letting the chest fall forward means the isolation for the rear delts when you do the reverse fly, unlike any other exercise. So much so that it’s important to not contract it too much. This teaches the shoulders to be stable while the rear delt is getting worked. “Your rear deltoids are a small pair of muscles with limited tensile capacity; as such, it’s all too easy to let larger muscles like the traps or lats take over during the movement. This is doubly true if you’re not used to the feeling of proper upper back activation. When you first implement the reverse pec deck, start out lighter than you think you need to and really focus on finding the connection with the muscle you’re trying to work,” says a detailedbarbend.com piece on reverse flys.

Make sure you don’t sit too low on the machine and one way to determine this is to make sure your arms are parallel to the floor when you’re at the top of the exercise.

Lastly, the YTW. One of the most used rehabilitation exercises is best done with light weights and a bench. While the chest-support is not compulsory, and having done this as a warm-up for many years, it is still something that makes the exercise easier to do. It also helps isolate the rotator cuffs, the traps and the scapula, which is what this exercise is meant to do. There are many ways to do this move – attach two bands at just above head level to something and pull back; stand and use a single long band; or hinge at the hip with dumbbells in both hands.