Horizontal Pull Exercises

Here I break down what a horizontal pull exercise is, what makes the best horizontal pull exercise and what you should choose.

What is a Horizontal pull exercise?

A pull exercise is a movement that pulls weight To you. You are bringing something closer to you.

So a Push up would be Pushing yourself away from the ground, pushing something further away.

The “horizontal” element would be the direction in which the item you are bringing closer to you, from the chest perspective. So a vertical movement would be to your chin (chin-up), horizontal would be forward, pulling a weight closer to your chest (inverted row).

Examples of Horizontal pull exercises

  • “” row
  • Deadlift

“” Row

To use an inverted row as an example, these exercises are great for form. If you want to practice or strengthen the movement when you try to pull you shoulder blades together, try these.

Then, when that becomes comfortable, consider doing Pull-ups or something more difficult.

Alex Leonidas has a great video regarding inverted rows (I linked it below) But if you are starting out, ask your local gym trainer or professional to make sure you do the exercise correctly.

There are many type of rows. Dumbbell rows are a popular one, A personal favourite too. For a complete list, scroll at the bottom.

Deadlift

One of the best compound movements you can do. It is debated to be considered a Leg horizontal pull, given the bar original position relative to you.

Famously Eddie Hall broke the deadlift record (which certainly propelled his popularity) to 500kg.

How to perform a correct deadlift again depends on your body structure, and what you are comfortable with. do you need to have a wide stance? what’s the depth you can perform? these are things you need to learn from lifting very light to begin with, or better yet with a professional that can watch you.

The Deadlift is a exercise (much like most compound lifts) that can do serious harm if not done properly.

The best horizontal pull exercises for anyone

It depends on YOU

Factor in the following.

  • Height
  • weight
  • duration of training
  • goals
  • Age
  • Flexibility

If you are taller, the weight distance travelled would mean the load is heavier than somebody shorter. Then factor in how long your legs are, and the stance in which you are comfortable. If you are older, the room for error is greater than somebody younger (although the positive impact is so much greater, but that’s for another topic) so take extra care with your form.

I would advise trial and error. identify your weaknesses and figure out the best exercise for that. If you don’t know what exercise, try all of them if you can. Leave your ego/fear out of it. But as I keep repeating myself, go light to start off with.

List of Horizontal pull exercises

There is a lot. Here are some…

As mentioned earlier, they all do variations of the same thing. The trick is to find what yields the best results for you: trial and error.

  1. Barbell Bent-Over Row
  2. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
  3. T-Bar Row
  4. Seated Cable Row
  5. Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
  6. Inverted Row (also known as Bodyweight Row or Australian Pull-Up)
  7. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
  8. Smith Machine Row
  9. Meadows Row
  10. Kettlebell Renegade Row
  11. Batwing Row
  12. Face Pulls (can be performed with a cable machine or resistance bands)
  13. Band Pull-Aparts
  14. Cable Face Pull
  15. Renegade Row
  16. Lawnmower Row
  17. One-Arm Barbell Row
  18. Sled Pull Row
  19. Rope Row
  20. Trap Bar Row
  21. Reverse Grip Bent-Over Row
  22. Smith Machine Bent-Over Row
  23. Seal Row
  24. Landmine Row
  25. Swiss Ball Dumbbell Row
  26. Prone Dumbbell Row
  27. Renegade Dumbbell Row
  28. Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
  29. Dumbbell Renegade Row with Push-Up
  30. Cable Low Row
  31. Kettlebell Row
  32. Plyo Dumbbell Row
  33. Single-Arm Cable Row
  34. Suspended Row (using TRX or suspension straps)
  35. Plate-Loaded Row Machine
  36. Bent-Over Row with Resistance Band
  37. Supine Cable Row
  38. Sling Shot Row
  39. Rope Low Row
  40. Landmine Single-Arm Row
  41. Angled Grip T-Bar Row
  42. Angled Cable Row
  43. Kneeling Resistance Band Row
  44. Standing Resistance Band Row
  45. Bent-Over Row Machine
  46. Lying Cable Row
  47. 45-Degree Incline Dumbbell Row
  48. Suspension Trainer Face Pull
  49. Renegade Kettlebell Row
  50. Landmine Bent-Over Row
  51. Bent-Over Dumbbell Row on Stability Ball
  52. Cable Wide Grip Seated Row
  53. Kneeling Landmine Row
  54. Prone Incline Dumbbell Row
  55. Barbell Row to Chest
  56. Sled Low Row
  57. Barbell Reverse-Grip Bent-Over Row
  58. TRX Inverted Row
  59. Landmine T-Bar Row
  60. Single-Arm Landmine Row
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