Seal Row
Rows lying face-down on a raised bench. Maximal back isolation. It works mainly the lats, trapezius and rear deltoid, with help from the biceps, forearm flexors and rotator cuff.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 1.1× bodyweight (87.5 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 0.75× (45 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Seal Row
- Lie face down on a raised bench with the bar on the floor below you and take it with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders.
- Pull the bar up until it touches the underside of the bench, driving the elbows back and squeezing the shoulder blades.
- The chest stays glued to the bench the whole time, so there is no way to cheat with the back.
- Lower with control to straight arms and let the shoulders stretch forward before the next rep.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Lats | Latissimus dorsi |
| Primary | Trapezius | Trapezius |
| Primary | Rear deltoid | Deltoideus posterior |
| Secondary | Biceps | Biceps brachii |
| Secondary | Forearm flexors | Flexores antebrachii |
| Secondary | Rotator cuff | Musculi rotatores humeri |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Mid-back thickness with a stable torso
- Scapular retraction you can actually feel
- Keeps the lower back out of it
Strength standards for Seal Row
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 0.7× | 0.5× | 55 kg | 30 kg |
| Gold | 1.1× | 0.75× | 87.5 kg | 45 kg |
| Platinum | 1.45× | 1× | 115 kg | 60 kg |
| Diamond | 1.8× | 1.25× | 145 kg | 75 kg |
| Obsidian | 2.25× | 1.6× | 180 kg | 95 kg |
| Painite | 2.7× | 1.9× | 215 kg | 115 kg |
| Antimatter | 3.6× | 2.5× | 287.5 kg | 150 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Seal Row, estimates your one-rep max with the Brzycki formula (reps are capped at 12) and divides it by the bodyweight in your profile, so you never have to test a true max. Women’s limits are 30 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Seal Row work?
It works mainly the lats, trapezius and rear deltoid, with help from the biceps, forearm flexors and rotator cuff.
How do you do Seal Row?
Lie face down on a raised bench with the bar on the floor below you and take it with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders. Pull the bar up until it touches the underside of the bench, driving the elbows back and squeezing the shoulder blades. The chest stays glued to the bench the whole time, so there is no way to cheat with the back. Lower with control to straight arms and let the shoulders stretch forward before the next rep.
What is a good Seal Row for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 1.1× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 0.75× for women, Diamond at 1.8× and 1.25×. For an 80 kg man that is a 87.5 kg and a 145 kg one-rep max.
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