10 Best Inverted Row Alternatives for Back and Lat Strength

The Inverted Row is done hanging. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Inverted Row With Straps, the Bodyweight Standing Row and London Bridges. A harder version, the Muscle-up (On Vertical Bar), is listed below as a progression rather than a swap.

The Inverted Row With Straps is the closest swap to the Inverted Row: you anchor the straps at chest height, walk your feet out until your body sits at an angle, then pull your chest to the handles the way you would pull to a bar. It keeps the same lean-back setup and moves the anchor point higher. If you want an easier way in, the Bodyweight Standing Row keeps the same pull but you stay upright instead of leaning back under the bar.

Inverted RowWatch the Inverted Row

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Inverted Row

The steps for the Inverted Row itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Lats, with biceps, forearms · Bodyweight · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Set up a bar at waist height or use a suspension trainer.
  2. Stand facing the bar or suspension trainer, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grab the bar or handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Lean back, keeping your body straight and your heels on the ground.
  5. Pull your chest towards the bar or handles, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  6. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Inverted Row Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Inverted Row on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

  1. Inverted Row Bent KneesPlay demonstration

    1. Inverted Row Bent Knees

    85% match

    Upper Back · Beginner · Compound

    A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the upper back rather than the lats.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Set up a bar at waist height and lie underneath it.
    2. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Position your body so that your heels are on the ground and your body is straight.
    4. Pull your chest up towards the bar by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your body back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: upper back, not lats
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Inverted Row
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Inverted Row
  2. Muscle-up (On Vertical Bar)Play demonstration

    Progression

    2. Muscle-up (On Vertical Bar)

    96% match

    Lats · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the lats.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Start by hanging from a vertical bar with your palms facing away from you and your arms fully extended.
    2. Engage your core and pull your body up towards the bar, leading with your chest.
    3. As you pull yourself up, lean back slightly and bring your elbows towards your sides.
    4. Continue pulling until your chest reaches the bar and your elbows are fully bent.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Inverted Row
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Inverted Row
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Inverted Row
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Inverted Row
  3. Inverted Row With StrapsPlay demonstration

    3. Inverted Row With Straps

    85% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with a neutral grip.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Set up a suspension trainer or straps at chest height.
    2. Stand facing the anchor point and grab the handles with an overhand grip.
    3. Walk your feet forward, leaning back until your body is at an angle.
    4. Keep your body straight and engage your core.
    5. Pull your chest towards the handles, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    6. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Inverted Row
    • Equipment: a suspension trainer, not bodyweight only
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Inverted Row
  5. Bodyweight Standing RowPlay demonstration

    5. Bodyweight Standing Row

    81% match

    Lats · Beginner · Compound

    Pick this when you want an easier version that still works the lats.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
    2. Grasp a bar or handles with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
    3. Keep your back straight and core engaged.
    4. Pull the bar or handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
    6. Slowly release and extend your arms back to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Inverted Row
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Inverted Row
    • Body position: standing, not hanging
  6. London Bridges

    6. London Bridges

    80% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    It still works the lats, through a different movement.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. Attach a climbing rope to a high beam or cross member. Below it, ensure that the smith machine bar is locked in place with the safeties and cannot move. Alternatively, a secure box could also be utilized.
    2. Stand on the bar, using the rope to balance yourself. This will be your starting position.
    3. Keeping your body straight, lean back and lower your body by slowly going hand over hand with the rope. Continue until you are perpendicular to the ground.
    4. Keeping your body straight, reverse the motion, going hand over hand back to the starting position.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Inverted Row
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as the Inverted Row
    • Body position: lying on your back, not hanging
  7. Suspended RowPlay demonstration

    7. Suspended Row

    79% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the lats.

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    1. Set up a suspension trainer at an appropriate height.
    2. Stand facing the anchor point with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    3. Hold the handles with an overhand grip, palms facing each other.
    4. Lean back, keeping your body straight and your heels on the ground.
    5. Pull your chest towards the handles, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    6. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Inverted Row
    • Equipment: a suspension trainer, not bodyweight only
    • Body position: hanging, the same as the Inverted Row

Why You Might Need an Inverted Row Alternative

A bar or suspension trainer is not always free, which is reason enough to look for a swap. Most Inverted Row swaps need only your bodyweight and something to pull on, so equipment rarely matters. The Muscle-up (On Vertical Bar) is the hard option: it starts from a dead hang and pulls your chest all the way up, so you lift your full weight instead of a fraction of it. The Bodyweight Standing Row works the same muscles, but you pull upright with bent knees instead of leaning back, which makes it the easiest starting point. The Inverted Row Bent Knees uses the same bar and grip, with the same chest-to-bar pull; bending your knees shortens the lever, making it the easier version.

How to Choose the Right Inverted Row Substitute

If you have straps, take the Inverted Row With Straps: the same lean-back row to the same muscles, with the anchor at chest height instead of waist height. Already find the Inverted Row easy? The Muscle-up (On Vertical Bar) starts from a dead hang and pulls your chest to the bar, so you carry your full weight through the pull. Just starting out, take the Bodyweight Standing Row: stand upright with knees slightly bent and pull the bar or handles to your body, instead of holding a straight-body lean. Prefer the same bar and grip? The Inverted Row Bent Knees keeps both, and the bent knees make the same row lighter. The Suspended Row is just as close: the same lean-back row on a suspension trainer, heels on the floor and chest to the handles, so almost nothing changes.

Inverted Row FAQ

Can I do the Inverted Row at home?

Yes, if you have a bar at waist height or a suspension trainer to hang from. The Inverted Row With Straps uses that same setup with the anchor at chest height, and the Suspended Row keeps the same equipment too. Neither needs a rack or a bench, just something sturdy to lean back against.

What is a good beginner-friendly alternative to the Inverted Row?

You stand upright with your knees slightly bent and pull the bar or handles to your body, so you are not holding a straight-body lean for the whole set. Once the standing version feels easy, move to the full Inverted Row.

How do I make the Inverted Row harder?

Try the Muscle-up (On Vertical Bar). You start from a dead hang on a high bar with your arms fully extended and pull until your chest reaches the bar, so you lift your full weight instead of leaning back with your heels on the floor. Take it on once the Inverted Row feels easy, not as a first attempt.

What if I don't have a bar or a suspension trainer?

The Inverted Row On Bench swaps either one for a sturdy bench: lie face up beneath it, grab the edge with an overhand grip, keep your heels on the ground and your arms fully extended, then pull your chest up to the bench. It works well when the only sturdy edge nearby is a table or a bench.

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Search the exercise database and filter the ranked substitutes by the equipment you own.