Identify the machine
This guide is for a seated row machine with a pad in front of your chest and handles that move toward you. A cable row without a chest pad has a different setup. Ask gym staff which adjustments belong to your machine before selecting a load. Our first gym guide places a pulling movement within a broader session.
Fit the seat and pad
With the machine unloaded or set light, adjust the seat until the handles are roughly near shoulder level. Place your feet securely on the floor or intended foot pads and bring the chest pad into light contact with your chest. Sit upright without reaching by rounding your shoulders. The ACE selectorized row instructions describe this fit. Designs vary, so do not force a position the available settings cannot provide.
Pull without a backward swing
Hold the handles with wrists in line with your forearms. Draw your elbows back beside your body while your chest stays in contact with the pad. Breathe naturally and keep the head and torso quiet. Do not lean backward or jerk the handles to move a heavier load. The NASM machine row guide also emphasizes a controlled pull rather than momentum.
Return with control
Let the handles move away slowly until your arms extend comfortably, without dropping the weight or rounding forward to chase extra range. Begin with a load that lets you repeat this return. Stop a set if your chest lifts from the pad, your wrists bend sharply, or the motion becomes a swing. Pain or concerning symptoms are reasons to stop and seek individual advice when needed.
Choose a setup you can repeat
Record the machine, seat and pad settings and a few controlled repetitions. Machine settings and displayed loads are not interchangeable across models. If the pad or handles cannot fit comfortably, ask a trainer about another machine or the supported dumbbell row. The machines and free weights guide compares equipment choices. Fitonomy can help organize gym activity, but it cannot assess your form.
If you want to compare the chest pad with a low cable station, use this seated cable row setup to check foot support and torso position before choosing.
A row bends the elbows. The reverse fly setup explains a different opening path with a soft elbow bend.