What equipment do you need for the machine chest supported row?

You need machine to do the machine chest supported row.

What is a good machine chest supported row?

For men, a good machine chest supported row is about a 250 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 110 lb and elite lifters pass 417.5 lb. For women, the standards run from about 45 lb to 235 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Back · Row Machine

Machine Chest Supported Row

How to do the machine chest supported row, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Row Machine
Difficulty: Beginner
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Horizontal Row
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Back exercises Machine exercises

How to do it

Adjust the chest pad and seat so your torso is supported. Grab the handles and row them toward your lower ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower slowly and keep your chest on the pad.

1Mid-back and lats working as you drive elbows back
2Chest stays on the pad with a strong squeeze at the top
3Smooth, controlled return through the full range

Common mistakes

Avoid lifting your chest off the pad or rocking your torso
Do not shrug your shoulders or crank your neck forward
Avoid bouncing the weight stack

Muscles worked

The machine chest supported row mainly works the lats and mid traps, with the biceps, forearms, and rear delts assisting.

LatsPrimary
Mid TrapsPrimary
BicepsSupport
ForearmsSupport
Rear DeltsSupport
Lower BackMinor
Upper TrapsMinor
Lower TrapsMinor
Upper AbsMinor

Machine Chest Supported Row strength standards

See how your machine chest supported row ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM110 lb
Silvere1RM172.5 lb
Golde1RM250 lb
Platinume1RM330 lb
Diamonde1RM377.5 lb
Champione1RM417.5 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Weight (lb)Reps

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the machine chest supported row for you and tracks it every session.

We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.

Get Kovo free Estimate your 1RM

More back exercises

See all back exercises →

Last reviewed April 2026.