Core · Bodyweight
Seated Kayak Row with a Towel on a Padded Stool
How to do the seated kayak row with a towel on a padded stool, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Rotation
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Sit on a padded stool holding a towel taut between both hands in front of you. Pull one hand back toward your hip while the other reaches forward, then reverse, mimicking a kayak paddle stroke so your torso rotates and your obliques work side to side.
- 1Obliques rotating the torso with each paddle stroke
- 2Back muscles pulling on the side that drives back
- 3Towel staying tight as the hands trade places
Common mistakes
- Letting the arms do all the work without rotating the trunk
- Rounding or collapsing the lower back
- Swinging fast and losing control of the towel
Muscles worked
The seated kayak row with a towel on a padded stool mainly works the obliques, with the lats, lower abs, forearms, mid traps, upper abs, and rear delts assisting.
- ObliquesPrimary
- LatsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- BicepsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the seated kayak row with a towel on a padded stool 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.
More abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.