The Pulse Row targets your upper back and arms while improving your rowing technique.

  1. Begin seated with your feet flat on the ground and knees bent.
  2. Hold the handles with an overhand grip, arms extended in front of you.
  3. Pull the handles towards your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  4. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Pulse Row

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Pulse Row using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your trapezius.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your trapezius rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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