Sub for Rows and Pull Downs

I’m doing an upper body routine that use says that I should I do Seated Rows and Lat Pulldowns. Unfortunately, the gym I have a memebership at doesn’t have neither, and I usually go to the Y, but money is a little tight.

I’m wondering if doing the T-Bar for Seated Rows, and the assisted Pull Up machine for the Lat Pulldown would be good substitutes.

t-bar is pretty similar to seated rows and the pullups are better than the pull-downs, so you’re good there.


If you have a pull-up bar, you can do sternum chins. They are very hard for most people, but they are a great exercise.

According to Vince Gironda, most people chin incorrectly. He says that a proper chin/pull-up is when you arch back, keep your elbows close to your sides and pull all the way up and touch your chest to the bar (preferably at the nipple). This would be a sternum chin or subscapular chin and will give you a tremendous lat workout.

In addition to chins and t-bar rows, you can perform dumbbell rows. This is Poliquin’s recommendation:

“One problem with the barbell row is that it’s really hard for people to just use the lats and elbow flexors. They always unconsciously start to drive with the quads and use their glutes and lower back. The second thing is that the bar either hits your gut or your chest, which restricts your range of motion. The better way to do it is to just use the one-arm dumbbell row.”

Thanks for the advice so far guys. THe program also calls for prone grip seated rows as well. Should I use one arm db rows for a substitution?

That should work just fine.

Thanks for the advice guys. I’m following Ian King’s 1st Limpng Series and 12 weeks for Super Strength as a 4 day Upper/Lower Split if any of you guys are wondering what exact program I;m doing. I’m begining Phase II this Monday for both programs.