Dwayne Johnson is larger than life. So profoundly dedicated to his workouts is “The Rock” that he’s known for hauling a fully furnished and functional weight room — called Johnson’s Iron Paradise — to exotic locales while he shoots movies.
- One of Johnson’s go-to back exercises is the dumbbell seal row, a simple but extremely effective muscle-builder.
We’re going to break down how to do one of The Rock’s mainstay back exercises so you can build a heroic back of your own.
Dwayne Johnson & the Seal Row
Johnson is never not working — it’s part of his brand. “7 a.m., puttin’ in work before goin’ to work,” wrote Johnson on Oct. 17, 2024. His next film, a holiday action-comedy called Red One, hits theaters in November.
He hauled a pair of 80-pound dumbbells over to an adjustable weight bench, straddled it, and started rowing. Lucky for us, Johnson also included some pro tips for mastering the seal row:
Most importantly, Johnson offered a valuable tidbit of training advice that applies to just about every exercise you perform. “[Get] a deep, fully controlled stretch,” he advised. What’s the big deal here? A growing body of scientific research indicates that applying tension to a muscle while it is stretched out could enhance hypertrophy. (1)(2)
How To Do the Seal Row Like Dwayne Johnson
The seal row (also known as a chest-supported row) is a row variation that works all the major muscles in your upper back, including your lats, traps, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids. It also limits pressure to your lower back, making it both time-efficient and safe to perform while you’re, say, doing stunts on the set of a blockbuster film.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing the seal row just like Johnson. For this exercise you’ll need dumbbells, an adjustable weight bench, and if you like, a pair of lifting straps.
- Rest your chest on a weight bench and allow your arms to hang down underneath your shoulders.
- If your bench is high enough that your hands don’t touch the floor, you’re good to go. However, you may need to incline the bench to create extra room.
- Plant your feet firmly on the ground and push your chest into the bench pad slightly.
- Row the weights by drawing your elbows up and back, while keeping your upper arms tucked to your sides.
- Once your elbows are aligned with or slightly behind your torso, pause and squeeze your back muscles hard before lowering the weights down.
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References
- Pedrosa GF, Lima FV, Schoenfeld BJ, Lacerda LT, Simões MG, Pereira MR, Diniz RCR, Chagas MH. Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. Eur J Sport Sci. 2022 Aug;22(8):1250-1260. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2021.1927199. Epub 2021 May 23. PMID: 33977835.
- McMahon G, Morse CI, Burden A, Winwood K, Onambélé GL. Muscular adaptations and insulin-like growth factor-1 responses to resistance training are stretch-mediated. Muscle Nerve. 2014 Jan;49(1):108-19. doi: 10.1002/mus.23884. PMID: 23625461.
Featured Image: @therock / Instagram
