Ring Row / Inverted Row
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds drills like this into your personalized off-ice program, week by week. Your first week is free.
How to Do It
Set rings or TRX straps at about waist height. Grip the handles, lean back with arms extended — heels on the floor. Body is in a straight line from heels to head — like a reverse plank. Pull the handles to your lower chest — elbows drive back and outward. Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top. Pause 1 second. Lower under control back to full arm extension.
Why It Works
The ring row (or TRX row) is the horizontal pull that builds back strength in athletes who cannot yet do pull-ups. By adjusting body angle, you can scale load from very easy (upright) to very hard (body parallel to the floor). For hockey players it builds the same lat/mid-back/bicep strength as the pull-up with lower absolute demand — making it the perfect gateway exercise to vertical pulling.
Hockey Transfer
Bodyweight horizontal pull — builds the back strength needed before vertical pulling. Rings are the most underutilized tool for shoulder-friendly pulling work. Use them.
Coaching Cues
- "Set bar/rings at hip height"
- "Body straight"
- "Pull chest to bar"
- "Pause 1 sec"
- "Lower controlled"
Common Mistakes
Hips sagging — rigid body line throughout. Squeeze glutes. Pulling to the belly instead of the lower chest. Too upright (easy) — walk the feet forward to increase the angle and load. Shrugging the traps instead of retracting the shoulder blades.
Progression / Regression
Feet elevated ring row (body below horizontal) — approaches the difficulty of a pull-up.
More upright body angle — walk feet back until the movement is achievable with good form.
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Strength/neural
Put it to work
on the ice.
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds exercises like this into a personalized off-ice program — created by a sport scientist and former national-team coach. Your first week is free.
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