Seated Cable Row
Muscles worked
Instructions
- 1For this exercise you will need access to a low pulley row machine with a V-bar. Note: The V-bar will enable you to have a neutral grip where the palms of your hands face each other. To get into the starting position, first sit down on the machine and place your feet on the front platform or crossbar provided making sure that your knees are slightly bent and not locked.
- 2Lean over as you keep the natural alignment of your back and grab the V-bar handles.
- 3With your arms extended pull back until your torso is at a 90-degree angle from your legs. Your back should be slightly arched and your chest should be sticking out. You should be feeling a nice stretch on your lats as you hold the bar in front of you. This is the starting position of the exercise.
- 4Keeping the torso stationary, pull the handles back towards your torso while keeping the arms close to it until you touch the abdominals. Breathe out as you perform that movement. At that point you should be squeezing your back muscles hard. Hold that contraction for a second and slowly go back to the original position while breathing in.
- 5Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
About Seated Cable Row
The seated cable row is done sitting, pulling a handle toward the abdomen against the cable's resistance, torso upright and legs slightly bent. The constant tension recruits the mid-back, the lats and the biceps, making it a key exercise for building back thickness and improving posture. Pull the elbows back while squeezing the shoulder blades, chest open, without shrugging or using back momentum. A slight sway is tolerable to start the load, but the exercise must stay controlled and centred on the back contraction, not turn into a whole-body movement.
check_circleBenefits
- check_circleBuilds back thickness and the rhomboids
- check_circleConstant cable tension throughout the range
- check_circleImproves posture by strengthening the mid-back
lightbulbExecution tips
- lightbulbKeep the torso upright and back braced, without swinging
- lightbulbPull the handle to the navel by driving the elbows back
- lightbulbSqueeze the shoulder blades at the end of the pull
- lightbulbLet the arms stretch forward without rounding the back
warningCommon mistakes
- warningRocking back and forth to swing the weight
- warningRounding the back during the stretch phase
- warningPulling too high toward the chest instead of the abdomen
- warningShrugging the shoulders instead of driving the elbows back
helpFrequently asked questions
Which handle should I use for the seated cable row?expand_more
A V-handle (close neutral grip) targets thickness, while a wide pronated bar recruits more of the upper back.
Should I lean back during the row?expand_more
A slight lean at the end of the pull is fine, but avoid swinging, which shifts the effort from the back to the lower spine.
Should I pull toward the abdomen or the chest?expand_more
Toward the navel or lower ribs, elbows along the body: you target the mid-back and lats. Higher toward the chest, elbows flared, you recruit the upper back and rear shoulders more.
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