How many reps of the cable squat to row should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Use a light to moderate weight for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 continuous reps, and own a bodyweight squat to full depth before adding cable resistance.

What can you do instead of the cable squat to row if you don't have a cable machine?

A resistance band anchored at chest height trains the identical squat-into-row combination without a cable machine. With no equipment at all, alternating a bodyweight squat with a bent-over reach-and-pull rehearses the same sequencing.

What is the cable squat to row good for, and when should you skip it?

It is a time-efficient full-body or conditioning choice that works well as a metabolic finisher. Skip it if you're chasing maximum squat or row strength separately, since blending the two limits how heavy either half can go, or as a first squat pattern for someone who hasn't yet learned to squat to depth unloaded.

Intermediate

Cable Squat to Row

This move stitches a squat and a row into one flowing rep: you sink into the squat with the arms extended, then stand and pull the handle to your ribs as you reach the top. It teaches the legs, back, and grip to work together and keeps the heart rate up, making it a time-efficient full-body or conditioning choice. Program it as a metabolic finisher or a beginner-friendly full-body builder.

Equipment: Cables
Body part: Back, Quads
Type: Functional, Strength
Browse by muscle: Latissimus Dorsi, Gluteus Maximus
Browse by movement: Horizontal Pull, Squat

How to do it

1
Set a handle at about chest height and stand facing the machine, holding it with both hands.
2
Step back to load the cable, feet shoulder-width, arms extended toward the pulley.
3
Sit back into a squat while keeping your arms reaching forward and your chest up.
4
Drive through your heels to stand, and as you rise, row the handle to your lower ribs.
5
Extend the arms as you sink into the next squat, keeping the movement continuous for reps.

Tips

Time the row to finish exactly as you reach full standing so the whole body works as one.
Keep your chest tall out of the bottom instead of letting the cable pull you forward.
Let the cable tension help you sit back into a clean squat depth.

Variations

Common mistakes

As the set drags on, squat depth shrinks rep after rep, turning what started as a full squat-to-row into a shallow quarter-squat by the end.
Both shoulders shrug up toward the ears during the row instead of the elbows driving back, trading upper-back work for neck tension.
The feet stay narrower than shoulder-width, which limits squat depth and makes the cable's forward pull harder to resist at the bottom.
The upper back rounds forward at the bottom of the squat under a load heavier than the position can support with a tall chest.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the cable squat to row should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Use a light to moderate weight for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 continuous reps, and own a bodyweight squat to full depth before adding cable resistance.
What can you do instead of the cable squat to row if you don't have a cable machine?: A resistance band anchored at chest height trains the identical squat-into-row combination without a cable machine. With no equipment at all, alternating a bodyweight squat with a bent-over reach-and-pull rehearses the same sequencing.
What is the cable squat to row good for, and when should you skip it?: It is a time-efficient full-body or conditioning choice that works well as a metabolic finisher. Skip it if you're chasing maximum squat or row strength separately, since blending the two limits how heavy either half can go, or as a first squat pattern for someone who hasn't yet learned to squat to depth unloaded.

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