Seated Cable Row
Constant cable tension makes this one of the most beginner-friendly and productive back builders around. Using a close neutral-grip handle, you pull to the abdomen to hammer the lats and mid-traps through a long, smooth range. It's a session workhorse: easy to load progressively, gentle on the lower back, and forgiving to learn.
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius Middle
- Browse by movement
- Horizontal Pull
- Target
- Latissimus Dorsi, Trapezius Middle
- Secondary
- Trapezius Lower, Deltoid Posterior, Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head, Brachioradialis
- Tertiary
- Erector Spinae, Infraspinatus
How to do it
- 1
Sit facing the machine, place your feet on the platform, and grab the close neutral-grip handle.
- 2
Sit tall with a slight knee bend and arms extended, feeling a stretch in the upper back.
- 3
Brace your core and pull the handle to your lower abdomen, driving the elbows straight back.
- 4
Squeeze the shoulder blades together and hold briefly at your torso.
- 5
Extend the arms under control, letting the shoulders reach forward at the end.
- 6
Keep the torso mostly upright and avoid rocking back and forth.
Tips
- Let the shoulder blades protract at the front, then retract fully at the back for full range.
- Avoid using your lower back as a lever; keep the torso motion to a few degrees.
- Pull to the belly button, keeping the elbows close for a lat-focused pull.
- Don't jerk the stack; a controlled negative is where a lot of the growth happens.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Straightening the knees completely pulls on the hamstrings and drags the lower back into a round at the front of every rep; keep the slight bend you started with.
- Pulling the handle up to your chest with the elbows flaring out turns a lat row into a rear-delt pull; keep it traveling to the lower abdomen.
- Shrugging the shoulders toward your ears at the squeeze hands the work to the upper traps; keep the shoulders down and drive the elbows past your ribs instead.
- Letting the stack round your upper back at the stretch loads the spine rather than the lats; the shoulders should reach forward while the chest stays lifted.
- Perching the feet high or narrow on the platform leaves you sliding on the seat and pushing with the legs; plant both flat with the knees slightly bent.
Frequently asked
- How many sets and reps of seated cable rows should a beginner do?
- Ten to twelve reps for three sets, once or twice a week, ending each set when the torso starts rocking to move the handle. Rest about 90 seconds. Add one plate when all three sets reach 12 reps with a still torso, a full stretch at the front, and a squeeze at the abdomen. Because it is easy on the lower back, it also works well as a second or third back exercise on a heavy pulling day.
- What can I do instead of a seated cable row with no machine?
- A single-arm dumbbell row with your free hand on a bench trains the same muscles and lets you chase a longer stretch at the bottom. A resistance band looped around a door handle, or around your feet while you sit on the floor, copies the movement almost exactly. Inverted rows under a table are a good bodyweight version if you want to build toward pull-ups.
- What is the seated cable row good for and when should I pick something else?
- It builds the lats and mid-traps with constant tension, it is easy to load in small steps, and it spares the lower back compared with a bent-over row, which makes it a good workhorse for back thickness and volume. It is not the tool for maximum pulling strength, and it will not prepare you for pull-ups on its own, since those need vertical pulling. If a horizontal pull is your only row, add a pulldown or chin-up as well.
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