Cable low row
Full guide coming soon
Seated Cable Row
The seated cable row is a horizontal pull on a low cable station: you sit tall, pull a handle to your belly button and squeeze your shoulder blades together. It trains the middle back, lats and biceps with a load that is easy to change and a steady pull through the whole rep.
- Beginner
- Compound
- Seated row
- upper back
- lats
- biceps
Left: start position. Right: end position. Orange: the muscles that work.
How to do the seated cable row
- Sit on the bench with your feet on the foot plates and your knees slightly bent.
- Take the handle with both hands. Sit tall with your chest up and your arms straight in front of you.Breathe
- Pull the handle toward your belly button, with your elbows moving back close to your sides.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together when the handle reaches your stomach. Keep your torso still.
- Let your arms extend forward under control, and let your shoulder blades move forward a little.
- Keep your back flat as your arms straighten. Do not round your lower back to reach the stack.
Breathing. Breathe in with your arms long, then breathe out as you pull the handle in. Take the next breath as the weight goes back.
Tips
- A neutral V-handle is a good default. A wide bar with your elbows out to the sides brings in more of the rear delts.
- Pause for a moment with the handle at your stomach to feel your shoulder blades squeeze.
Muscles worked
The seated cable row works mainly the upper back, lats and biceps.
- Upper back (main muscle)
- Lats (main muscle)
- Biceps (main muscle)
- Rear delts (also works)
- Forearms (also works)
- Lower back (also works)
| Muscle | Role |
|---|---|
| Upper back | Main mover. The middle traps and the rhomboids pull your shoulder blades together at the end of each rep. |
| Lats | Pull your upper arms back along your sides. A close handle and elbows near the body make them work more. |
| Biceps | Bend your elbows as you pull and control the handle on the way back. |
| Rear delts (also works) | Help to pull the upper arm back, mostly at the end of the row. |
| Lower back (also works) | Holds your torso upright so that the arms and back can move the weight. |
Sets, reps and rest
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner (first weeks) | 3 | 10-12 reps | 75 s |
| Build muscle | 3 | 8-12 reps | 2 min |
| Get stronger | 4 | 4-6 reps | 3 min |
| General fitness | 3 | 10-12 reps | 75 s |
| Fat loss (with more daily activity) | 3 | 12-15 reps | 60 s |
These numbers come from the same rules as the Oh My Coach app, with this exercise as the first main lift of the day. Use a load that leaves 1 to 3 reps in reserve. When you reach the top of the range in every set, add a little load or move to the harder version (double progression). What is double progression?
Common mistakes
-
Rocking the torso back and forth
Why it matters: Swinging uses body momentum to move the stack, so the back muscles do less and the lower back gets jerked.
Fix: Pick a weight you can pull while your torso stays nearly upright. Move only your arms and shoulder blades.
-
Rounding the back on the return
Why it matters: Reaching for the stack with a round lower back puts the load on the spine instead of the back muscles.
Fix: Let the shoulders move forward a little, but keep your chest up and your lower back flat.
-
Shrugging during the pull
Why it matters: When the shoulders lift toward your ears, the upper traps take over and the middle back does less.
Fix: Keep your shoulders down and think of pulling your elbows back, not up.
-
Short reps
Why it matters: Stopping before the arms are long or before the shoulder blades meet cuts out the hardest parts of the row.
Fix: Reach forward until your arms are straight, then pull until the handle touches your stomach.
Make it easier or harder
This exercise gets harder with load. When every set reaches the top of the rep range with good form, add the smallest weight step you have. To make it easier, use less load or a shorter range of motion while you learn the movement.
Versions of this exercise
Machine row
Full guide coming soon
Band seated row
Full guide coming soon
Alternatives
Same main muscle and the same movement pattern first, from the same rules as the app's swap list.
Chest-supported dumbbell row
Same movement pattern
Full guide coming soon
Table row
Same movement pattern
Full guide coming soon
Cable low row
Same movement pattern
Full guide coming soon
What you need
Take care if
If your lower back hurts during the row, stop. Try a chest-supported row, where a pad holds your torso still.
Questions
What muscles does the seated cable row work?
It works the middle back (the middle traps and rhomboids), the lats and the biceps. The rear delts and forearms help, and the lower back holds your body upright. An EMG study found higher middle-trap and rhomboid activity in the seated row than in the lat pulldowns it tested.
Seated cable row or lat pulldown?
Do both if you can. The row pulls horizontally and works the middle back more, and the pulldown pulls from overhead and leans more on the lats. Together they cover both main back pulling directions.
Should I lean back during the row?
A small lean is fine, but most of the rep should come from your arms and shoulder blades. If you need a big lean to finish the rep, the weight is too heavy.
Can I do a seated row without a cable machine?
Yes. A resistance band looped around your feet or a fixed post gives a similar pull. A bent-over dumbbell row also trains the same muscles with free weights.