Description
A strength training exercise that targets the back muscles, performed on a low pulley machine while in a seated position.
How to Do Cable seated row
- 1Setup
Sit on the machine with your feet firmly placed on the footplate, knees slightly bent, and your back straight. Adjust the seat so you can comfortably reach your chosen handle attachment with a slight forward lean.
- 2Setup
Grasp the handle with your preferred grip (e.g., V-bar, wide grip bar), ensuring your arms are fully extended but not locked. Maintain a neutral spine, engaging your core to stabilize your torso.
- 3
Initiate the movement by pulling the handle towards your lower abdomen, retracting your shoulder blades together and down. Focus on driving your elbows back past your torso.
- 4
Squeeze your back muscles intensely at the peak of the contraction, ensuring your chest is out and shoulders are pulled back. Exhale as you pull the weight towards you.
- 5
Slowly extend your arms back to the starting position, controlling the weight as it moves away from your body. Allow a slight stretch in your lats while maintaining tension, inhaling during this eccentric phase.
Tips
- Focus on initiating the pull with your back muscles, specifically retracting your shoulder blades before bending your elbows.
- Keep your chest up and avoid rounding your lower back throughout the entire range of motion to maintain spinal integrity.
- Control the eccentric (return) phase of the movement, resisting the weight as it pulls your arms forward to maximize muscle engagement.
- Vary your grip (wide, narrow, neutral) and handle attachment to target different areas of your back and add variety to your training.
Common Mistakes
- ×Rounding the back: Avoid rounding your lower back by maintaining a neutral spine and engaging your core throughout the exercise.
- ×Using excessive momentum: Do not lean excessively back and forth to swing the weight; instead, keep your torso relatively still and let your back muscles do the work.
- ×Shrugging shoulders: Prevent your shoulders from shrugging up towards your ears by actively depressing your shoulder blades down and back during the pull.
Variations
Cable Straight Back Seated Row
Perform the Cable Straight Back Seated Row to build a strong, defined back. This exercise targets your lats and middle back, improving posture and pulling
Cable Rope Seated Row
Build a powerful, thick back with the Cable Rope Seated Row. This compound exercise targets your lats, rhomboids, and traps for improved posture and
Cable Low Seated Row
Master the cable low seated row to build a strong, sculpted back. This compound pulling exercise targets your lats, traps, and rhomboids for improved
Cable Upper Row
Build a strong, sculpted upper back and improve posture with the Cable Upper Row. This compound exercise targets your lats, rhomboids, and traps
Related Exercises
Cable Palm Rotational Row
Perform the Cable Palm Rotational Row to strengthen your back, shoulders, and arms.
Cable One Arm Straight Back High Row (kneeling)
Strengthen your back with the kneeling one-arm high cable row. This exercise targets the lats and upper back for improved posture and muscle definition.
Cable One Arm Bent over Row
Build a strong, sculpted back with the Cable One-Arm Bent-Over Row. This exercise targets your lats for thickness and improves core stability.
Cable Incline Bench Row
Build a stronger, thicker upper back with the Cable Incline Bench Row. This exercise targets your lats, rhomboids, and rear delts, enhancing posture and
Assisted Standing Triceps Dip
Build triceps strength with machine assistance that lets you focus on proper dip form at a manageable load.
Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
The ultimate full-body dumbbell complex combining a push-up, row, clean, and overhead press in one flow.
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