Cable Straight Back Seated Row

Description

How to do Cable Straight Back Seated Row

1. 01
   Setup

   Adjust the seat height so your chest is aligned with the cable pulley and select your desired weight.

2. 02
   Setup

   Sit on the bench with your feet firmly planted on the foot platform, knees slightly bent, and grasp the V-bar handle with a neutral grip.

3. 03

   Lean forward slightly from your hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, allowing your lats to stretch.

4. 04

   Initiate the pull by driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together, pulling the handle towards your lower abdomen.

5. 05

   Pause briefly at the peak contraction, feeling a strong squeeze in your middle back and lats, then slowly extend your arms to return the weight to the starting position.

Tips

• Keep your spine neutral throughout the movement, engaging your core to prevent excessive rounding or arching of your lower back.
• Concentrate on retracting your shoulder blades and squeezing them together at the peak of the movement to maximize activation of your lats and rhomboids.
• Control the eccentric phase by slowly extending your arms, allowing your lats to fully stretch before initiating the next pull.
• Keep your elbows close to your body throughout the pull to effectively target the latissimus dorsi and avoid flaring them out.

Common mistakes

• Avoid rounding your back during the pull; instead, maintain a proud chest and a neutral spine by engaging your core.
• Do not use excessive momentum or lean back too far to pull the weight; reduce the weight and focus on a controlled pull primarily with your back muscles.
• Prevent your shoulders from shrugging up towards your ears; keep them down and back to properly engage your lats and avoid neck strain.