Cable Straight Back Seated Row

Description

How to Do Cable Straight Back Seated Row

1. 1
   Setup

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

2. 2
   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. 3

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

4. 4

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

5. 5

   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.