Seated cable row: muscles worked and how to do it

How to do a seated cable row

1. 1

   Sit on the bench with your feet on the platform and your knees slightly bent.

2. 2

   Grab the handle and sit up tall, arms straight in front of you, chest up.

3. 3

   Pull the handle to your stomach, driving your elbows back past your sides.

4. 4

   Squeeze your shoulder blades together for a moment, without leaning back.

5. 5

   Let the handle return under control until your arms are straight and your shoulder blades spread.

These steps describe common technique. If something hurts, stop and ask a qualified coach or clinician.

Common seated cable row mistakes

• Rocking back and forth

  Keep your torso upright. If you need to rock, the weight is too heavy.

• Shrugging your shoulders up

  Keep them down as you pull, elbows travelling back, not up.

• Rounding forward at the end

  A little reach is fine, but keep your chest up and back flat.

• Pulling to your chest

  Bring the handle to your stomach, below your ribs.

How to track your seated cable row

Log the weight and reps of every set. Over a few weeks, the heaviest weight you lift and your estimated one-rep max show whether you are getting stronger, even when your sets use different rep counts.