When you’re hunched over, sitting at a desk for hours on end or rounding your back and neck to look down at your phone, your posture can decline while your back pain increases. The seated cable row is an effective compound exercise for helping you to build a bigger and stronger back and improve your posture.
You’ll practice keeping your back in a straight and upright position, rather than hunching forward and compromising your form. You’ll also minimize stress on your lower back and hamstrings while still hitting those major back muscles. Here’s the lowdown on how to do the seated cable row.
What is the seated cable row?
The seated cable row is a seated compound rowing exercise involving a cable machine. You typically perform this movement using a weighted horizontal cable machine, a bench, and foot plates. Seated cable rows work best as part of your upper body-strength workout alongside other exercises using the cable machine, such as the triceps pushdown.
What muscles does the seated cable row work?
The seated cable row is a pulling exercise that works your back, forearms, and more. Here are the main muscles worked during this movement:
- Latissimus dorsi muscles in your back
- Rhomboid muscles between your shoulder blades
- Trapezius along the back of your neck and upper back area
- Forearms
- Biceps and triceps in your upper arms
Your glutes and hamstrings also play a role in helping to stabilize you.
What are the benefits of the seated cable row?
The following are the many benefits of the seated cable row:
- Build a stronger and bigger back
- Work your back, arms, and shoulders at the same time
- Improve your posture
- Enhance your functional strength
- Minimize stress on your lower back and hamstrings
- Strengthen your upper back muscles, which can help with back pain over time
- Enhance your throwing ability, which helps with playing certain sports
- Prevent injury in that area by strengthening your latissimus dorsi muscles, which stabilize your shoulders.
Research shows that performing strengthening exercises to target your posterior chain muscles along the back of your body is more effective than general exercise when it comes to healing lower back pain. All the more reason to include seated cable rows in your training schedule.
How to do the seated cable row
Here’s how to do the seated cable row:
- Start by sitting on the bench facing the machine with your knees bent and your feet resting on the foot plates for stability. If there aren’t any foot plates, you can rest your feet firmly on the floor.
- Hold on to the cable attachment that’s usually shaped like a triangle or a bar and begin with your arms extended straight out in front of you.
- Engage your core and start to row the cable back toward your lower torso.
- Try to keep your back straight and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you row.
- Carefully return the handle back to the starting position.
- Repeat until you complete the set.
Tips to perfect your technique
Read on for tips to perfect your technique:
- Always keep your shoulder blades squeezed together and your core engaged while performing seated cable rows.
- Look straight ahead with your neck neutral.
- Maintain a slow and controlled pace rather than using momentum.
- Keep your back straight and upright with your chest out in the proper positioning.
- Avoid using too much weight that compromises your form.
Common mistakes to avoid
Try to avoid these common mistakes to get the most out of this exercise:
- Rounding your back
- Moving your torso
- Rowing the weight back too quickly
- Using a weight that’s too heavy and reduces your range of motion
- Leaning forward too much
If you have an existing or previous shoulder or lower back injury, ask your healthcare provider, doctor, or physical therapist if you can perform the seated cable row. If you feel any sharp pain, you should stop the exercise immediately.
FAQs
Should you lean back for the seated cable rows?
Your back should be straight and upright for this movement in a neutral position. Some fitness professionals recommend leaning back ever so slightly by about 10 to 15 degrees while others insist that a completely upright position is best.
Are seated cable rows good for your back?
Seated cable rows are an excellent choice for bulking up your back muscles, particularly your latissimus dorsi, which is the largest muscle in your back. Bigger and more defined lats help you develop the impressive V-shape.
How can you do a seated cable row without a cable machine?
You can try other versions of the seated cable row if you don’t have access to a cable machine, such as the dumbbell row or the seated band row using resistance bands. For example, with the seated band row, you sit down with your legs extended straight out in front of you. You hold the resistance band and loop the other end around your feet. Row the resistance band toward your lower torso.
Which grip is best for seated cable rows?
The right grip depends on your goals. A wider grip shifts the focus a little more to certain back muscles more than your arm muscles. You’ll get an effective workout with either grip, so you can choose what feels best for you.
Variations
You can try other variations of the seated cable row to revamp your training schedule, such as:
- Single-arm cable row
- Resistance band row
- Seated dumbbell row
- Bent-over dumbbell row
- Single-arm dumbbell row
How to include seated cable rows in your training schedule
You can add seated cable rows to your upper body training or your whole-body workout days. Where you choose to place this exercise is up to you. Seated cable rows are usually considered a moderate to high-volume exercise, so you can shoot for 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
If you’re a beginner, you might need to work your way up to this amount. The main goal is to master your technique before increasing the reps or weights, so start with 2 sets of 6 or 8 reps and try to fit it into your schedule twice a week before advancing over time.
