There are not many back exercises that give you the emphasized muscle stretch that the seated cable row does.
That fact, paired with the technical ease needed to perform the exercise, is a reason it’s become a mainstay in so many workout routines.
Seated cable rows are a horizontal pull exercise that is performed on a cable pulley machine. The cable pulley machine eliminates some of the need for stabilization that is required of more technically demanding row variations such as the barbell row and dumbbell row.
Beginners, intermediates, and professional bodybuilders all benefit from using the seated cable row to build back muscle and strength.
The range of motion and constant tension provided by the cable pulley machine also allows you to get a great pump – another bonus of this fantastic exercise.
So, now that we’ve been introduced to this row variation, let’s begin to discuss how to perform the exercise, what muscles are worked when performing it, how to add it to your workout routines, and some additional variations of the exercise.
How to Perform Seated Cable Rows
The seated cable row, as mentioned in the introduction, is performed on a cable pulley machine. Most gyms have a specific setup for this exercise. However, it can also be performed by sitting on the ground or by setting up a bench in the cable matrix if yours does not.
- Begin by selecting the cable attachment you would like to use for the exercise. For this article, we will be discussing the close grip variation. For this variation, you will select the Double D ring cable attachment.
- Attach the Double D ring to the cable and take a seat on the bench facing the cables.
- Place your feet on the footrests of the machine, keeping a bend in your knees, and sit back far enough on the pad where you will maintain constant resistance from the cables.
- Lean your torso forward and grab the handles of the Double D attachment.
- Brace your core and use the muscles of your back to bring the weight to your sternum.
- Once you’ve reached a point where your elbows are as far back as your range of motion allows, squeeze the muscles of the back.
- Slowly reverse the movement and lower the weight under control back to the starting position.
- Stretch the muscles at the bottom of the movement without rounding your back and begin the next repetition.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
What Muscles Does the Seated Cable Row Target?
The seated cable row is primarily a back exercise and is known amongst many gym-goers as a lift that can help you build back muscle thickness and strength.
The primary back muscles targeted with the exercise are the rhomboids and traps. It also effectively hits the lats, rear delts, and teres major.
Indirectly, the exercise works the biceps, low back and core.
How to Add Seated Cable Rows to Your Workout Routine
You can add the seated cable row to nearly any style of training. While it is often seen as a secondary or accessory lift for the back, it can be used as a primary exercise depending on your goals and individual exercise needs.
For those who perform full body workouts, the exercise can be added at any point throughout the workout depending on the level of difficulty of the other movement patterns selected for your training session.
For those who perform upper/lower workout splits, you’ll potentially include this exercise on your upper body workout days. Again, where the exercise falls in the order of your workouts will depend on your goals and the other exercises you have listed to perform.
In push, pull, legs workouts, you’ll include the exercise on your pull workout days. It will often be the second or final row variation performed during your workouts. Again, it is not unusually to see this listed as the first exercise of a pull day though.
For those of you who perform bro-split workouts, this exercise will be on your back day., And for most, it will probably be your favorite movement of the workout. That is my experience at least. The exercise will likely be the second or final row variation performed and will leave you with a sick pump afterwards.
Since the exercise is one that can be performed at nearly any point of a workout, there’s a large range for its typical rep/set scheme. That said, a general recommendation for the exercise would be to perform 2-5 reps of 6-12 repetitions. Some may go higher in reps and some may go slightly lower.
Seated Cable Row Variations
The seated cable row is a variation of the row in itself. So, any row variation is a variation of the cable row too. In this list, we will focus strictly on variations using the cable pulley machine.
- Wide Grip Seated Cable Rows
- Shotgun Cable Row
- One Hand Seated Cable Rows
- Underhand Seated Cable Rows
- Rope Cable Row
- Standing Cable Row
- Chest Supported Cable Row
Conclusion
The cable row is an awesome exercise for anyone looking to develop back muscle and strength.
It is a back exercise that is almost universally accessible and adaptable within a workout routine.
If you have any questions about the exercise, please feel free to leave a comment below. I’d be happy to respond.