Muscles worked
The close grip seated cable row trains the big muscles of your back. The latissimus dorsi does much of the work as your elbows travel back close to your body, and the middle trapezius, rhomboids and rear delts squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the pull. Your biceps, brachialis and forearms help bend your arms, and the muscles along your spine keep your torso still. A close grip with your elbows tucked in puts more emphasis on the lats, while a wide grip with your elbows out moves more of the work to the upper back and rear delts.
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back as your arms reach forward. It is fine to let your shoulders drift forward a little at the front, but sit tall with a straight back.
- Shrugging towards your ears. That hands the work to your upper traps. Keep your shoulders down and drive your elbows back and slightly down.
- Letting the handle go back as soon as it reaches your stomach. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for a brief moment before you let the handle travel back.
Variations and alternatives
- Wide grip seated cable rows use a straight bar with your elbows out, for more work on the upper back and rear delts.
- Close grip machine rows give you the same grip with a fixed path that is easy to repeat.
- Single arm cable rows train one side at a time, useful if one side is weaker or tends to take over.
- Dumbbell rows are a good alternative when the cable station is busy or you train with dumbbells at home.
Sets and reps
The cable row lets you do plenty of reps with good form, and it is best suited to building muscle with 8 to 12 reps over three or four sets. If you want to go heavier, 6 to 8 reps works. Below that it gets hard to keep your torso still, and for heavy strength work the barbell row is the more common choice. 12 to 20 reps suits endurance work or a final back exercise. The guide to sets and reps explains the ranges.
Follow progressive overload with reps first and weight second. A clear sign you have gone up too much is that you start leaning back to get the handle in. Drop back a step and do the reps properly.