Back · Row
Seated Cable Row
The Seated Cable Row mainly trains your lats and upper back. Also working: biceps and rear delts.
Both cables
Stable
How to do it
- Sit on the floor, feet braced firmly against the base of the machine
- Knees slightly bent, back straight
- Pull the handles to your navel, elbows tight
- Let your arms extend and your shoulders reach forward
Coach’s tip
With your feet against the frame the cable can’t pull you forward: so you can row far heavier than standing. A cushion or the flat bench under your glutes makes it more comfortable.
Setup
Pulley
Both pulleys at the bottom
Grip
Single handles
Load
Both cables
Needs two cable towers
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (row). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Seated Cable Row work?
Mainly the lats and upper back. The biceps and rear delts help.
How do I set up the cable machine for the Seated Cable Row?
Pulley: Both pulleys at the bottom. Grip: Single handles.
Can I do the Seated Cable Row on a single cable tower?
Not like this. The Seated Cable Row needs both cables at once, so two towers. If you set up DCFT for one tower, the app leaves it out of your plan and uses exercises such as One-Cable Seated Row and Seated Single-Arm Cable Row instead.
What can I do instead of the Seated Cable Row?
For the same movement: One-Cable Seated Row, Seated Single-Arm Cable Row and Chest-Supported Cable Row. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Seated Cable Row in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.