Horizontal pull exercise
Seated Cable Row
Add safe, high-volume horizontal pulling.
- Equipment
- Cable machine
- Sides
- Both sides together
- Positions
- All positions
- Tempo
- 30X1
Setup
Cable row station, feet braced, knees slightly bent, torso upright.
How to do it
- Sit tall and hold that torso position for the whole set - no rocking backwards and forwards.
- Pull the handle to your stomach driving your elbows past your ribs, then control it back out.
- Do 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Coaching cues
- Tall torso, no rocking
- Elbows past the ribs
- Control the return
Common mistakes
- Rowing with the lower back by swinging the torso
- Shortening the range at the front
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Load | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | Heavy | 3 to 4 | 6 to 8 | 2 min |
| Size | Moderate | 3 to 4 | 10 to 15 | 90 sec |
Tempo 30X1: Take 3 seconds to lower it, no pause, lift it as fast as you can, hold for 1 second at the end of the lift.
Related exercises
- Barbell RowBuild upper-back and pulling strength to balance heavy pressing.
- Single-Arm Dumbbell RowAdd upper-back pulling volume without loading the spine.
- Chest-Supported RowBuild upper-back strength with the spine completely unloaded.
- Bench PressBuild maximal upper-body pressing strength.
- Incline Bench PressBuild pressing strength and shoulder-girdle mass at an upward angle.
- Dumbbell Bench PressBuild pressing strength with more range and less shoulder stress than a barbell.