Training guide
The seated cable row trains your back with your trunk upright and your feet braced, so your lower back works far less than in a bent-over row. Sit tall, draw your elbows back close to your sides until the handle touches your lower ribs, hold for a second, then let your arms straighten slowly.
The studies are small lab studies, but they answer the common questions: a narrow handle with your elbows low favours your lats, a wide grip with your elbows out favours your upper back and rear shoulders, and squeezing your shoulder blades together on purpose adds little. No published study has measured how far to lean, so that advice is coaching practice, and we say so.
This guide covers the set-up, the pull, how much to lean, handles and grips, your shoulder blades, what it works, sets and reps and the warning signs, with a 3D demo of every version.
Feet braced, knees softly bent, chest up. Draw your elbows back close to your sides until the handle touches the front of your stomach or your lower ribs, pause for a second, then straighten your arms slowly, as the American Council on Exercise (ACE) describes.
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Keep your back straight, reaching slightly forward at the start and coming back to upright at the finish. A big backward lean shifts the work to your lower back and hips: that's coaching advice, because no published study has measured it. If you can only finish a set by swinging, the weight is too heavy, as our move page says.
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A free-weight bent-over row worked the lower-back muscles 34% more than a machine row in 15 trained men, and of three rows in 7 men the bent-over row loaded the lower spine most. That's why our bent-over row guide uses the seated row while back pain settles.
A narrow handle with your elbows low worked the lats more; a wide grip with your elbows out worked the trapezius more (14 trained men). Rowing with the elbows close to your sides also let people pull harder.
Squeezing them back on purpose didn't change mid-back activity in 12 men, and fixing them or letting them move gave similar overall activity in 14 trained men. Let them slide forward as your arms straighten and back as you pull.
The lats, the middle trapezius and rhomboids between your shoulder blades, the rear shoulders and the biceps, with your lower-back muscles holding you upright. Of four pulls held by 12 men, the seated row worked the middle trapezius and rhomboids hardest.
You sit facing a low pulley with your feet braced and row a handle to your stomach, so the seat does the job your lower back does in a bent-over row, and the stack adds weight in small steps. ACE rates it a beginner exercise.
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The lats, the middle trapezius and rhomboids, the rear deltoids and the biceps. In 12 men holding positions, the seated row produced the most middle trapezius and rhomboid activity of four pulls, and it and the wide-grip pulldown had the highest lat-to-biceps ratios.
Your lower-back muscles hold you upright, but they work less than in a free-weight bent-over row. One-arm versions make your obliques work against twisting: in 15 trained men, one-arm rows worked them more than two-arm rows.
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We found no trial that trained people on the seated cable row and measured the results. Its case rests on trials showing machines and free weights build strength and muscle equally, and on muscle activity studies of rows.
In 12 men holding mid-range positions, the seated row worked the middle trapezius and rhomboids most of four pulls. A 2026 review of 23 muscle activity studies found that in the seated row a narrower grip and lower elbows were each linked with more lat activity.
In 15 trained men lifting at a matched effort, the two-arm bent-over row drew 34% more lower-back muscle activity than a machine row. Of three rows in 7 men, the bent-over row loaded the lower spine most, and a standing one-arm cable row challenged the trunk's resistance to twisting.
In 14 trained men, a narrow grip worked the lats more and a wide grip the trapezius and side shoulder more, with large effects. In 21 trained men and women, rowing with the elbows closer to the sides produced more force and more lat activity; elbows out at 60 to 90 degrees worked the upper and middle trapezius and rear deltoid more; and palms-up and palms-facing grips used more biceps. Both were single sessions.
In 12 men, actively squeezing the shoulder blades back didn't change middle trapezius and rhomboid activity. In 14 trained men, fixing the shoulder blades back or letting them move gave comparable overall activity, with small shifts in which muscles worked in each phase.
In 20 novices rowing to failure, an instruction to use the back raised lat activity by about 15% in the first reps, but not in the last.
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Across 13 studies, machine and free-weight training raised strength equally when compared head to head. In 46 young adults over 8 weeks, muscle size and free-weight strength rose equally with either, and a 2026 overview by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) found equipment type didn't consistently change results.
No published study has measured how much you should lean, or how a backward lean changes the load on your lower back, and none has counted seated row injuries. The muscle activity studies were single sessions in 12 to 21 people.
From ACE's seated row and our move page. How far to lean is coaching practice: no published study has measured it.
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The movement on the figure: Seated cable row
Reach slightly forward as your arms straighten and come back to upright as you pull, keeping your back straight, as ACE describes and our move page advises. That's coaching practice: no published study has compared lean angles.
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Rocking back to swing the weight moves the work into your lower back and hips and hides your progress, as our move page warns. This is coaching advice: no published study has measured how a backward lean changes lower-back load in the seated row.
Choose a weight you can pull without leaning back and could pause at your ribs, as our move page advises.
Seated, your lower back holds you upright rather than holding a hinge. A free-weight bent-over row worked the lower-back muscles 34% more than a machine row, and it loaded the lower spine most of three rows in another study.
The standard: a narrow, palms-facing handle with your elbows close to your sides. It favours the lats, and keeping the elbows in let people pull harder.
A wide, overhand bar with your elbows out to the sides works your trapezius and rear shoulders more. Use it when you want more upper-back work.
In one study, palms-up and palms-facing grips used more biceps than palms-down grips.
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A rope pulled to your upper chest with your elbows high works the rear shoulders and upper back, as its move page shows; pulled to your neck, it finishes like a face pull.
Start with the V-handle. Add the wide bar or the rope on other days if you want more upper-back work: no training trial has compared grips for muscle growth.
Let them slide forward as your arms straighten and draw back as you pull. Squeezing them back on purpose didn't change mid-back activity in one study, and fixing them back or letting them move gave similar overall activity in another.
Drawing your shoulder blades back as the handle reaches your ribs is part of the row; holding them pinned back through the whole set isn't needed (our view, in line with our bent-over row guide).
Thinking about your back raised lat activity at the start of a set, not near failure. Use the cue if it helps you feel the right muscles.
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Two-arm versions take the standard row's 3 sets of 8 to 12 (our plans); do one-arm rows for 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side and rope rows for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 (our editorial starting points).
3D demoSeated cable rowBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoSeated rope high rowBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoSeated rope row to the neckBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoElevated seated cable rowIntermediate · A cable machine + A step
3D demoSeated one-arm cable rowBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoStanding one-arm cable row (shotgun row)Intermediate · A cable machine
3D demoMachine rowBeginner · Strength machineOur bent-over row guide's order, from supported rows to the barbell: the seated cable row is an early step.
3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point3D demoSeated cable rowBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoInverted rowIntermediate · Pull-up bar
3D demoChest-supported dumbbell rowBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoSupported single-arm dumbbell rowIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoBent-over two-dumbbell rowIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoBent-over barbell rowAdvanced · A barbell3 sets of 8 to 12, as in our full-body gym workout B. In your first two weeks, do 2 sets and stop each with 3 or 4 reps to spare. Our upper body and pull day B workouts, for people further on, use 3 or 4 sets.
Stop 2 or 3 reps short of failure: 2 to 3 RIR (reps in reserve: how many more reps you could have done), our plans' rule for big lifts. Some of our workouts for more experienced lifters go to 1 or 2.
About 90 seconds, as in our full-body gym workout B; our plans give 90 seconds to 2 minutes.
Train your back about twice a week, our plans' default; in our 3-day plan, the row and the pulldown take turns. In the ACSM's overview, strength rose most with at least two sessions a week.
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When every set reaches 12 reps, move to the next pin and go back to 8 (our plans' double progression).
Log the weight and reps with the same handle and seat each time. A one-second pause with the handle at your ribs keeps the reps honest.
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No trial has followed seated row training on its own. In an 8-week trial of machines against free weights, strength on the tested lifts rose about 11 to 19% with either, and gains slow with experience, as our progressive overload guide explains.
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The work moves into your lower back and hips. Lighten the load until your trunk stays still, as our move page advises.
Reach forward from the hips with your chest up, not by slumping (our move page).
Pull until the handle touches your stomach or lower ribs, and pause.
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Keep your shoulders down and lead with your elbows (our editorial cue).
Straighten your arms slowly and keep the stack quiet, as our move page advises.
It didn't add mid-back activity. Let them move.
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Keep your wrists straight and your grip firm but not crushing (our editorial cue).
The seated row usually suits while back pain settles, as our bent-over row guide says: keep your trunk still, and stop for pain that travels down a leg. The NHS advises seeing a GP for back pain that comes from between your shoulders.
Rows usually suit. Our shoulder impingement plan uses the seated cable row, 3 sets of 8 to 12, and a hospital shoulder programme lists the seated row machine among exercises that are usually safe. Keep pain to about 5 out of 10 or less, settling by your next session.
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Use the V-handle with your palms facing and a lighter load, and keep pain mild: about 3 to 4 out of 10, settling within an hour, as our elbow guides advise.
After heart surgery through the breastbone, or a heart or lung transplant, follow your surgical team's advice before you pull with your arms, as our group cautions say.
The American Heart Association says people with controlled high blood pressure can safely do low- to moderate-intensity strength training with proper breathing. Breathe out as you pull, and use weights you could lift 10 to 15 times, as our blood pressure guide advises.
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The NHS says you can carry on strength training at the gym if you already do, and stop if you feel uncomfortable, too hot or unwell. The row is done sitting upright, so it suits later pregnancy too (our suggestion).
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Full-body gym workout B is the best place to start; the others use the row as one exercise among several.
Full-body gym workout B: trap bar deadlifts, cable rows, seated dumbbell press, step-ups, leg curls, push-ups and a Pallof press.
50 minBeginner13 movesCardio machine, Other / check instructionsA gym upper body workout for chest, back, shoulders and arms: bench press, rows, presses, pulldowns, raises, curls and pushdowns.
50 minIntermediate13 movesA band, A barbellA gym back workout: lat pulldowns, cable rows, dumbbell rows, face pulls, back extensions and shrugs.
45 minBeginner8 movesPull-up bar, A bandPull day B: cable rows, lat pulldowns, one-arm dumbbell rows, reverse flyes, incline curls and back extensions, with sets, reps and rest.
50 minIntermediate10 movesPull-up bar, A cable machineA 40-minute full-body gym workout in supersets: squats with pulldowns, presses with rows, Romanian deadlifts with overhead presses, then arms.
40 minBeginner13 movesCardio machine, A bandA 50-minute gym session for older adults and sarcopenia: 7 machines for the legs, chest and back from the UK prescription, then a short balance finish.
50 minBeginner12 movesCardio machine, A bench or boxImpact, strength and balance for stronger bones, following UK osteoporosis consensus advice, with options for every level.
40 minBeginner14 movesA kettlebell, Other / check instructionsA 30-minute practice session for the bent-over row: hold the hinge, groove the pull with your chest supported, then row dumbbells and a light bar.
30 minBeginner8 movesA band, A dumbbellThe row comes round once or twice a week in each of these plans.
A beginner gym plan: three full-body sessions a week, alternating workouts A and B, with sets, reps, rest and an 8-week progression.
3 training days45 minBeginner4 days a weekA 4-day upper/lower split: two upper body and two lower body gym days, each muscle trained twice a week, with sets, reps and progression.
4 training days50 minIntermediate6 days a weekA 6-day push/pull/legs plan for experienced lifters: two push, two pull and two leg days, with sets, reps, rest and lighter weeks.
6 training days55 minAdvancedIf back pain comes with pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs; loss of feeling around your genitals or anus; changes in your bladder or bowels; changes in how your penis or vagina feels during sex, or not being able to get or keep an erection or to orgasm; chest pain; or if it started after a serious accident. Also for chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck or jaw.
For severe pain in your arm that makes it difficult to move; an arm injury where you heard a snapping noise or your arm has changed shape; or an arm that tingles or feels numb.
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If you have back pain and feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or the pain is severe, starts suddenly or is getting worse quickly; or for sudden or very bad shoulder pain, an arm you can't move, or pins and needles that don't go away. In the US, contact your doctor or urgent care.
If back pain doesn't improve after a few weeks, stops your day-to-day activities, is worse at night or comes from between your shoulders; if shoulder pain hasn't improved after 2 weeks; or if elbow or arm pain hasn't gone after a few weeks.
Achy upper-back and arm muscles for a day or two after a new session are normal. Sharp pain, lower-back pain that travels down a leg, or elbow pain that builds through a set isn't: lighten the load or stop, and see our back and elbow guides.
Squeezing them on purpose didn't change mid-back activity, and fixing them or letting them move gave similar overall activity. Let them move: forward as your arms straighten, back as you pull.
No published study has measured it. Rocking back moves the work into your lower back and hips, as our move page warns: choose a weight you can pull without leaning back.
Grips shift which muscles work in a single session (narrow for the lats, wide for the trapezius and rear shoulders), but no training trial has measured growth by grip.
They work the same pulling muscles with less lower-back load, and machines build strength as well as free weights. The bent-over row adds hip-hinge and lower-back training.
Strengthening programmes, which include rows, improved measured posture in trials. No trial has tested rows alone, and strength doesn't match where your shoulder blades sit at rest; our rounded shoulders guide has the full picture.
Sit facing the low pulley with your feet braced and knees soft, and sit tall with long arms. Draw your elbows back close to your sides until the handle touches your lower ribs, hold for a second, then let your arms straighten slowly.
Only a little: reach slightly forward at the start and come back to upright, without rocking back to move the weight. Rocking shifts the work into your lower back and hips. No published study has measured the lean, so this is coaching practice.
A V-handle, with your palms facing, pulled to your lower ribs is the standard and favours your lats. A wide bar pulled to your lower chest with your elbows out works your upper back and rear shoulders more, and palms-up and palms-facing grips bring in more biceps.
Let them move: forward as your arms straighten, back as you pull. Squeezing them on purpose didn't change mid-back muscle activity in a study, and fixing them or letting them move gave similar overall activity in another.
Your lats, the middle trapezius and rhomboids between your shoulder blades, your rear shoulders and your biceps, with your lower-back muscles holding you upright. Where your elbows go decides which work most.
Both train the same pulling muscles. The seated row takes load off your lower back (a free-weight row worked the lower-back muscles 34% more than a machine row) and adds weight in small steps, while the bent-over row also trains your hip hinge. Our bent-over row guide covers that side.
Do both across your week: the row pulls towards your stomach and the pulldown from overhead, and they share the lats. Put the one you most want to improve first in the session.
No: it asks less of your lower back than a bent-over row, which is why our row guide uses it while back pain settles. Keep your trunk still, and stop for pain that travels down a leg.
3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure, with 90 seconds to 2 minutes' rest, and train your back about twice a week. When every set reaches 12, add weight and go back to 8.
Both work. One arm at a time makes your trunk resist twisting, so it works your obliques more; two arms let you lift more and keep the row simple.
They're a useful part of a mix: strengthening programmes improve measured posture, but rows on their own haven't been tested, and strength doesn't match where your shoulder blades sit at rest. Our rounded shoulders guide has the full programme.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
