Cable Row
Equipment Required
- Cable machine with a low pulley
- V-handle or straight bar attachment
- Bench or seat, depending on the setup
Muscle Groups Targeted
- Upper back (latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius)
- Rear shoulders
- Biceps
- Core stabilisers
How To Do It
- Attach your chosen handle to a low pulley and select a weight you can control.
- Sit tall with your feet braced and your knees slightly bent.
- Reach forward to grab the handle with your arms extended and your chest lifted.
- Pull the handle in toward your lower ribs, keeping your elbows close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause briefly, then return the handle slowly to the start position without letting the weight stack slam down.
Don’t turn the movement into a backward lean. The cable row works best when your torso stays controlled and the effort comes from your back. If pulling movements are provoking joint pain rather than normal muscular effort, that usually matters more than the exercise label itself and it’s worth understanding how to think about training around injury.
Tips & Cues
- Keep your chest up and your shoulders down rather than shrugging.
- Think about driving your elbows back, not yanking with your hands.
- Use a weight that lets you pause and control the return.
- Stay upright instead of rocking back to create momentum.
Why It Matters
The cable row is one of the easiest rowing movements to load progressively while still keeping the pattern stable and repeatable. That makes it useful for building upper-back strength, improving posture, and balancing out pressing work. Compared with a bent-over row, it usually places less demand on your lower back and makes it easier to focus on the muscles doing the pulling.
It also gives you a heavier and more consistent option than a band row, while still being easier to control and repeat across sessions.
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