Cable Front Seated Row
Cable Front Seated Row Exercise Description
The cable front seated row is a horizontal pulling exercise performed on a cable machine with a neutral- or V‑grip handle. It primarily trains the latissimus dorsi, middle and lower trapezius, and rhomboids, with assistance from the posterior deltoids, biceps, and forearm flexors. The seated position and cable’s constant tension help you focus on controlled scapular motion while keeping a neutral spine. The goal is coordinated scapular retraction and depression as you pull, then controlled protraction as you return, without trunk rocking. You’ll pull the handle toward the lower ribs/upper abdomen with elbows close to your sides, maintaining level shoulders and neutral wrists throughout.
- Muscle Groups: Back, Lats, Traps
- Target Muscles: Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboid Major, Rhomboid Minor, Trapezius - Lower Fibers, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Assisting Muscles: Biceps Brachii - Long Head, Brachialis, Deltoid - Posterior
- Stabilizing Muscles: Flexor Digitorum Superficialis, Longissimus, Multifidus, Serratus Anterior, Transversus Abdominis
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Back, Mid Back, Upper Back
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Bilateral
- Equipment: Cable
- Exercise Patterns: Pull
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Scapular Depressors, Scapular Retractors, Shoulder Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Lats, Lower Traps, Mid Traps, Upper Back
- Movement Direction: Horizontal
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Cable Front Seated Row Exercise
‘- Set the seat/footplate so your feet are flat and knees slightly bent; sit tall at the low pulley.
– Grasp a neutral- or V‑grip handle; wrap thumbs; keep wrists straight in line with forearms.
– Stack ribs over pelvis; maintain a neutral spine with a slight hip hinge and level head/neck.
– Depress the shoulders (down away from ears) and brace lightly through the trunk.
– From straight arms, allow the shoulder blades to glide forward under control without rounding your back.
– Initiate the row by pulling the shoulder blades back and down, then drive elbows along your sides.
– Pull the handle to your lower ribs/upper abdomen; avoid shrugging and flaring the ribs.
– Pause briefly with elbows behind the torso and shoulder blades retracted and depressed.
– Reverse slowly: extend the elbows and let the shoulder blades protract smoothly while the torso stays still.
– Keep the cable moving in a straight path; breathe out as you pull, in as you return.
Cable Front Seated Row Tips
‘- Set the seat so your feet are flat on the footplate and your knees stay slightly bent.
– Sit tall with ribs stacked over pelvis, keeping a neutral spine and slight hip hinge.
– Keep your head and neck level with your torso instead of jutting the chin forward.
– Wrap your thumbs around the neutral- or V-grip handle and keep wrists straight in line with your forearms.
– Depress your shoulders down away from your ears before and as you start pulling.
– From straight arms, let your shoulder blades glide forward under control without rounding your back.
– Initiate each rep by pulling the shoulder blades back and down before driving the elbows.
– Drive your elbows close along your sides and pull the handle toward your lower ribs/upper abdomen.
– Avoid shrugging the shoulders or flaring the ribs as you reach the end of the pull.
– Pause briefly with elbows behind your torso and shoulder blades retracted and depressed before returning.
– Extend your elbows and let the shoulder blades protract smoothly while keeping your torso still.
– Keep the cable moving in a straight, controlled path; breathe out as you pull and in as you return.
Cable Front Seated Row Beginner Introduction
With the cable front seated row, the lifter uses a machine-based back movement performed while sitting upright at a low cable station, using a close, V-shaped handle. Instead of pulling from the floor or overhead, the resistance travels straight in toward the torso, creating a horizontal pull that challenges the back through the whole motion. Because the weight is delivered by a cable, tension remains relatively steady from the stretch to the finish position, encouraging smooth, deliberate motion rather than swinging.
This exercise mainly targets the large muscles of the mid-back, along with the upper back, with help from the shoulders, biceps, and forearms. The key theme is learning to move the shoulder blades in a controlled way—gliding slightly forward as the arms straighten, then drawing back and slightly downward as the handle comes in toward the lower ribs. Throughout the action, the spine is organized in a tall, natural posture and the head stays in line with the trunk, so the work centers on the back and arms instead of on rocking through the hips.