Cable Standing Single Delt Row
Cable Standing Single Delt Row Exercise Description
The Cable Standing Single Delt Row is a unilateral cable row that emphasizes the posterior deltoid while also engaging the middle trapezius and rhomboids for scapular retraction. Standing allows natural trunk stabilization and an adjustable line of pull, and the cable provides smooth, continuous resistance through the range of motion. The movement is a horizontal pull performed in the scapular plane with the elbow traveling slightly away from the torso to bias the rear shoulder rather than the lat. The rotator cuff (especially infraspinatus and teres minor) stabilizes the glenohumeral joint as the arm moves. This variation helps you feel and control shoulder retraction and humeral horizontal abduction without using excessive load. Keep the spine neutral and the ribs down so the shoulder, not the low back, drives the motion.
- Muscle Groups: Delts, Shoulders
- Target Muscles: Deltoid - Posterior
- Assisting Muscles: Rhomboid Major, Rhomboid Minor, Trapezius - Middle Fibers
- Stabilizing Muscles: External Obliques, Infraspinatus, Multifidus, Rectus Abdominis, Teres Minor
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Shoulders
- Body Surface: Back
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- Equipment: Cable
- Exercise Patterns: Pull
- Exercise Type: Strength
- Functional Grouping: Shoulder Extensors
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Rear Shoulder
- Movement Direction: Horizontal
- Muscle Position: Posterior
- Gender: Male
How To Do The Cable Standing Single Delt Row Exercise
‘- Set a single D‑handle at about mid‑chest height.
– Stand side‑on to the machine; hold the handle with the hand farthest from the stack (cross‑body start).
– Take a stable stance (feet hip‑width, slight stagger), knees softly bent, torso tall, ribs down.
– Start with the working arm across your body, thumb neutral, shoulder blades set down and back.
– Brace lightly; keep neck long and avoid shrugging throughout.
– Lead with the elbow and pull across and back, letting the upper arm travel slightly away from your side (about 30–60° abduction).
– Think “elbow to the wall behind you,” stopping when your upper arm is in line with your torso without arching or twisting.
– Squeeze the shoulder blade toward the spine at end range; keep wrist and forearm quiet (don’t curl the handle).
– Return along the same path with controlled scapular protraction, keeping tension and posture.
– Maintain square hips and chest; avoid rotating, leaning, or hiking the working shoulder.
Cable Standing Single Delt Row Tips
‘- Set the single D‑handle at about mid‑chest height before you start.
– Stand side‑on to the machine and grab the handle with the hand farthest from the stack for a cross‑body start.
– Take a stable stance with feet about hip‑width, a slight stagger, knees softly bent, and torso tall with ribs down.
– Begin with the working arm across your body, thumb neutral, and shoulder blades set down and back.
– Keep your neck long and avoid shrugging or hiking the working shoulder as you pull.
– Lead the movement with your elbow, pulling across and back with the upper arm slightly away from your side (about 30–60°).
– Stop the pull when your upper arm is in line with your torso, without arching your back or twisting your torso.
– At the end of the row, squeeze the shoulder blade toward your spine and keep the wrist and forearm quiet (don’t curl the handle).
– Return the handle along the same path with controlled scapular protraction, maintaining tension, posture, and square hips and chest.
Cable Standing Single Delt Row Beginner Introduction
The Cable Standing Single Delt Row is a one‑arm cable rowing movement that highlights the rear of the shoulder while involving the upper back, especially the muscles that draw the shoulder blade inward. Performed on your feet with a cable handle, it uses a sideways pulling path that lines up with the shoulder blade’s natural motion, shifting the emphasis away from the lats and toward the back of the shoulder. The cable setup allows a consistent pull on the arm from start to finish, encouraging smooth, steady tension.
This exercise blends upper‑back work with trunk steadiness. The standing position encourages the midsection and lower back to stay organized while the arm moves, and the shoulder’s small stabilizing muscles around the joint contribute throughout the motion. The arm travels across the body and then back in line with the torso, which helps build awareness of how the shoulder blade glides and how the upper arm moves away from and toward the side without relying on heavy loading or momentum.