Machine Seated Cable Row
A seated low-cable row that trains the lats, mid-back and biceps through a clean horizontal pull — the benchmark row in any gym.
How to do it
- Sit in the machine and brace your feet against the platform with your knees slightly bent.
- Grab the handle, lean forward slightly and let the cable fully extend your arms.
- Sit tall with a flat back and pull your shoulder blades down and back to set the starting position.
- Pull the handle toward your lower chest or upper stomach, driving your elbows back behind your torso.
- Squeeze your mid-back hard at the top of the pull, pausing for a full count before returning.
- Let the handle travel forward slowly over 2–3 seconds, resisting the cable the whole way.
Key technique cue
Don't rock the torso: row with the elbows to the lower chest, shoulders down.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Rocking the torso back and forth to use momentum, which trains the lower back instead of the upper back.
- ✕ Pulling the handle to the throat instead of the lower chest, which loses lat engagement.
- ✕ Shrugging the shoulders up at the top, letting the traps take over from the mid-back.
- ✕ Letting the cable snap forward fast and skipping the slow return on every rep.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds the lats, mid-back and biceps with constant cable tension.
- ✓ Improves posture by training the muscles that pull the shoulders back.
- ✓ Easy to scale for beginners and easy to load for advanced lifters.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Machine Seated Cable Row
- Cable Supinating Row
- Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row
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Step 2
About the exercise
The Machine Seated Cable Row is the benchmark horizontal pulling exercise in any gym. Sitting upright with the feet braced against the footplate, the lifter pulls a low-cable handle toward the lower chest, loading the lats, mid-back and biceps through the full range. Constant cable tension makes the working muscles obvious and the lowering phase controlled. It is a staple for pull day, for beginners learning the rowing pattern and for supporting posture in people who sit at a desk all day. It pairs naturally with pulldowns and face pulls.
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