Seated Cable Rows

Starting position:

Choose the appropriate weight taking account of your fitness level and your type of training. Sit on the machine seat and grab the V-bar attached to the pulley. Bend slightly (a hint of leaning) but do not over bend your back at the waist. Hold your hands with the V-bar stretched forward along the trajectory of the pulley. Fix your feet in the foot rests of the machine with knees slightly bent.

Exercise:

From the hands stretched forward position pull the V-bar towards your chest while bending your elbows until your hands touch your chest (contracting your back muscles). Your elbows point backwards. Exhale when you do the motion towards your body and inhale when you return to the starting position.

Note:

Make sure your do not over bend your back at the waist when your bend slightly backwards.

Recommendation:

Begin with lower weight to master the technique well.

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This excellent and safe (with correct technique) exercise is best done with a v-bar. As in most other exercises, the neutral grip (palms facing each other) is most natural and safest (puts no extra stress on the wrist joints and doesn’t the whole arm is in its strongest and anatomically most natural position).

If v-bar is not available, overhand or underhand grip is also applicable.

Caution: do not move your torso once you are in a starting position. Moving your torso forwards or backwards can cause lower back injury.

An alternative of this exercise is elevated cable rows. Due to the different angle between the torso and arms, the main targeted muscle group in elevated cable rows is lats.