The Seated Cable Row is a beginner cable row that primarily trains the back and lats, with the biceps assisting. It is useful for building horizontal pulling strength through the back and lats.
Primary muscles
back, lats
Secondary muscles
biceps
Equipment
cable
Difficulty
beginner
TARGET AREA
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
back, lats
Secondary muscles
biceps
THE MOVEMENT
How to perform
Sit or stand in a stable cable-row position.
Start with the arm(s) long and the shoulders controlled.
Row toward the torso by driving the elbow back without twisting.
Return slowly until the back is lengthened again.
IRONYOU / CORE
Core cues
Keep the torso position consistent from rep to rep.
Drive the elbows back while keeping the shoulders away from the ears.
Control the return so the back stays loaded instead of letting the weight pull you forward.
STAY SHARP
Common mistakes
Turning the row into a torso swing.
Shrugging instead of pulling through the back.
Cutting the eccentric short and losing the stretched position.
YOUR PROGRESS
Your strength
Use your best set to calculate your current IronYou rank and see what comes next.
IRONYOU RANK CALCULATOR
127 exercises. One ladder. Your first rank is free.
Published reference points from the production IronYou rank system.
IronYou has 13 strength ranks: Copper I–III → Silver I–III → Gold I–III → Titanium I–III → IRON. IRON is the highest IronYou rank. The public standards tables show the estimated 1RM required to enter Silver I, Gold I, Titanium I, and IRON. Standards vary by sex and bodyweight.
Logged load: machine or cable stack load. Public value: total stack/load.
Seated Cable Row Strength Standards — Male
Male
Published estimated 1RM thresholds by bodyweight. Load is recorded as total stack/load.
Seated Cable Row estimated 1RM strength standards by bodyweight and IronYou rank — Male.
Bodyweight (kg)
Silver I
Gold I
Titanium I
IRON
50 kg
41.1 kg
54.5 kg
67.8 kg
95.6 kg
60 kg
45.6 kg
60.3 kg
75.1 kg
105.9 kg
70 kg
49.6 kg
65.6 kg
81.7 kg
115.2 kg
80 kg
53.2 kg
70.4 kg
87.7 kg
123.6 kg
90 kg
56.5 kg
74.8 kg
93.1 kg
131.3 kg
100 kg
59.4 kg
78.7 kg
98 kg
138.2 kg
110 kg
62.1 kg
82.3 kg
102.4 kg
144.4 kg
120 kg
64.5 kg
85.5 kg
106.4 kg
150 kg
Seated Cable Row Strength Standards — Female
Female
Published estimated 1RM thresholds by bodyweight. Load is recorded as total stack/load.
Seated Cable Row estimated 1RM strength standards by bodyweight and IronYou rank — Female.
Bodyweight (kg)
Silver I
Gold I
Titanium I
IRON
40 kg
18.2 kg
24.1 kg
30.1 kg
42.4 kg
50 kg
24.3 kg
32.2 kg
40.1 kg
56.5 kg
60 kg
28.1 kg
37.2 kg
46.3 kg
65.3 kg
70 kg
30.5 kg
40.3 kg
50.2 kg
70.8 kg
80 kg
31.9 kg
42.3 kg
52.7 kg
74.2 kg
90 kg
32.9 kg
43.5 kg
54.2 kg
76.4 kg
100 kg
33.4 kg
44.3 kg
55.1 kg
77.7 kg
IronYou-specific standard; resistance can vary between machines/equipment.
Values are estimated 1RM thresholds required to enter the named IronYou major rank tier.
Standards are derived from the production IronYou Rank V1 model.
IronYou-specific standard; resistance can vary between machines/equipment.
KEEP EXPLORING
Variations
Related variations: Single Arm Cable Row, Barbell Row, and One Arm Dumbbell Row.
Choose the version that matches your equipment, joint comfort, and the movement you can repeat consistently.
EARLY ACCESS
Track Seated Cable Row in IronYou.
Keep your last session, progress and next target with you when you train.