The Single Arm Cable Row is a beginner cable row that primarily trains the back and lats, with the biceps and shoulders assisting. It is useful for building horizontal pulling strength through the back and lats.
Primary muscles
back, lats
Secondary muscles
biceps, shoulders
Equipment
cable
Difficulty
beginner
TARGET AREA
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
back, lats
Secondary muscles
biceps, shoulders
THE MOVEMENT
How to perform
Sit or stand in a stable cable-row position and square the torso before working one arm at a time.
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 or pelvis stable and match the range of motion between sides.
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
Rotating or shifting the torso/pelvis to make the working side easier.
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: load for the working side. Public value: per logged side.
Single Arm Cable Row Strength Standards — Male
Male
Published estimated 1RM thresholds by bodyweight. Load is recorded as per logged side.
Single Arm Cable Row estimated 1RM strength standards by bodyweight and IronYou rank — Male.
Bodyweight (kg)
Silver I
Gold I
Titanium I
IRON
50 kg
21.6 kg
28.6 kg
35.6 kg
50.2 kg
60 kg
23.9 kg
31.7 kg
39.4 kg
55.6 kg
70 kg
26 kg
34.5 kg
42.9 kg
60.5 kg
80 kg
27.9 kg
37 kg
46 kg
64.9 kg
90 kg
29.7 kg
39.3 kg
48.9 kg
68.9 kg
100 kg
31.2 kg
41.3 kg
51.5 kg
72.5 kg
110 kg
32.6 kg
43.2 kg
53.8 kg
75.8 kg
120 kg
33.9 kg
44.9 kg
55.9 kg
78.8 kg
Single Arm Cable Row Strength Standards — Female
Female
Published estimated 1RM thresholds by bodyweight. Load is recorded as per logged side.
Single Arm Cable Row estimated 1RM strength standards by bodyweight and IronYou rank — Female.
Bodyweight (kg)
Silver I
Gold I
Titanium I
IRON
40 kg
9.2 kg
12.2 kg
15.2 kg
21.5 kg
50 kg
12.3 kg
16.3 kg
20.3 kg
28.6 kg
60 kg
14.2 kg
18.9 kg
23.5 kg
33.1 kg
70 kg
15.4 kg
20.4 kg
25.4 kg
35.9 kg
80 kg
16.2 kg
21.4 kg
26.7 kg
37.6 kg
90 kg
16.6 kg
22 kg
27.4 kg
38.7 kg
100 kg
16.9 kg
22.4 kg
27.9 kg
39.4 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: Seated Cable Row, Barbell Row, and One Arm Dumbbell Row.
Use single-side work to match control between sides, or a bilateral version when you want both sides working together.
EARLY ACCESS
Track Single Arm Cable Row in IronYou.
Keep your last session, progress and next target with you when you train.