Back · Cable
Cable Seated One Arm Alternate Row
How to do the cable seated one arm alternate row, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Cable
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPull
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Sit at a cable row station with two single handles set at chest height, one in each hand and arms extended toward the stack. Row one handle back toward your torso while the other stays extended, then alternate arms each rep, keeping your chest tall and core braced.
- 1Lat on the working side pulling the elbow back
- 2Shoulder blade retracting as the handle reaches your torso
- 3Core staying tight to resist any twist as you alternate
Common mistakes
- Rotating your torso to throw the weight back
- Shrugging the shoulder up as you row
- Letting the extended arm collapse out of position
Muscles worked
The cable seated one arm alternate row mainly works the lats and mid traps, with the biceps, rear delts, forearms, and obliques assisting.
- LatsPrimary
- Mid TrapsPrimary
- BicepsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
Kovo programs the cable seated one arm alternate row for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the archer pull-up
- How to do the resistance band assisted pull-up
- How to do the machine assisted pull-up
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the machine back extension
- How to do the back lever
Last reviewed June 2026.