Back · Cable
Cable Seated Row
How to do the cable seated 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
- Horizontal Row
- Mechanic
- Compound
See it in motion
How to do it
Sit at a cable machine with feet braced. Grasp the handle and pull it towards your abdomen, keeping your back straight. Slowly return to starting position.
- 1Sit tall with your chest up and pull the handle toward your torso, feeling your lats and mid-back doing the work
- 2Initiate by retracting your shoulder blades and drive your elbows back
- 3Squeeze at the end of the row and control the return to maintain constant tension
Common mistakes
- Don't lean backward excessively or use your torso to generate momentum
- Avoid shrugging your shoulders or rounding your back
- Don't let the weight pull you forward, stay braced through your core
Muscles worked
The cable seated row mainly works the lats and mid traps, with the biceps, forearms, and rear delts assisting.
- LatsPrimary
- Mid TrapsPrimary
- BicepsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the cable seated row for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More back exercises
- How to do the back extension bench back extension
- How to do the barbell good morning
- How to do the barbell bent over row
- How to do the barbell shrug
- How to do the cable straight arm pulldown
- How to do the chin-up
Last reviewed April 2026.