Because of its size, the trapezius has upper, middle and lower fibers that often are targeted independently in workouts. The cable row places the most emphasis on the middle and lower fibers. An exercise such as an upright row or shrug taxes the upper fibers.
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What muscles do cable rows work?
Seated cable rows increase upper-body strength by activating multiple muscle groups throughout the body, including back muscles like the latissimus dorsi in your middle back, the erector spinea muscles, the rhomboids in your upper back, and the lower trapezius.
What muscles do narrow cable rows work?
- latissimus dorsi (middle back)
- rhomboids (between shoulder blades)
- trapezius (neck, shoulders, and upper back)
- biceps brachii (front of upper arm)
Should you lean forward on cable row?
You’re rowing for Olympic gold. Engaging your entire upper body by leaning forward or even driving with your legs during the cable row takes the tension off your lats. Instead, stabilize your body and tighten your coreโ then row the bar to you. Your goal is back growth, not to join the Olympic rowing team.
Is wide grip cable row better?

Do cable rows work lower back?
The seated cable row is a great back isolation exercise that can help build back thickness and strength. It also minimizes added stress and fatigue to the lower back and hamstrings.
How many cable rows should I do?
- For strength: 3-5 reps, 2 sets and 1-3 minute rest between sets.
- For hypertrophy: 8-12 reps, 3 sets, 60-90 seconds rest between sets.
Do rows and pulldowns work the same muscles?
Vertical and horizontal pulling exercises like lat pulldowns and rows both work many of the same muscles: your lats, traps, rhomboids, rear delts, rotator cuffs, and biceps.
Is Low cable row good?
Low cable rows are a compound exercise that is actually done while sitting down. You’re likely to come across low cable rows often in upper-body workouts, mainly because they are a great way to target the the middle back, as well as the biceps, lats, and shoulders.
Why don’t I feel rows in my back?

Does seated cable row work shoulders?
Seated row targets muscles in the upper back and the muscle covering the outside of the chest wall, latissimus dorsi. It will tone and strengthen your upper body including the shoulders, which is necessary for daily activities, as well as burn abdominal fat.
How do you do cable rows right?

What is the best grip for cable rows?
When used for cable rows, the V-grip handle primarily works the lats, rhomboids, and traps with some assistance from the biceps.
What grip should you use for cable rows?
Cable rows can be done with a wide or close grip, and most people find that they get better contact with their biceps with the close grip, and better contact with their back muscles with the wide grip.
Whats better close grip or wide grip?
The close-grip bench press results in higher velocity and power, while the wide grip bench press results in a higher force. In a wide-grip bench press, your chest and shoulders contribute 78% of the force necessary to lift the bar, while your triceps contribute 22%.
Which row is best for back?
Bent-Over Barbell Row The bent-over barbell row is the best back movement in terms of sheer weight a person can lift. It equally works the larger muscle groups of the lower and upper back, making this exercise a great overall back builder.
What rows target lower back?
- Bent over row (3 sets of 10 to 12 reps)
- One-arm dumbbell row (3 sets of 8 to 10 reps on each arm)
- T-bar row (3 sets of 10 reps)
- Gorilla row (3 sets of 10 reps on each arm)
- Inverted row (3 sets of 10 to 15 reps)
How do you target back in cable rows?

How much can the average man cable row?
What is the average Seated Cable Row? The average Seated Cable Row weight for a male lifter is 189 lb (1RM).
Are cable rows better than barbell rows?
Seated Cable Rows might be better than Bent-Over Barbell Rows for athletes who have trouble with their hip hinge and lower-back strength, because Seated Cable Rows place you in a stable upright position, where you can focus more on strengthening your scapulae than your lower back.
How much can the average man row?
So, how much can the average man barbell row? Around 185 pounds for a single repetition. But if he keeps training seriously for ten years, it’s realistic to be able to row 290โ335 pounds.
Whats better lat pulldown or cable row?
When subjects did seated cable rows, muscle activity of the lats was more than 40% greater than when they did wide-grip pulldowns. Rows appear to be a better exercise for stimulating more of the lat muscle fibers and, therefore, helping to build a bigger back.
Can rows replace chin-ups?
Try Bent-Over Rows Lat pulldowns are the best substitute for chinups โ not only do they work the same muscle groups, but they also work them in the same plane. However, if neither chinups nor lat pulldowns are an option, you can get by with bent-over rows.
Are pull-ups better than rows?
Rows work your latissimus dorsi more than pull-ups. Out of all of the row variations, the inverted row works your latissimus dorsi the most.
Do rows hit lats?
Defense Rows are great for building a wide, thick back. They hit all areas of the lats โ as well as most other back muscles, such as the middle traps, rhomboids and teres major.