Cable Close Grip Seated Row Guide: Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Alternatives

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When it comes to back training, bodybuilders have a saying: If you want to grow, you gotta row! While vertical lat pulldowns and pull-ups are undeniably effective, it’s horizontal rows that pack on the greatest back mass.

However, there are many different rowing exercises to choose from. Your options include bent-over barbell rows, Pendlay rows, T-bar rows, single-arm dumbbell rows, Kroc rows, seal rows, and machine rows.

In this guide, we lift the lid on another popular rowing exercise – the cable close grip seated row. It’s one of our favorites, and it should be one of yours too. However, given how badly this exercise is often performed, it’s evident that some technique revision is required!

Cable Close Grip Seated Row – Muscles Worked

Cable close grip seated rows as a compound pulling exercise. That means they involve multiple muscles and joints working together. The main muscles trained by cable close grip seated rows are:

Latissimus Dorsi

The latissimus dorsi, or lats for short, are located on the sides of your upper back. When well developed, the lats look like wide, muscular wings. The functions of the lats are shoulder joint adduction and extension, the latter of which is part and parcel of cable close grip seated rows.

Trapezius

The trapezius is a large kite-shaped muscle that covers much of your upper back. Known as the traps for short, there are three groups of fibers that make up this muscle – upper, middle, and lower.

While all three sets of fibers are involved in cable close grip seated rows, the middle fibers, located across the shoulder blades, are the most active. These fibers pull your shoulder blades back and together in a movement called retraction.

Rhomboids

The rhomboids are located between your shoulder blades. They work with your mid traps to pull your shoulders back and together, which is called retraction.

Deltoids

The deltoids are your most significant shoulder muscles. Like the traps, there are three groups of fibers, called heads – anterior (front), medial (middle), and posterior (rear). All three deltoid heads are involved in cable close grip seated rows, but the posterior fibers are the most active.

Biceps

While cable close grip seated rows are undoubtedly an upper-back exercise, you’ll probably feel it in your biceps, too. Cable close grip seated rows involve a lot of elbow flexion, which is a function of the biceps. In fact, your biceps may fail before your bigger, stronger back muscles.

Forearms

Any exercise that involves your grip also trains your forearms, and cable close grip seated rows are no exception. Depending on your hand and grip strength, you may benefit from using gym chalk or lifting straps during this exercise so your hands don’t fail before your back muscles.

Core

Cable close grip seated rows are performed without support. As such, you’ll need to use your core muscles to stabilize your spine. Core is the collective term for the muscles of your midsection, including the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae. Bracing or tensing these muscles will ensure your spine remains rigid and stable during cable close grip seated rows.

How to Do Cable Close Grip Seated Row

Get more from cable close grip seated rows while keeping your risk of injury to a minimum by following these guidelines:

1. Attach a narrow parallel grip handle to a seated row machine or low pulley.
2. Sit on the bench and place your feet on the footrests. Grab the handle in both hands.
3. Sit up tall and straight with your arms extended in front of you and knees slightly bent.
4. Brace your core, and pull your shoulders down and back. Look straight ahead.
5. Lean forward slightly from your hips and allow your shoulder blades to slide forward. Do not round your lower back.
6. Shrug your shoulders back, sit up straight, bend your arms, and pull the handle into your abdomen.
7. Extend your arms and repeat.

Pro Tips:

• Use gym chalk or lifting straps to reinforce your grip if required.
• Keep your upper body stationary and vertical if you prefer.
• Keep your upper arms close to your sides to fully engage all your back muscles.
• Lead with your elbows to maximize muscle engagement.
• Keep your wrists straight throughout.
• Inhale as you bring the handle toward you, and exhale as you extend your arms.

Benefits and Drawbacks

Not sure if cable close grip seated rows deserve a place in your next back workout? Consider these benefits and then decide!

Reduced lower back stress

Exercises like bent-over and T-bar rows put a lot of stress on your lower back. In fact, some fitness coaches and trainers call these movements contraindicated, suggesting they should be avoided. While this is a little over-cautious, there is no denying that unsupported forward flexion can cause injuries, especially if you allow your lumbar spine to round.

However, cable close grip seated rows are much more lower back-friendly. You don’t have to waste energy supporting your upper body weight, so there is less stress on your back. Whether you suffer from back pain or just want to avoid it in the future, cable close grip seated rows are a sensible option.

A time-efficient exercise

Some rowing exercises are unilateral, meaning they train one side of your body at a time. While this is a useful way to identify and fix left-to-right strength imbalances, it can also make your workouts longer.

Bilateral cable close grip seated rows are more time efficient as you train both sides of your back simultaneously. This is a small but welcome advantage for exercisers with limited training time.

A complete upper back workout

While lat pulldowns and pull-ups are both popular and effective, they only tend to work your lats and have much less impact on the trapezius and rhomboids. As such, they can help you develop a wider back but won’t do as much for back thickness.

In contrast, cable close grip seated rows hit the lats AND the traps and rhomboids, making it a more self-contained back workout. Using cable close grip seated rows, you should be able to develop a back that’s both thick and broad.

Easy to adjust the weight

Cable close grip seated rows are usually performed on a machine with a selectorized weight stack. As such, you can quickly and easily change the weight. This makes cable close grip seated rows ideal for muscle-building drop sets. To perform a drop set, rep out to failure, reduce the weight by 10-15%, and immediately rep out again. Do 2-3 weight drops to fully exhaust the target muscles.

While cable close grip seated rows are a mostly beneficial exercise, there are also a couple drawbacks to consider:

Good postural awareness is a must

While cable close grip seated rows are relatively lower back-friendly, that depends on your form and posture. In other words, you need to sit up tall and straight to minimize lower back stress. This requires good postural awareness, and you’ll need to adopt the correct position by relying on your position sense and proprioception.

If you aren’t sure you are in good posture, video your cable close grip seated row workout and make adjustments accordingly.

Equipment requirements

Most commercial gyms have at least one cable seated row machine. But, because they’re usually quite large, heavy, and expensive, home exercisers may not have the space or the budget to put one in their garage or spare room gym.

The good news is there are several similar exercises you can do instead of cable close grip seated rows, which you’ll find described in the following section.

7 Cable Close Grip Seated Row Variations and Alternatives

Cable close grip seated rows are a highly effective upper back exercise, but that doesn’t mean you need to do them all the time. Here are several variations and alternatives you can use to keep your workouts productive and interesting:

1. Single-arm cable seated row

While training both sides of your back and arms at the same time can be an advantage for some, it isn’t for others. Bilateral training can lead to left-to-right strength and developmental imbalances. If you’ve got one side stronger than the other, single-arm cable seated rows could be the answer.

Steps:

1. Attach a D-shaped handle to a seated row machine or low pulley.
2. Sit on the bench and place your feet on the footrests. Grab the handle with one hand.
3. Sit up tall and straight with your arm extended in front of you and knees slightly bent.
4. Brace your core, and pull your shoulders down and back. Look straight ahead.
5. Lean forward slightly from your hips and allow your shoulder blades to slide forward. Do not round your lower back.
6. Shrug your shoulders back, sit up straight, bend your arm, and pull the handle into the side of your abdomen.
7. Extend your arm and repeat.
8. Rest a moment, switch sides, and do the same number of reps with the other arm.

Muscles targeted:

• Primary: Latissimus dorsi, middle trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids.
• Secondary: Biceps, forearms, core.

Benefits:

• Identify and fix left-to-right strength imbalances.
• Less lower back stress than the bilateral version.
• A useful anti-rotation core exercise.

Tips:

• Keep your torso upright and shoulders squared throughout.
• Use a thick handle to work on your grip strength.
• You can also do this exercise with a rope handle.

2. Cable wide grip seated cable row

Regular cable close grip seated rows hit your lats and mid-upper back pretty equally. However, when you switch to a wide grip, your mid-traps, rhomboids, and posterior deltoids get more of a workout, and your lats must take a back seat. This is an excellent variation for developing upper back thickness and improving posture.

Steps:

1. Attach a long bar to a cable seated row machine.
2. Sit on the machine with your legs slightly bent and torso upright.
3. Hold the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder-width overhand grip.
4. Starting with your arms straight, bend your arms and pull the bar into your sternum.
5. Extend your arms and repeat.

Muscles targeted:

• Primary: Middle trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, latissimus dorsi.  
• Secondary: Biceps, forearms, core.

Benefits:

• An excellent way to emphasize the mid-upper back.
• A good exercise for better posture.
• A very effective movement for developing the posterior deltoids.

Tips:

• Keep your elbows high throughout.
• Pull your shoulders back and down while keeping your chest up.
• Do not bend your wrists to pull the bar closer to your chest. Pull your elbows back instead.

3. Supinated grip seated cable row

Using a supinated or palms-up grip puts your biceps in a stronger position. As such, with this variation, you should be able to either lift more weight or do more reps. However, if you’ve got tight arms, you may find it hard, if not impossible, to fully extend your elbows. Try it and see how you get on; this exercise is not for everyone.

Steps:

1. Attach a straight bar to a cable seated row machine.
2. Sit on the machine with your legs slightly bent and torso upright.
3. Hold the bar with a shoulder-width supinated or underhand grip.
4. Starting with your arms straight, bend your arms and pull the bar into your abdomen.
5. Extend your arms and repeat.

Muscles targeted:

• Primary: Latissimus dorsi, middle trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids.
• Secondary: Biceps, forearms, core.

Benefits:

• A stronger position for the biceps.
• A useful addition to close and wide grip seated cable rows.
• A good back AND biceps builder.

Tips:

• Lead with your elbows, and keep your upper arms close to your sides.
• Adopt and maintain good posture throughout.
• Try a narrow and medium-width grip to see which you prefer.

4. Resistance band seated row

No seated row machine? No problem! You can replicate this popular back exercise with a simple resistance band. All you need is a strong anchor and a suitable band. The type with handles at each is ideal. This is an excellent option for home workouts.

Steps:

1. Attach the middle of your band to a strong, low anchor.
2. Sit on the floor with your legs extended, knees slightly bent. Sit up straight, brace your core, and pull your shoulders back and down.
3. With one end of the band in each hand, pull the handles into your lower ribs.
4. Extend your arms and repeat.

Muscles targeted:

• Primary: Latissimus dorsi, middle trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids.
• Secondary: Biceps, forearms, core.

Benefits:

• An ideal exercise for home workouts.
• Do this exercise almost anywhere and anytime, even while traveling.
• A very joint-friendly back exercise.

Tips:

• Sit on a low chair for comfort if necessary.
• You can also do this exercise by looping your band around your feet.
• Pull the handles into your chest to hit your upper back more than your lats.

5. Cable close grip standing row  

While cable close grip seated rows are an excellent bodybuilding and strength training exercise, they’re not exactly functional. After all, other than at the gym, when was the last time you pulled a heavy weight toward you while sitting in a chair?

This standing variation is a little more functional and should carry over better to sports and activities outside of the gym.

Steps:

1. Attach a narrow parallel grip handle to an adjustable cable machine set to around mid-chest height.
2. Hold the handle with both hands and step back to tension the cable. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent for stability.
3. Pull your shoulders back and down, brace your core, and look straight ahead.
4. Bend your arms and pull the handle into your abdomen.
5. Extend your arms and repeat.

Muscles targeted:

• Primary: Latissimus dorsi, middle trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids.
• Secondary: Biceps, forearms, core.

Benefits:

• More functional than seated cable rows.
• Burns more calories than the seated variation, as you have to use your legs for support.
• Less lower back stress and a reduced chance of rounding your lumbar spine.

Tips:

• You can also do this exercise in a split stance.
• Use a D-shaped handle and work one arm at a time if preferred.
• Keep your upper arms close to your sides to maximize back engagement.

6. Inverted row

You don’t need a cable machine to train your upper back. In fact, all you really need is your body weight and a suitable bar. This exercise is ideal for home workouts and is also more functional than seated cable rows, as you have to stabilize your entire body to perform it correctly.

Steps:

1. Adjust the bar in a Smith machine or put a barbell in a squat rack at around hip height. Lock it in place so it won’t move.
2. Sit on the floor below the bar and hold it using an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
3. Extend your legs and lift your hips so your body is straight.
4. Starting with straight arms, bend your elbows and pull your chest up to the bar.
5. Extend your arms and repeat.

Muscles targeted:

• Primary: Latissimus dorsi, middle trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids.
• Secondary: Biceps, forearms, core.

Benefits:

• A very functional upper-back exercise.
• An ideal exercise for home workouts.
• Good for developing better posture.

Tips:

• Make this exercise easier by bending your legs or raising the height of the bar.
• Make it more challenging by putting your feet on a bench or wearing a weighted vest.
• You can also do this exercise with gymnastic rings or a suspension trainer, e.g., a TRX.

7. Cable chest supported seated row  

While cable close grip seated rows are already pretty lower back-friendly, there is still some stress on the muscles surrounding your lumbar spine. People with a history of lower back pain may find even this low amount of tension problematic. This rowing variation eliminates almost all lower back stress.

Steps:

1. Place an exercise bench in front of a low pulley machine so the backrest is upright and facing away from the weight stack.
2. Sit on the machine with your chest against the backrest, your feet flat on the floor, and the handles/bar in your hands.
3. Pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
4. Bend your arms and pull your hands into your abdomen.
5. Extend your arms and repeat.

Muscles targeted:

• Primary: Latissimus dorsi, middle trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids.
• Secondary: Biceps, forearms, core.

Benefits:

• A very lower back-friendly rowing exercise.
• An accessible exercise as most gyms have the necessary machine and benches.
• An excellent exercise for beginners and older people.

Tips:

• You can do this exercise using a dual pulley machine or a single cable.
• Use a rope handle to increase your range of motion.
• Keep your upper arms close to your sides to maximize upper back engagement.

Cable Close Grip Seated Row FAQs

Do you have a question about cable close grip seated rows or back training in general? No problem, because we’ve got the answers!

1. Which is better – Cable close grip seated rows or lat pulldowns?

Cable close grip seated rows and lat pulldowns involve many of the same muscles. However, where cable close grip seated rows are a horizontal pulling movement, lat pulldowns are vertical. This means cable close grip seated rows involve the mid traps and rhomboids more than lat pulldowns.

Does this make cable close grip seated rows better than pulldowns? That depends on what you want from your exercises. If you want to emphasize your lats, lat pulldowns are probably the way to go.

But, if you want to work your mid-traps and rhomboids more, cable close grip seated rows could be the best choice.

That said, these exercises complement one another, so if you can find space in your workouts for both of these movements, then you probably should.

2. Are cable close grip seated rows safe?

While no exercise is 100% safe, cable close grip seated rows are pretty low risk, especially if you avoid using too much weight and do them with the correct technique. They’re certainly safer than some other rowing exercises, such as bent-over and T-bar rows.

3. Cable close grip seated rows hurt my lower back – what gives?

If cable close grip seated rows hurt your lower back, you are probably rounding your lumbar spine or not sitting in good posture. Get someone to video you or give you feedback so you can determine what you are doing wrong.

Tight hamstrings and a weak core can make it harder to sit up straight, so address these problems if they affect you.

You may also feel your lower back if you are using too much weight.

Switch to the single-arm or chest-supported variations to hit the same muscles but with less pressure on your lower back. 

4. How many sets and reps of cable close grip seated rows should I do?

Two to four sets of cable close grip seated rows should be sufficient for most people. If you feel like you need to do more than four sets, you are probably resting too long between efforts or not taking your sets close enough to failure.

Regarding reps per set, anywhere from around eight to 30 will work, providing you push your set to within a couple of reps of failure. However, lower reps, i.e., 8-15, are generally more time-efficient.

5. How often should I train my back?

While you could just train your back once per week, as some bodybuilders do, you’ll probably get better results from two back workouts. However, don’t just repeat the same session twice, as that will soon become boring. Instead, create two workouts with different exercises in each. This will help prevent boredom and overuse injuries. Do these workouts 2-3 days apart to allow time for recovery and growth.

For example:

	Workout 1		Workout 2
	Exercise	Sets x Reps	Exercise	Sets x Reps
1	Lat pulldowns	4 x 10-12	Pull-ups	4 x AMRAP*
2	Cable seated rows	3 x 12-15	Barbell rows	3 x 6-8
3	Single-arm rows	3 x 12-15	Seal rows	3 x 10-12
4	Dumbbell pullovers	2 x 15-20	Straight-arm pulldowns	2 x 12-15
*AMRAP = As Many Reps as Possible

Cable Close Grip Seated Row – Wrapping Up

Rows are one of the best ways to build a broad, muscular upper back. Horizontal pulling exercises like bent-over, T-bar, single-arm, and Pendlay rows are critical if you want strong, powerful lats, trapezius, and rhomboids.

That said, those exercises can also be hard on your lower back, and the risks may outweigh the benefits for some people. Cable close grip seated rows are more lower-back friendly than some other rowing exercises, and the easy-to-adjust weight stack mean they’re perfect for drop sets.

Combine horizontal rows with vertical pulldowns and pull-ups to hit back your muscles from all angles and build a physique you can be proud of!