- EquipmentCable
- PatternPull
- Reps8 to 15 reps
- Joint loadNone flagged
Attach a long bar to the low cable. Sit with your feet on the platform, grip the bar wide and sit tall with straight arms.
First cueKeep your chest up.
How to do the Wide-Grip Cable Row
Set up. Attach a long bar to the low cable. Sit with your feet on the platform, grip the bar wide and sit tall with straight arms.
- Pull the bar toward your upper stomach with elbows flared out to the sides.
- Squeeze your upper back.
- Return under control to straight arms.
Form cues
- Keep your chest up.
- Keep the elbows high.
- Keep the torso still.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back to pull.
- Shrugging the shoulders.
Muscles worked
Main target: Upper back. The upper back is the muscle between and around the shoulder blades. It pulls the shoulder blades together and back, which is what every row trains and what holds a posture against a long day at a desk.
On the way: Lats and Rear delts.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Wide-Grip Cable Row, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Machine Chest Press Superset partner: it trains the other side of the horizontal push and pull pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Cable Hammer Curl Same pull session: it trains the biceps.
- Power Clean Same pull session: it trains the traps.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Wide-Grip Cable Row first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Wide-Grip Cable Row 3 × 8 to 15 reps
- Machine Chest Press 3 × 8 to 15 reps
- Cable Hammer Curl 3 × 10 to 20 reps
- Power Clean 3 × 1 to 5 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Chest-Supported T-Bar Row
Machine
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Working weight and 1RM calculator
Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.
Training zones
| Zone | Share of 1RM | Usual reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 85 to 90 % | 3 to 6 |
| Muscle growth | 70 to 80 % | 6 to 12 |
| Endurance | 60 to 65 % | 15 to 20 |
A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.
Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Seated Cable Row.
Other variations of the Seated Cable Row: Single-Arm Cable Row.
Do before it: Band Pull-Apart (shoulder blades), Thoracic Rotation (upper back range), Cat-Cow (bracing) and Chest-Supported Row (same movement, lighter).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Wide-Grip Cable Row is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Wide-Grip Cable Row?
Set up: Attach a long bar to the low cable. Sit with your feet on the platform, grip the bar wide and sit tall with straight arms. Steps: 1. Pull the bar toward your upper stomach with elbows flared out to the sides. 2. Squeeze your upper back. 3. Return under control to straight arms. Form cues: Keep your chest up. Keep the elbows high. Keep the torso still. Common mistakes: Leaning back to pull. Shrugging the shoulders.
What muscles does the Wide-Grip Cable Row work?
It trains the upper back as its main target and works the lats and rear delts on the way.
What can I do instead of the Wide-Grip Cable Row?
At home: Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row. In a gym: Chest-Supported T-Bar Row. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Wide-Grip Cable Row with?
Good partners in the same workout are Machine Chest Press, Cable Hammer Curl and Power Clean.
How heavy should the Wide-Grip Cable Row be?
Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.