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Seated Cable Wide-Grip Row
A seated cable row taken with a wide bar and elbows flared, shifting emphasis from the lats to the mid-back, rear delts, and rhomboids.
BackCableHorizontal pull
GoLightWeight mediacable-seated-wide-grip-row
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
RhomboidsMiddle trapezius
Secondary
Rear deltoidsLatissimus dorsiBiceps
Equipment
Cable
Pattern
Horizontal pull
Setup
- 01Attach a wide straight or lat bar to the low pulley of a seated row station.
- 02Sit with feet braced on the platform and knees slightly bent.
- 03Take an overhand grip well outside shoulder width.
- 04Sit upright with a neutral spine and arms extended toward the stack.
Execution
- 01Pull the bar toward the upper abdomen or lower chest.
- 02Let the elbows travel wide, roughly in line with the hands.
- 03Squeeze the shoulder blades together hard at the end of the pull.
- 04Return the bar under control until the arms are long and the blades protract.
Checkpoints
- -Elbows stay high and wide throughout the pull.
- -Bar touches higher on the torso than a close-grip row.
- -Torso angle stays consistent from rep to rep.
- -Shoulder blades fully retract at the finish.
Common mistakes
- -Pulling to the belly button, which turns it into a lat-dominant row.
- -Rocking the torso back to move heavier weight.
- -Letting the shoulders roll forward at the stretch without re-setting.
- -Gripping so wide that range of motion disappears.
Programming notes
- -Use 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps; the mid-back responds well to higher reps.
- -Pair with a vertical pull to cover both lat and mid-back angles.
- -Add a 1 second squeeze at peak contraction if you struggle to feel the rhomboids.
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