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Wide-Grip Cable Row
A seated cable row taken with a wide bar grip to shift emphasis from the mid-lats toward the upper back and rear delts.
BackCableHorizontal pull
GoLightWeight mediawide-grip-cable-row
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
RhomboidsMiddle trapezius
Secondary
Latissimus dorsiRear deltoidsBicepsSpinal erectors
Equipment
Cable
Pattern
Horizontal pull
Setup
- 01Attach a wide straight or lat bar to a low seated row pulley.
- 02Sit with feet braced on the platform and knees slightly bent.
- 03Grip the bar wider than shoulder width with a pronated grip.
- 04Sit tall with the cable taut and the torso vertical.
Execution
- 01Pull the bar toward the upper abdomen or lower chest with elbows flared out.
- 02Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of the pull.
- 03Hold the contraction briefly without leaning back.
- 04Return the bar with control, letting the shoulder blades protract fully.
Checkpoints
- -Elbows track wide, roughly 45 to 70 degrees from the torso.
- -Torso stays within a few degrees of vertical through the set.
- -Shoulder blades fully retract at the bar and fully protract at the stretch.
- -The weight stack moves smoothly with no jerking.
Common mistakes
- -Rowing to the belly button with tucked elbows, which turns it into a standard row.
- -Leaning back to move heavier weight.
- -Shrugging the traps up instead of squeezing the blades together.
- -Cutting the stretch short at the front of the rep.
Programming notes
- -Use 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps with a 1-second squeeze at the chest.
- -Program as upper-back accessory work after vertical pulls or heavy rows.
- -Reduce load about 20 percent versus your close-grip cable row.
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