What Muscles Does The Seated Cable Row Work?

The seated cable row primarily works your back and biceps with some assistance from the back of your shoulders. If you use enough weight that it is hard to hold onto the handle, you will also get forearm work out of the exercise. Cable rows provide a good compliment to chinups and allow you to get in a complete back workout. Consult a health-care practitioner before beginning any strength-training program.

Back

The primary muscles worked in the seated cable row are the latissimus dorsi — the widest muscles of your upper back. These are the largest muscles of your upper body, and provide stability during many activities and exercises. These muscles generate power to draw your elbows back during any type of row. According to a 2004 study in "Dynamic Medicine," cable rows provide a great deal of stimulation to the latissimus dorsi — more than many other exercises.

Biceps

Your biceps serve two functions — to rotate your wrists and to flex your arms. During the seated row, your biceps stretch during the extension, when you allow the handle to move toward the weight stack. They flex heavily as you retract your elbows and row the handle into your chest. Your biceps will receive the greatest activation if you use a straight bar handle and grip it with your palms facing up. Other handles may allow you a greater range of motion, which allows you to work your back harder.

Shoulders and Back

The back of your shoulders contract to assist in pulling your arms back, but the angle of your arms limits the activity of this muscle — the posterior head of your deltoid. Your trapezius, the muscle that covers most of your upper back, contracts to assist you with stabilizing your spine and retracting your shoulder blades during the row. Neither of these muscles work hard enough to consider the cable row a primary source of exercise for them.

Peformance

To perform the exercise, select an appropriate training weight that will allow you to complete your desired repetitions with good form. Brace your feet against the foot plates and keep a slight bend in your knees. Grip the handle with both hands, using whatever handle you are most comfortable with. Arch your back, then without moving your torso, pull the handle into the center of your chest. Allow your arms to stretch out until they are fully extended, then repeat.