The Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row is a beginner-friendly cable strength exercise that targets the lats, middle back and traps, with the shoulders, biceps and abdominals working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesLats, Middle Back, Traps
Secondary musclesShoulders, Biceps, Abs
EquipmentCable
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row
Attach a wide bar to a seated row station and set the load.
Sit with your feet on the plate, knees slightly bent, and take an overhand grip outside shoulder width.
Sit tall, brace your abs and pull your shoulder blades down away from your ears.
Row the bar to your upper abdomen with the elbows traveling out and back.
Squeeze the shoulder blades together for a beat with the torso still.
Extend the arms slowly to a full stretch without rounding your back and repeat.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Biases the mid-back and rear shoulder more than a close grip row.
Supported seated position keeps the lower back out of the lift.
Constant cable tension across the whole pulling range.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Rocking the torso back and forth, which turns a back exercise into a hip movement.
Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears, which loads the upper traps instead of the mid-back.
Rounding the lower back on the return, which puts the lumbar spine under a stretched load.
Letting the weight stack pull the arms out fast, which loses tension at the end of the range.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Wide-Grip Seated Cable Row, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
