Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows
An intermediate compound movement that trains the middle back with a cable machine.
Force Type
Pull
direction of effort
Difficulty
Intermediate
training level
Variations
3
equipment swaps
Muscles
4
primary + secondary
The verdict
Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows has 6-step instructions, among the most thoroughly documented of the 34 middle back exercises PlainExercise catalogues.
Ranked against the 34 middle back exercises PlainExercise currently catalogues, not the full exercise-science literature.
Catalog lens
Two ways this record sits in the source corpus
These are placement measures for the documented record, not a score for exercise quality, safety, or suitability.
Instruction steps
#130 of 868
More thorough than most
Numbered source steps, ranked across every documented exercise.
Instruction text
#30 of 868
Most thoroughly documented
A separate character-length placement prevents step count from standing in for explanatory detail.
Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows vs every catalogued exercise by instruction-text length
Where this record's instruction-character count sits among all 873 Free Exercise DB exercises with instructions, not a rating of the movement itself.
1,340 30th of 873 higher than 843 of 873 exercises
All exercises, banded by instruction-text character count
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more exercises. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source Free Exercise DB · 2026-07-10
Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows is documented from the Free Exercise DB (CC0) extract, last ingested July 2026. Classification, muscle roles and instruction text are source facts; the placement and cohort measures on this page are computed by PlainExercise and are not a rating of the movement.
What the Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows Data Reveals · DEEP · PULL/COMPOUND
Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows stands out on upstream text volume: long Free Exercise DB records diverge here before taxonomy badges do.
Longer step lists usually mean finer setup cues, not a harder movement by themselves.
Across 34 catalogued middle back movements, the average instruction record is 676 characters and 4.2 steps; 22 of those (64.7%) clear the same ≥500-character rich bar used here. This page ranks #1 of 34 by instruction-character length (1.98× the cohort average).
Among the 81 exercises that also use a cable machine, average instruction length is 786 characters; 3 of those peers are longer than this record. Equipment-matched peers are the honest comparison when you are choosing a substitute implement for the same pattern.
Other well-documented middle back movements (same ≥500-character bar):
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row (7 steps, 1,260 chars)
- Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row (6 steps, 1,166 chars)
- Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row (6 steps, 1,161 chars)
- Seated Cable Rows (5 steps, 1,160 chars)
- One Arm Chin-Up (7 steps, 1,075 chars)
Context matters: taxonomy (level, mechanic, force, musculature, equipment) does not account for individual biomechanics, joint history, or recovery. Common-mistake framing below is derived from classification fields, not case-specific coaching. Not medical or personal-training advice. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting, especially with injuries, cardiovascular conditions, recent surgery, or pregnancy.
Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows catalog footprint
Among 34 exercises whose primary muscle is middle back, Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows ranks #8 by catalogued variation count. The upstream file attaches 2 images to this slug. See the step-count ranking for middle back for peer documentation depth.
Muscles worked
The Free Exercise DB classifies each muscle as primary or secondary. It does not measure activation, so we show involvement, not percentages.
Source: Free Exercise DB primary/secondary muscle classification. Actual recruitment varies by load and form.
Intensity context
For reference, here is where common activities sit on the MET intensity scale. Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows does not have a measured MET in the source data, its intensity depends on the load and effort you use. Estimate calories for any activity with the calorie calculator.
MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth et al., 2011). A general reference scale, not a rating of this specific movement.
How to do it
- To get into the starting position, first sit down on the machine and place your feet on the front platform or crossbar provided making sure that your knees are slightly bent and not locked.
- Lean over as you keep the natural alignment of your back and grab the single handle attachment with your left arm using a palms-down grip.
- With your arm extended pull back until your torso is at a 90-degree angle from your legs. Your back should be slightly arched and your chest should be sticking out. You should be feeling a nice stretch on your lat as you hold the bar in front of you. The right arm can be kept by the waist. This is the starting position of the exercise.
- Keeping the torso stationary, pull the handles back towards your torso while keeping the arms close to it as you rotate the wrist, so that by the time your hand is by your abdominals it is in a neutral position (palms facing the torso). Breathe out as you perform that movement. At that point you should be squeezing your back muscles hard.
- Hold that contraction for a second and slowly go back to the original position while breathing in. Tip: Remember to rotate the wrist as you go back to the starting position so that the palms are facing down again.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions and then perform the same movement with the right hand.
Common mistakes
- Rushing through reps, controlled tempo (2-3s down, 1-2s up) is what drives muscle tension on Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows, not raw speed.
- Cutting the range of motion short - moving the middle back through its full safe range on Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows is what most reliably separates effective reps from wasted ones.
- Treating a compound lift like an isolation movement - Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows recruits multiple joints; bracing the core and engaging stabilizers matters as much as the prime movers.
- Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears on pull movements, keep shoulder blades down and back to load the correct muscles.
- Breathing out of sync with the lift on Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows - brace and inhale during the lowering phase, exhale on the exertion, especially important with a cable machine where control matters most.
Who this is for
- People with 6+ months of consistent training who can perform basic compound lifts with good form
- People who want to train the middle back and secondarily biceps, lats
- People who have access to a cable machine
Who this is NOT for
- Anyone with acute pain in the joints or muscles involved, pain is a stop signal, not a soreness signal
- People with unresolved injuries in the loaded joints, seek clearance from a physical therapist first
- Anyone with a recent surgery, cardiovascular limitation, or pregnancy complication without physician clearance
Progression path
Once Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows feels comfortable with your current load, progress by (a) adding reps until you can complete 12+ per set, (b) increasing resistance by 2.5-5%, (c) moving to harder variations such as single-limb or longer lever versions, and eventually (d) stepping up to expert-level movements that train the same muscle.
See the Progression guide for a full framework on when to advance, and the Compound vs Isolation guide to decide when to prioritize this movement in your program.
Safety notes · CABLE · PULL/COMPOUND · MID
- Intermediate PULL/COMPOUND: warm up mobility matching middle back before Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows with a cable machine.
- Sharp or joint pain is a stop signal. Muscle soreness during sets is normal; pain is not.
- Adjust sets, reps, and rest to recovery; 6 upstream steps are a template, not a prescription.
- General information only. Consult a physician or certified trainer before starting any new exercise program.
Variations
Alternate versions of this movement with different equipment.
Curated workout appearances
Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows is not currently featured in one of the 186 curated workout routines on this site.
Nationwide exercises with similar documentation depth
Two Free Exercise DB peer sets for Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows, drawn across all muscles (not the middle back-only related list below). Each metric produces a different neighborhood.
Similar instruction step count
Nearest catalog records by numbered steps.
Similar instruction text length
Nearest catalog records by upstream instruction characters.
Using the seated one-arm cable pulley rows
Three ways to put it to work.
- Train the middle back 2–3 times a week with 48+ hours between hard sets; pair this with other middle back movements for balanced development. All middle back exercises
- No cable? The documented variations swap the implement without changing the movement pattern. See variations
- As a compound lift, this trains several muscles at once, anchor your session around it before isolation work. Compound vs isolation
Form before load. If a movement causes sharp or joint pain, stop and substitute a safer alternative, this is general information, not medical or training advice.