Upright Torso Cable Seated Row
In SetGrip: Cable Seated Row (Upright Torso)
- Primary muscleUpper Back
- EquipmentCable
- DifficultyBeginner
- TypeCompound · Pull
Keeping your torso vertical from first pull to last strips the body-lean cheat out of the seated row, since there is no rocking back to get the stack moving. Reps become harder and more honest at the same pin setting, which is why coaches use this version to expose lifters who have been rowing with their lower back.
How to do the Upright Torso Cable Seated Row
- Sit on the cable row machine with your feet flat on the footrests and your knees slightly bent.
- Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
- Keep your back straight and lean slightly forward from the hips.
- Pull the cable handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the peak of the movement, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Pause for a full count with the handle at your torso before letting it go back.
Muscles worked
Primary
Upper Back · Back
The rhomboids and mid traps squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of each rep, which is where you should feel the strongest contraction.
Secondary
- Biceps — The biceps bend the elbow on every row but should never be the muscle that fails first.
- Forearms — Grip and forearm endurance often limit heavy rows, so use straps or a thicker grip if the hands give out before the back.
- Delts — The rear delts do a lot of work on face pulls and wide, high rows, where the elbows travel out to the sides.
Common mistakes
- Yanking with the arms — the rep should start with the shoulder blades pulling back, then the elbows follow; if the biceps give out first, you are curling the weight.
- Torso heaving up — on bent-over rows the back angle should not change between reps; if it does, drop the weight.
- Shrugging the shoulders up — pull the elbows back and down and keep the shoulders away from the ears, especially on face pulls.
- Skipping the stretch — let the arms straighten fully and the shoulder blades slide forward at the start of each rep, then pull from there.
Where it fits in a workout
Rows are a main movement in any pull or back session and go before pulldowns and arm work. They pair well with a chest press or a push-up as a push and pull superset.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without cable
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
Track the Upright Torso Cable Seated Row in SetGrip
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Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.