Back · Cable machine

Cable High Row

The cable high row is an upper-body pulling exercise designed to strengthen the upper back, rear deltoids, and rhomboids. It fits well into pull or upper-body sessions as an accessory movement to improve posture and balance heavy pressing work.

Muscles: Back
Equipment: Cable machine
Type: Strength
Animation: Men

How to do it

Sit or stand facing a cable machine with a straight bar or handle attachment set at upper chest height.
Grab the attachment with both hands.
Pull the attachment towards your upper chest or face, driving your elbows back and up.
Squeeze your upper back and rear delts.
Return to the starting position with control.

Common mistakes

Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears shifts the tension away from the mid-back onto the upper trapezius.
Leaning back excessively relies on momentum rather than muscular effort, reducing isolation of the rear deltoids.
Pulling through the wrists rather than driving with the elbows overworks the forearms and minimizes back recruitment.
Flaring the elbows straight out creates unnecessary impingement stress on the shoulder joints.

Tips

Use a rope attachment to allow a natural wrist path and a greater range of motion.
Pause for a second at full contraction to focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together.
Control the eccentric return over two to three seconds to maximize time under tension.

Sets and reps

Perform 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 controlled repetitions to target hypertrophy and muscular endurance. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

Muscles worked

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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Questions

How does the cable high row differ from a standard seated cable row?

The elevated pulling angle shifts the primary emphasis away from the lats and directs it toward the rear delts, traps, and rhomboids.

Can resistance bands replicate this movement at home?

Yes, securing a resistance band to a high anchor point allows you to replicate the high-to-low pull trajectory with consistent tension.

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