Back · Cable machine

Cable Seated Single Arm Lats Focused Row

The cable seated single arm lats focused row is an isolated unilateral exercise designed to target the latissimus dorsi under continuous cable tension. It suits lifters of all experience levels aiming to correct muscular imbalances and fits well into the middle or finish of a back session.

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

How to do it

Sit on a bench or the ground facing a cable machine with a single handle attachment set at chest height.
Grab the handle with one hand.
Pull the handle towards your torso, driving your elbow down and back close to your side.
Focus on contracting your lat.
Squeeze at the peak contraction.
Return to the starting position with control.
Complete all reps on one side before switching.

Common mistakes

Flaring the elbow outward shifts mechanical tension away from the lats and onto the upper back and rear delts.
Rotating or leaning the torso excessively uses momentum to move the weight instead of lat contraction.
Pulling primarily with the biceps rather than driving the elbow back limits lat recruitment and tires the arm prematurely.
Allowing the stack to pull the arm forward uncontrollably skips the eccentric phase and risks shoulder strain.

Tips

Drive your elbow down and back toward your hip crease to fully shorten the lat fibers.
Pause for a deliberate second at the peak of contraction before controlling the handle back forward.
Brace your core and keep your chest square to the cable to minimize torso twisting.

Sets and reps

Perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side to optimize lat hypertrophy. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sides or full sets.

Muscles worked

Cable Seated Single Arm Lats Focused Row: back

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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On a computer? Point your phone's camera here to get the app.

Questions

Why use a single-arm cable setup instead of a standard two-arm row?

Training one side at a time allows a customized pulling path tailored to your lat anatomy and prevents the dominant side from taking over.

What should replace this exercise if a cable machine is unavailable?

A chest-supported single-arm dumbbell row or a resistance band anchored at chest height provides a comparable pulling angle for the lats.

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