Standing Cable Row
The Standing Cable Row is a functional compound exercise that targets the upper back muscles while requiring core and hip stability. By performing the row from a standing position, you build back strength while learning to maintain a strong, neutral posture against horizontal resistance.
Due to the stability demands of this exercise, Iridium checks your 7-day workout history to ensure your lower back hasn't exceeded its Maximum Recoverable Volume from recent heavy compounds. If your current fatigue scores are high, the AI will prioritize seated or supported variations to ensure your lats—not your core—are the limiting factor.
Form Cues
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent for a stable base
- Keep your chest up and shoulders depressed, away from your ears
- Drive your elbows back past your torso, initiating the pull with your back muscles
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together firmly at the peak of the contraction
- Control the weight slowly on the return, allowing your arms to fully extend
- Don't lean backward excessively to use your body weight for leverage
- Don't shrug your shoulders up towards your ears as you pull
- Don't allow your lower back to round or your core to disengage
- Don't jerk the cable or use momentum to initiate the movement
Common Mistakes
- Using excessive momentum
- Shrugging shoulders upward
- Leaning back too far
- Pulling primarily with biceps
- Rounding the lower back
Muscles Worked
This movement primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and middle trapezius to build back width and thickness. Unlike seated variations, the standing position heavily engages the glutes, hamstrings, and erector spinae as stabilizers to prevent the cable from pulling you forward.
Primary
Secondary
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