The Cable Standing Row targets the upper back, shoulders, and arms. It improves strength and stability while engaging your core.

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the cable handle with both hands.
  2. Pull the handle towards your torso, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  3. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position.

How to perform the Cable Standing Row

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Cable Standing Row using your cable.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your rotator cuff.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your rotator cuff rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Cable Standing Row

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