# Cable Seated Single Arm Lats Focused Row - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/10112/cable-seated-single-arm-lats-focused-row/ - Media ID: 10112 - Primary muscle: Back - Body part: Back - Equipment: Cable Handle - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/10112/cable-seated-single-arm-lats-focused-row.mp4 ## Description The Cable Seated Single Arm Lats Focused Row is a one-arm variation of the classic seated cable row, set up so the cable comes in at a low angle and your torso stays tall while you pull the handle back toward your lower ribs. Because you work one side at a time, you can angle your shoulder slightly inward and drive the elbow close to your body, which biases the lats rather than letting the mid-back and biceps take over the movement. The highlighted musculature in this exercise is the lat on the working side, with support from the rhomboids, traps, rear delts, and biceps. This setup is especially useful for lifters whose lats tend to get overshadowed by the upper back in two-handed rows. With one arm, you get a slightly longer range of motion — the working shoulder can travel further forward at the stretch and further back at the finish — and you can feel the lat lengthen and shorten in a way that is hard to notice with a bar or both hands locked on a handle. It is also a practical tool for cleaning up side-to-side strength differences, since your stronger arm can no longer quietly do more of the work. The seated position matters more than it might seem. Your feet brace against the footplate, your hips stay planted on the bench, and your torso remains close to vertical throughout. This fixed base removes momentum from the legs and lower body, forcing the pulling muscles — not a lean-back and heave — to move the weight. The single handle lets your wrist and shoulder rotate slightly, which most people find more comfortable on the shoulder joint than a rigid straight bar. To perform it well, sit tall, grab the handle with one hand, and let the arm extend fully forward without letting your torso twist toward the cable. Pull the handle back toward your waist by driving the elbow down and close to your side, squeezing the lat at the back rather than shrugging the shoulder up. Release forward under control until you feel a full lat stretch, then repeat for the desired reps before switching arms. You will see this movement used in back-focused hypertrophy programs, as a finisher after heavier rows or pulldowns, and in rehab-adjacent settings where unilateral work helps expose and correct asymmetries. Keep the load moderate enough that your torso never sways backward — if you have to lean to move the handle, the weight is beating your lats, not training them. ## Instructions 1. Set the cable pulley to its low position and attach a single handle. Sit on the row bench facing the machine and place both feet firmly on the footplate with your knees slightly bent. 2. Grip the handle with one hand using a neutral palm-in grip. Sit tall with your chest up and slide your hips back so your torso is close to vertical, a short distance behind full arm extension. 3. Brace your core and keep your free hand resting at your side or on your hip for balance. Let the working arm extend fully forward and allow the shoulder blade to reach slightly toward the pulley to load the lat. 4. Exhale as you pull the handle back toward your lower waist, driving your elbow down and close to your ribs rather than flaring it out wide. 5. Squeeze the lat hard at the back of the movement, keeping your shoulder pulled down away from your ear and your torso from rotating or leaning backward. 6. Pause briefly at full contraction, then inhale as you let the arm extend forward under control, following the cable's line until you feel a complete stretch in the lat. 7. Do not let the weight stack slam down at full extension; keep light tension on the cable before starting the next rep. 8. Complete all reps on one side, re-grip and reset your torso position, then switch to the other arm and match the same load and rep count. ## Tips & Tricks - Think 'elbow to the hip pocket,' not 'hand to the chest.' If your hand ends up high near your ribs or sternum, the upper back and biceps are stealing the rep from the lats. - Watch yourself in a side mirror or film from the side: if your torso rocks backward on each pull, drop the weight. The bench and footplate should stay completely quiet. - Keep the shoulder blade moving. Fully letting it drift forward at the stretch and pulling it back at the end trains the lat through its whole range; freezing the blade turns this into a small arm exercise. - Use lifting straps only if your grip fails before your lat does — but try bare-handed first, since the single-handle grip is usually strong enough on its own. - A slight inward angle of the working shoulder toward the cable is fine and lat-friendly, but avoid rounding your upper back forward to chase extra reach. - Start with your weaker arm first and match the reps with your stronger side rather than the other way around, so the imbalance actually closes over time. - Pause for a full second at the contracted position. Lats respond poorly to rushed reps, and the pause makes cheating immediately obvious. - If your wrist bends back sharply at the top of the pull, keep the grip loose in the fingers and let the handle sit against the base of your palm instead of choking it in a tight fist. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What muscles does the Cable Seated Single Arm Lats Focused Row work? The lats are the primary mover, with the rhomboids, middle traps, and rear delts assisting as the shoulder blade retracts, and the biceps contributing on the pull. Your core and lower back also work statically to keep the torso upright. ### Why pull with one arm instead of using a standard two-handle seated row? The single-arm version gives you a longer range of motion at both the stretch and the contraction, lets your shoulder angle naturally toward the cable for better lat alignment, and prevents your stronger side from masking a weaker one. ### Is the Cable Seated Single Arm Lats Focused Row suitable for beginners? Yes. The seated position stabilizes your lower body, and the cable provides smooth, even resistance. Start light and focus on pulling the elbow to your hip rather than moving a heavy load. ### How far forward should I let my arm go at the start of each rep? Extend until the arm is straight and you feel a stretch across the lat and armpit area, but do not round your upper back or twist your torso toward the pulley to gain extra inches. ### What is the most common mistake in this exercise? Leaning back and yanking the handle with the arm and momentum. If your shoulders move away from the bench or your spine rocks, the lats stop doing the work — reduce the weight and pull only with the shoulder blade and elbow. ### My forearm and biceps fatigue before my back feels anything. What should I change? Loosen your grip slightly, focus on leading with the elbow instead of the hand, and consider straps if grip remains the limiting factor on heavier sets. ### What can I substitute if my gym has no cable row machine? A single-arm dumbbell row on a bench trains the same lat-dominant pattern, and a single-arm band row seated on the floor with a low anchor point closely mimics the cable path. ### How close should my elbow stay to my body during the pull? Keep it brushing near your ribs on the way back. A wide, flared elbow turns the movement into a rear-delt and upper-back row, which is not the intent here. ### Is it safe for the lower back since I am seated while pulling? The seated setup with feet braced actually reduces lower back strain compared to bent-over rows, as long as you keep your torso upright and avoid jerking the weight backward. Keep the load honest and the movement smooth.