Comments on: Cable Rows

By: tina

tina — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:37:12 +0000

Great article. Relieved to know that I have been doing them correctly. 🙂 I was afraid that I would read this and find out that I was doing them wrong.

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:39:41 +0000

@John & Mike. The hand position in the video is best. However, failing that an overhand grip would be next best. An underhand grip would not be desirable as the biceps would be very much involved and fail before the lats do, terminating the exercise prematurely.
@Mike Huber. I’ll spare you in that case 😉
Thanks, everyone.

By: Mike Huber

Mike Huber — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 23:55:22 +0000

P.S. I’m not on facebook so PLEASE Don’t wrap me in the mouth with a cable row attachment!!!!!!………That There Is Funny Mark!!

By: Mike Huber

Mike Huber — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 23:51:56 +0000

I’m questioning with John also Mark, is one better than the other, over or underhand grip??? Thanks Mark Man!!!

By: John A Davis

John A Davis — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:33:18 +0000

Mark,
The machine I have has the choice of underhanded rows. This is basically a horizontal bar that one can do overhand or underhand. Does underhanded (palms facing up) have any advantage or benefits? I also have the option displayed in your blog here too.

By: John A Davis

John A Davis — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 20:57:56 +0000

@zipper
Maybe doing core exercises might help?

By: A Lowe

A Lowe — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:56:00 +0000

You’re awesome, bro!

I’ve been following your advice for a couple years now. Thanks for being a consistent resource for this type of stuff!

By: zipper

zipper — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:12:11 +0000

This looks really good. Hard to believe I’ve been out of the gym for a year now due to creating a sciatic nerve pain doing bent over barbell rows. I always made sure my form was perfect but for whatever reason sciatica moved in! Never had any back issues or this in my life. As I get back into the routine. I’m sticking with the cable rows you’ve got here. Just wish I could permanently get rid of the litteral pain the butt pain. 🙁

Cheers bro.

By: Saaro Oerba-Rube

Saaro Oerba-Rube — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:44:33 +0000

This helped alot. I almost clicked it off. I do these in the Somanabolic Muscle Maximizer program that I’ve been doing for a few weeks now in a super set. I’ve been pulling towards my chest. I’m definitely keeping in mind now to keep it towards my waist, as well as keeping a slight bend in my knees. I felt that keeping my knees NEARLY stiff would grant me strict form and keep the tension of the movement where it’s supposed to be.
Thanks though.

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:35:24 +0000

@Ismail. Remember the THT Exercise Bank. https://musclehack.com/targeted-hypertrophy-training-exercise-bank/
On this program you go there and switch up exercises every cycle (if you want to). Seated cable rows will replace another compound exercise like bent over barbell rows.

By: Ismail

Ismail — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:26:46 +0000

Hi, ur tht workout for back is dead lifts, dead lifts, dead lifts, and then 3 sets of bent over barbell rows. Where would I insert the cable rows into this workout? Do I just add an extra exercise? And how many sets and reps? Thanks

By: Mark McManus

Mark McManus — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:14:27 +0000

@Richard. I prefer to bring in that movement at the end of a set. Also remember there is the movement of bringing the shoulders back, chest out, and back arched in every rep. Remember the cadence too.
@Shannon. I basically shout my way through my workouts 😉
Nice quote there, sounds like me alright 🙂

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 11:54:22 +0000

Love the moans and groans haha i shall be implementing this correct form. I’ve been shown and have watched people swing to much forward in the start of the movement and leaning back to far in the pulling movement. Obviously im going to have to drop the weight a little bit more to get it nice and fluid. Its also nice to hear that you don’t have to be 100% strict at the end of the set just like the decline tricep pushdown.
Here at MuscleHack we strike the perfect balance between form and weight! – It’s not sloppy & it’s not strict – IT’S SMART! -Mark Mcmanus

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 11:53:17 +0000

THANKS! Good lesson. I have not been told about aiming low when pulling back. So will aim for stomach rather than chest from now on!!

I can’t remember where I picked up the idea from, but I think I’ve been doing something similar to your ‘optimized’ version throughout the set. By leaning forwards at the start (maybe 20-30deg), caused by the pull of the cable itself, I feel my lats getting fully stretched before each contraction, and I appreciate a longer duration of tension/effort against the complete range of muscle motion. I always complete the contraction phase of the rep by slightly leaning back (10deg) as I can focus extra squeeze on the lats.

I will duly follow your new guidelines on next back day, as it looks much tighter than mine. But I want to see if this form doesn’t put too much emphasis on the arms, as I maybe ‘wrongly?’ have a current form that seems to impact the back more and the arms less.