How to do the Single-Arm Cable Row
Step by step
- Set a handle on a low pulley and sit or stand facing the stack with your feet planted.
- Grab the handle with one hand and let that arm reach out fully so the shoulder stretches forward.
- Pull the handle to your side, driving your elbow back past your ribs.
- Squeeze your back, then let the handle travel forward under control.
- Finish all your reps on that arm, then switch hands and repeat.
The thing people get wrong
Let your shoulder stretch forward at the start of each rep rather than keeping the arm stiff - that full reach is what lets the lat do its full range.
Coaching cue
Keep your chest facing the stack; do not let your torso twist toward the working arm.
Make it easier or harder
- Harder: Pause one second with the handle at your side.
Muscles worked
- Primary: Lats, Upper Back
- Secondary: Biceps, Core, Forearms
What to do instead
Same job, different movement — useful if you don't have the equipment or it doesn't feel right today.
Daily Coach builds this into a real weekly plan. It picks the exercises for your equipment and experience, swaps around injuries you tell it about, and tracks what you actually lifted.