What you'll gain

• Builds the lats, mid-back, and biceps in a horizontal pull pattern.

• Trains the core to brace against horizontal load — useful for sport.

• Reinforces the pull pattern that balances out heavy pressing work.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Set the cable pulley to chest height and attach a straight bar, then grip it overhand at shoulder width.

2. 2

   Step back until the cable has tension at full arm extension and stand with feet hip-width apart.

3. 3

   Brace your core and pull the bar toward your lower chest, keeping the elbows close to your sides.

4. 4

   Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of the pull, feeling the mid-back engage.

5. 5

   Slowly let the bar travel back to full arm extension over 2 to 3 seconds, fighting the cable tension.

6. 6

   Repeat for 10 to 15 reps, keeping the torso upright and avoiding any backward lean.

Common Mistakes

• Leaning back hard to use bodyweight instead of pulling cleanly with the back.

• Letting the elbows flare wide, which loads the rear delts and pulls focus off the lats.

• Shrugging the shoulders up at the end of the pull, swapping mid-back work for trap engagement.

• Snapping the bar back forward and skipping the slow return, where most of the muscle-building tension lives.

About This Exercise

The cable bar standing row is a horizontal pulling exercise performed from a chest-height pulley with a straight bar attachment. By pulling the bar to the lower chest while standing tall, it trains the lats, mid-back, and biceps under constant cable tension. The standing setup also forces the core and lower body to brace against the pull, making it a more athletic alternative to a seated row. For app and content use, this clip fits cleanly into pull-day programs, back-focused hypertrophy blocks, and functional-strength tracks. It's especially valuable in athletic-prep programs where standing pulling patterns transfer to sport. Pair it with face-pull clips for a complete back-and-rear-delt module in your library.

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