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cable low seated row strength standards

What is a good cable low seated row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate cable low seated row is about 111 lb (0.62x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 142 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 111 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 142 lb Advanced standard
Gym median Separate tab Self-reported, not blended
Check My Level Estimate Your 1RM Methodology
Evidence ledger No blended rankings
Primary source FitnessVolt standards model
Available views Standards
Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

Competition results, gym submissions, and reader logs stay labeled separately so the ranking source is clear.

Quick Answer cable low seated row

A solid (Intermediate) cable low seated row for a 180 lb male is about 111 lb (0.62x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own cable low seated row into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 142 lb (0.79x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

cable low seated row demonstration
Estimated Standards

How strong is your cable low seated row? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles lats
Equipment cable
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

Estimated Standards - The level table for this exercise is modeled from FitnessVolt strength ratios for a related base lift, not from direct measurements of this movement. Learn about our methodology

How Strong Is Your cable low seated row?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 111 lbs (0.62x bodyweight) on the cable low seated row ranks Intermediate on the FVCP competition scale, stronger than ~50% of verified competition lifters at this bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

That clears the median for this bodyweight and gives you a useful benchmark for the next tier.

Over 40? Our calculator also reports an age-adjusted percentile and an age-30 equivalent using the McCulloch age factor, so masters lifters are compared to lifters their own age. See the age-adjusted (Masters 40+) standards below for the full breakdown.

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
Your FVCP:
Age-adjusted percentile
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

FVCP competition ranking, shown separately from gym percentiles and reader logs
th percentile

Illustrative: a normal-distribution model anchored to the real Beginner to Elite percentile thresholds for your bodyweight. The marker shows where your lift falls, not a measured frequency count.

Help improve accuracy for everyone
Share your FVCP with friends
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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted cable low seated row entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

111 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.62x x Bodyweight

Baseline figures for a 180 lb male at Intermediate level, from the standards table. This is not reader-submitted data. So far readers have logged a lift here.

Enter your numbers above first. We publish reader benchmarks only after a sample threshold is met.

How Much Should You cable low seated row?

Use this table to find the standard closest to your bodyweight. The tiers are standards, not claims about reader submissions.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM scales with bodyweight at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 27 42 63 87 113
120 32 49 70 96 124
130 37 55 77 104 133
140 42 61 85 112 143
150 47 67 91 120 151
160 51 72 98 128 160
170 56 78 105 135 168
180 61 83 111 142 176
190 65 89 117 149 184
200 70 94 123 156 191
210 74 99 129 163 199
220 78 104 135 169 206
230 83 109 140 175 213
240 87 114 146 181 219
250 91 118 151 187 226
260 95 123 156 193 232
270 99 127 161 199 238
280 103 132 166 204 244
290 107 136 171 210 250
300 110 140 176 215 256
310 114 145 180 220 262

Is Your cable low seated row Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good cable low seated row at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) cable low seated row is about 111 lb (0.62x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 142 lb (0.79x), and Elite is 176 lb (0.98x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) cable low seated row is about 54 lb (0.39x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 78 lb (0.56x), and Elite is 105 lb (0.75x).

How Much Should You Be Able to cable low seated row?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 111 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 61 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 54 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 20 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 91 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 135 lb at an Intermediate level. Find your exact bodyweight in the table above.

By age (men): at an Intermediate level a 30 year old male lifts about 109 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 97 lb. See the By Age tab for every age band.

FitnessVolt standards, with FVCP competition rankings shown separately from gym percentiles

How Does Age Affect cable low seated row Strength?

How cable low seated row standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

How a male lifter's expected 1RM changes with age at each level. Exact numbers in the table below.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 44 66 93 124 159
20 51 75 106 142 182
25 52 77 109 146 186
30 52 77 109 146 186
35 52 77 109 146 186
40 52 77 109 146 186
45 49 73 103 138 177
50 46 69 97 130 166
55 43 64 90 120 153
60 39 58 82 110 140
65 35 52 74 99 127
70 32 47 66 89 114
75 28 42 59 80 102
80 25 38 53 71 91
85 23 34 48 64 82
90 21 30 43 58 73

What Do cable low seated row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the cable low seated row, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

Stronger than 20% of lifters. You can perform the cable low seated row with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Stronger than 50% of lifters. Your cable low seated row shows strong back engagement with minimal momentum. You use RPE to regulate pulling intensity and train strategically to balance horizontal and vertical pull volume.

Advanced

Stronger than 80% of lifters. You have built substantial back development through the cable low seated row with refined technique and heavy loads. Your grip is no longer a limiting factor, and you manage rowing and pulling fatigue across training blocks.

Elite

Stronger than 95% of lifters. Your cable low seated row strength is exceptional. You can handle loads that most lifters cannot move with strict form, and your back development reflects years of high-volume, periodized pulling work.

How to Progress Your cable low seated row

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your cable low seated row to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the cable low seated row 2x per week, focusing on initiating the pull from your back, not your arms.
  • Use linear progression with strict form - no swinging or excessive body English.
  • Pause briefly at peak contraction to build the mind-muscle connection.
  • Develop grip strength in parallel to avoid it becoming a bottleneck.
Track progress with the one rep max calculator →
Novice → Intermediate Structured Progression
  • Add a pull variation (different grip width, underhand, or single-arm) for balanced development.
  • Increase pulling volume to 10-15 sets per week across all back movements.
  • Program the cable low seated row at RPE 7-8, saving RPE 9 work for top sets only.
  • Balance horizontal pulls (rows) with vertical pulls (pulldowns/pull-ups).
Plan your RPE-based sessions →
Intermediate → Advanced Periodized Training Blocks
  • Run 4-6 week blocks with progressive overload on the cable low seated row.
  • Use RPE 8-9 for heavy sets with calculated backoff work at RPE 6-7.
  • Add controlled eccentrics and paused reps to break through plateaus.
  • Total back volume of 15-22 sets per week, distributed across pull patterns.
Program your backoff sets →
Advanced → Elite Mastery
  • Maximize the cable low seated row through advanced intensity techniques and precise volume management.
  • Use periodized blocks with planned overreaching and supercompensation phases.
  • Refine execution: squeeze at contraction, controlled stretch, zero momentum.
  • Your back development should reflect years of disciplined, high-volume pulling.
View RPE-to-percentage chart →

How to Perform cable low seated row

["Sit on the machine with your feet flat on the footrests and your knees slightly bent.","Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, palms facing down.","Keep your back straight and lean slightly forward, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.","Pull the handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.","Pause for a moment at the peak of the movement, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.","Repeat for the desired number of repetitions."]

Read the complete cable low seated row guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These cable low seated row Standards Come From?

FitnessVolt keeps each data population labeled. Competition percentiles use verified raw meet results where available. Gym percentile tabs use self-reported Symmetric Strength data. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

Is Your cable low seated row Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your cable low seated row against clearly labeled standards and percentile datasets. Here is the cleanest way to read it:

  1. Start with Standards to find the tier closest to your bodyweight.
  2. Use Gym Percentiles when you want self-reported gym comparisons.
  3. Use Competition for verified meet-result percentiles where the lift supports it.
  4. Use By Age when age-segmented gym data is available.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the one rep max calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can cable low seated row 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

The important rule: do not mix the tabs. Standards, gym percentiles, competition percentiles, and reader logs answer different questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" cable low seated row depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training background. The Intermediate tier is a useful first serious target, while Advanced and Elite represent much harder standards. Use the table above for the number closest to your bodyweight.
Many lifters can reach the Intermediate tier on the cable low seated row after steady training, but the timeline depends on starting point, technique, programming, recovery, and bodyweight changes. Treat the tier as a benchmark, not a deadline.
Yes. Competition views use verified meet-result data where available, gym percentile views use self-reported gym cohorts, and reader-submitted benchmarks are shown only after enough entries are logged. The populations are labeled separately.
For weighted lifts, enter a clean raw 1RM or an estimated 1RM from a recent hard set. For rep-based movements, enter controlled full-range reps. Avoid equipped lifts, partial reps, or bounced reps unless you are comparing against the same style every time.

Related Exercise Standards

Related Calculators

One Rep Max Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE
Written by Tom Miller, CSCS · Reviewed by Editorial Team
Tom Miller, CSCS, is a Sr. Editor & Content Strategist with 10 years of experience in Powerlifting and Personal Training. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, he is dedicated to delivering informative, engaging, and reliable health and fitness content. His work has been featured on websites including the-sun.com, Well+Good, Bleacher Report, Muscle and Fitness, UpJourney, Business Insider, NewsBreak and more.