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Cable Straight Back Seated Row strength standards

What is a good Cable Straight Back Seated Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Cable Straight Back Seated Row is about 115 lb (0.64x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 148 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Cable Straight Back Seated Row Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model, scaled from the Bench Press table by a fixed ratio of 0.52. Updated March 29, 2026. Find the row closest to your bodyweight. Beginner is a first target for a new lifter, Novice a few months in, Intermediate about one to two years of structured training, Advanced several years, Elite the top of the table.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 28 44 65 90 118
120 33 50 73 99 128
130 38 57 80 108 138
140 43 63 88 116 148
150 48 69 95 125 157
160 53 75 102 133 166
170 58 81 109 140 175
180 63 86 115 148 183
190 68 92 122 155 191
200 72 97 128 162 199
210 77 102 134 169 206
220 81 108 140 176 214
230 86 113 146 182 221
240 90 118 151 188 228
250 94 123 157 194 235
260 99 127 162 201 241
270 102 132 167 206 248
280 107 137 173 212 254
290 111 141 177 218 260
300 114 146 183 223 266
310 119 150 187 228 272

The Cable Straight Back Seated Row standard at each level as bodyweight rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Cable Straight Back Seated Row Standards by Age

How the Cable Straight Back Seated Row standards change with age, as a 1RM in lb. This table is not tied to one bodyweight, so read it for the trend and use the bodyweight table above for your own number.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 46 68 96 129 165
20 53 78 110 148 189
25 54 80 113 151 193
30 54 80 113 151 193
35 54 80 113 151 193
40 54 80 113 151 193
45 51 76 107 144 184
50 48 71 100 135 172
55 44 66 93 125 159
60 41 60 85 114 146
65 36 54 76 103 132
70 33 49 69 92 118
75 29 44 61 83 106
80 26 39 55 74 94
85 23 35 49 66 85
90 21 31 44 60 76

The Cable Straight Back Seated Row standard at each level as age rises, for the sex selected above. Exact numbers in the table above.

Check Your Cable Straight Back Seated Row Level

Intermediate
Level score: 50 of 100
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
A 180 lb male lifting 115 lbs (0.64x bodyweight) on the Cable Straight Back Seated Row is at the Intermediate standard for his bodyweight. Enter your own numbers above to see where you stand.

Over 40? Add your age and the calculator also shows an age-adjusted level and an age-30 equivalent, using the McCulloch age factor to scale your lift to peak age. Every age band is in the standards by age table above.

Level score:
Level score on the FitnessVolt standards: Beginner 5, Novice 20, Intermediate 50, Advanced 80, Elite 95
Age-adjusted score
lb Age-30 equivalent 1RM

of 100
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What the Cable Straight Back Seated Row Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

You are building the mind-muscle connection for the Cable Straight Back Seated Row, learning to initiate the pull with your back rather than your arms, and developing basic grip strength.

Novice

You can perform the Cable Straight Back Seated Row with proper scapular retraction and a controlled range of motion. You are progressively overloading and building back thickness and lat width.

Intermediate

Your Cable Straight Back 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

You have built substantial back development through the Cable Straight Back 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

Your Cable Straight Back 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 Straight Back Seated Row

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Cable Straight Back Seated Row to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Cable Straight Back 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 Straight Back 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 Straight Back 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 Straight Back 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 Straight Back Seated Row

Cable Straight Back Seated Row demonstration
Primary Muscles upper-back
Equipment cable
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
["Sit on the cable row machine with your feet flat on the footrests and your knees slightly bent.","Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip, palms facing down.","Keep your back straight and lean slightly forward from the hips.","Pull the cable 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 Straight Back Seated Row guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Cable Straight Back Seated Row Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Cable Straight Back Seated Row table is the Bench Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.52 (confidence: medium). It is a set of targets, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Cable Straight Back Seated Row itself. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 29, 2026

  • Level tables: the FitnessVolt strength standards model, not meet data.
  • Method: Strength standards methodology - how the level tables are built and where each data source on the site comes from.
Cite this Fitness Volt strength standards model, 2026. Beginner to Elite levels are model values, not competition percentiles. https://fitnessvolt.com/strength-standards/methodology/

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" Cable Straight Back 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 Straight Back 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.
They are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Cable Straight Back Seated Row table is the Bench Press table scaled by a fixed FitnessVolt ratio of 0.52 (confidence: medium). It is a set of targets, not a measured population.
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.

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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.