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Cable Upright Row strength standards

What is a good Cable Upright Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Cable Upright Row is about 155 lb (0.86x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 231 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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Cable Upright Row Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. 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 26 60 111 177 254
120 30 66 118 186 265
130 33 71 125 195 275
140 37 76 131 203 285
150 40 80 138 210 294
160 43 85 144 218 303
170 46 89 149 225 311
180 49 93 155 231 319
190 52 98 160 238 326
200 55 102 165 244 334
210 58 105 170 250 341
220 61 109 175 256 347
230 64 113 179 261 354
240 66 116 184 267 360
250 69 120 188 272 366
260 71 123 192 277 372
270 74 126 196 282 378
280 76 130 200 286 383
290 79 133 204 291 388
300 81 136 208 296 394
310 83 139 212 300 399

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

Cable Upright Row Standards by Age

How the Cable Upright 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 39 77 130 196 273
20 45 88 148 225 312
25 46 90 152 231 320
30 46 90 152 231 320
35 46 90 152 231 320
40 46 90 152 231 320
45 44 86 144 219 304
50 41 80 136 205 285
55 38 74 125 190 264
60 35 68 114 173 241
65 31 61 103 157 218
70 28 55 93 141 195
75 25 49 83 126 175
80 22 44 74 112 156
85 20 39 67 101 140
90 18 36 60 91 126

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

Check Your Cable Upright 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 155 lbs (0.86x bodyweight) on the Cable Upright 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 Upright Row Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

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

Novice

You can perform the Cable Upright 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 Upright 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 Upright 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 Upright 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 Upright Row

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your Cable Upright Row to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the Cable Upright 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 Upright 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 Upright 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 Upright 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 Upright Row

Cable Upright Row demonstration
Equipment Cable Machine
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound
  1. Attach a straight bar to a low pulley on a cable machine.
  2. Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart, grasping the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly narrower than shoulder-width.
  3. Start with the bar at your thighs, arms fully extended, and shoulders relaxed.
  4. Inhale and pull the bar upwards towards your chin, keeping it close to your body.
  5. Lead with your elbows, which should remain higher than your forearms throughout the movement.
  6. Pause briefly at the top when the bar reaches the chest or chin level.
  7. Exhale and slowly lower the bar back to the starting position with controlled movement.
  8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

  • Keep your back straight and core engaged throughout the movement.
  • Avoid using momentum or swinging the weight.
  • Do not pull the bar too high to prevent shoulder impingement.
  • If you experience shoulder pain, consider a wider grip or different exercise.

Read the complete Cable Upright Row guide on FitnessVolt →

Where Do These Cable Upright Row Standards Come From?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The Cable Upright Row table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the Cable Upright 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 Upright 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 Upright 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 Upright Row table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. Treat the levels as targets.
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.