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One Arm Seated Cable Row Strength Standards

Quick Answer One Arm Seated Cable Row

A 180 lb male with an Intermediate-level One Arm Seated Cable Row of 132 lbs ranks at the 50th percentile (FVCP), stronger than ~50% of lifters. An Advanced lifter at this weight lifts 192 lbs (1.07x bodyweight).

FitnessVolt Competition Percentile (FVCP), based on 2.5M+ verified competition results

Competition-Verified

How strong is your One Arm Seated Cable Row? Compare your 1RM against standards for 21 bodyweight categories, from Beginner to Elite.

Primary Muscles Shoulders (Deltoids), Biceps, Back
Equipment Cable machine with a single handle attachment
Data Points 71 rows

How Strong Is Your One Arm Seated Cable Row?

Your FVCP:
FitnessVolt Competition Percentile, based on 2.5M+ verified results
th percentile
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to track your progress over time.

How Much Should You One Arm Seated Cable Row?

1RM weight (lbs) you should be able to lift at each standard, based on your bodyweight.

BW (lbs) Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
110 27 56 96 148 208
120 30 60 102 155 216
130 33 64 108 162 224
140 36 68 113 169 232
150 39 72 118 175 239
160 42 76 123 181 246
170 45 80 127 186 253
180 47 83 132 192 259
190 50 87 136 197 265
200 52 90 140 202 270
210 55 93 144 206 276
220 57 96 148 211 281
230 59 99 152 215 286
240 62 102 155 220 291
250 64 105 159 224 296
260 66 108 162 228 301
270 68 110 165 232 305
280 70 113 169 235 309
290 72 116 172 239 314
300 74 118 175 243 318
310 76 120 178 246 322

How Does Age Affect One Arm Seated Cable Row Strength?

How One Arm Seated Cable Row standards change across different age groups. Values represent a 1RM in lbs.

Age Beginner Novice Intermediate Advanced Elite
15 38 68 110 162 221
20 43 78 126 185 253
25 44 80 129 190 259
30 44 80 129 190 259
35 44 80 129 190 259
40 44 80 129 190 259
45 42 76 123 181 246
50 39 71 115 169 231
55 36 66 107 157 214
60 33 60 97 143 195
65 30 55 88 129 176
70 27 49 79 116 158
75 24 44 71 104 141
80 22 39 63 93 126
85 19 35 57 83 113
90 17 32 51 75 102

What Do One Arm Seated Cable Row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

Stronger than 5% of lifters. You are building the mind-muscle connection for the One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable Row

Tier-specific training recommendations to move your One Arm Seated Cable Row to the next level.

Beginner → Novice Building Your Foundation
  • Train the One Arm Seated Cable 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 your E1RM progress →
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 One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable Row

  1. Sit down at a seated cable row station with your feet firmly planted on the foot platform.
  2. Grasp the handle with one hand, keeping your arm extended and your torso upright.
  3. Engage your core and pull the handle towards your torso, bending your elbow and keeping your arm close to your body.
  4. Squeeze your shoulder blade towards your spine at the peak of the movement.
  5. Slowly extend your arm back to the starting position while maintaining control.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions before switching to the other arm.

Tips for One Arm Seated Cable Row

  • Keep your back straight and avoid leaning backward during the pulling motion.
  • Focus on squeezing your shoulder blade towards your spine to maximize muscle engagement.
  • Use controlled movements to prevent momentum from assisting the exercise.
  • Adjust the weight so you can complete the exercise with proper form.

Where Do These One Arm Seated Cable Row Standards Come From?

These One Arm Seated Cable Row standards are based on 2.5M+ verified competition results from powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide. Every number comes from a sanctioned meet with certified judges - not self-reported gym lifts. Data is sourced from OpenPowerlifting and other verified competition databases, ensuring accuracy you can trust.

Last Updated: March 30, 2026

Reviewed by the Fitness Volt Editorial Team, certified strength training analysts.

Is Your One Arm Seated Cable Row Good for Your Weight?

Strength standards help you objectively measure your One Arm Seated Cable Row performance relative to other lifters of the same bodyweight and sex. Here is how to interpret them:

  1. Find your bodyweight in the left column of the table above.
  2. Look across the row to find which strength level your 1RM falls into.
  3. Use the age tab to see how your strength compares within your age group.
  4. Switch between Male and Female standards using the toggle - each has its own dataset.

If you do not know your 1RM, use the E1RM Calculator to estimate it from any rep set. For example, if you can One Arm Seated Cable Row 185 lbs for 5 reps, the calculator will estimate your max.

These standards are derived from 2.5M+ competition results across powerlifting, weightlifting, and strongman federations worldwide, combined with community training data.

Frequently Asked Questions

A "good" One Arm Seated Cable Row depends on your bodyweight, sex, and training experience. As a general benchmark, an Intermediate-level lift (stronger than 50% of lifters) is a solid goal for most recreational athletes. Check the table above for your specific bodyweight.
Most lifters can reach Intermediate level on the One Arm Seated Cable Row within 1-2 years of consistent training with progressive overload and proper nutrition. Genetics, training program quality, and recovery all play a role.
Yes. Our standards are calculated from 2.5M+ verified competition results and community-reported data. They are adjusted for bodyweight and age to give you an accurate comparison.
These standards are based on raw (unequipped) lifts. If you use supportive equipment like a bench shirt or squat suit, your equipped numbers will be higher than these standards reflect.

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Related Calculators

E1RM Calculator Estimate your one-rep max from any rep set Benchmarks Compare against competition data RPE Chart Training load percentages by RPE