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One Arm Seated Cable Row strength standards

What is a good One Arm Seated Cable Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate One Arm Seated Cable Row is about 132 lb (0.73x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 192 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

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One Arm Seated Cable Row Standards by Bodyweight

Estimates from the FitnessVolt standards model. Updated March 28, 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 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

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

One Arm Seated Cable Row Standards by Age

How the One Arm Seated Cable 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 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

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

Check Your One Arm Seated Cable 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 132 lbs (0.73x bodyweight) on the One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable Row Strength Levels Mean

Beginner

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

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

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

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

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 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 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

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

  • 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?

The levels on this page are estimates from the FitnessVolt strength standards model. The One Arm Seated Cable Row table is an editorial FitnessVolt table, not a measured population. There is no competition or gym dataset for the One Arm Seated Cable Row itself. Reader-submitted benchmarks appear only after enough entries are logged for this lift.

Standards data last refreshed: March 28, 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" One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable 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.