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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.

Good target 132 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 192 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 One Arm Seated Cable Row

A solid (Intermediate) One Arm Seated Cable Row for a 180 lb male is about 132 lb (0.73x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own One Arm Seated Cable Row into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 192 lb (1.07x bodyweight).

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

Estimated Standards

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
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels

How Strong Is Your One Arm Seated Cable Row?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 132 lbs (0.73x bodyweight) on the One Arm Seated Cable 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.

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to track your progress over time.

Reader Data Is Still Building

We do not have enough reader-submitted One Arm Seated Cable Row entries yet to publish a stable crowd benchmark. Until then, this panel shows the Intermediate standards baseline only:

132 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
0.73x 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 One Arm Seated Cable 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 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

Is Your One Arm Seated Cable Row Good?

A quick read on what counts as a good One Arm Seated Cable Row at each level, for a typical male and female lifter.

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) One Arm Seated Cable Row is about 132 lb (0.73x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 192 lb (1.07x), and Elite is 259 lb (1.44x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) One Arm Seated Cable Row is about 61 lb (0.44x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 87 lb (0.62x), and Elite is 117 lb (0.84x).

How Much Should You Be Able to One Arm Seated Cable Row?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 132 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 47 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 61 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 22 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 118 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 148 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 129 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 115 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 One Arm Seated Cable Row Strength?

How One Arm Seated Cable 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 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 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

  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?

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 28, 2026

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

Use this page to compare your One Arm Seated Cable 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 One Arm Seated Cable 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" 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.
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.

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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.