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Seated Cable Row strength standards

What is a good Seated Cable Row?

For a 180 lb male, an Intermediate Seated Cable Row is about 196 lb (1.09x bodyweight). Advanced starts around 256 lb. Enter your own bodyweight below to get the exact standard and FVCP rank.

Good target 196 lb Intermediate at 180 lb
Next tier 256 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 Seated Cable Row

A solid (Intermediate) Seated Cable Row for a 180 lb male is about 196 lb (1.09x bodyweight). Use the calculator below to convert your own Seated Cable Row into an FVCP percentile for your bodyweight. An Advanced lifter at this weight reaches 256 lb (1.42x bodyweight).

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

Seated Cable Row demonstration
Estimated Standards

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

Primary Muscles Biceps, Forearms, Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboids, Trapezius
Equipment Cable Machine
Standards Coverage 21 bodyweights × 5 levels
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Compound

How Strong Is Your Seated Cable Row?

Intermediate (competition scale)
Typical FVCP: 50th percentile
A 180 lb male lifting 196 lbs (1.09x bodyweight) on the 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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Reader Data Is Still Building

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

196 lb Typical 1RM (Intermediate)
1.09x 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 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 52 83 123 171 224
120 59 92 135 185 240
130 67 102 146 198 255
140 74 111 157 211 269
150 82 120 167 223 283
160 89 128 177 234 296
170 96 136 187 245 309
180 102 144 196 256 321
190 109 152 205 267 332
200 115 160 214 277 343
210 122 167 223 286 354
220 128 175 231 296 365
230 134 182 239 305 375
240 140 188 247 314 385
250 146 195 255 322 394
260 151 202 262 331 404
270 157 208 270 339 413
280 162 214 277 347 422
290 168 221 284 355 430
300 173 227 291 363 439
310 178 233 297 370 447

Is Your Seated Cable Row Good?

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

Men (180 lb): a good (Intermediate) Seated Cable Row is about 196 lb (1.09x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 256 lb (1.42x), and Elite is 321 lb (1.78x).

Women (140 lb): a good (Intermediate) Seated Cable Row is about 103 lb (0.74x bodyweight). Advanced lifters hit 141 lb (1.01x), and Elite is 184 lb (1.31x).

How Much Should You Be Able to Seated Cable Row?

Men: a 180 lb male should lift about 196 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 102 lb).

Women: a 140 lb female should lift about 103 lb at an Intermediate level (a beginner target is around 45 lb).

By bodyweight (men): A 150 lb lifter lifts about 167 lb, and a 220 lb lifter lifts about 231 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 189 lb, while by age 50 the Intermediate standard is about 168 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 Seated Cable Row Strength?

How 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 76 114 161 216 277
20 87 130 184 247 317
25 89 133 189 254 325
30 89 133 189 254 325
35 89 133 189 254 325
40 89 133 189 254 325
45 85 127 179 241 308
50 80 119 168 226 289
55 74 110 156 209 268
60 67 100 142 191 244
65 61 91 128 172 221
70 55 81 115 155 198
75 49 73 103 138 177
80 44 65 92 124 158
85 39 58 82 111 142
90 35 53 74 100 128

What Do Seated Cable Row Strength Standards Mean?

Beginner

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

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

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

  1. Sit on the cable row machine with your feet securely placed on the foot platform and knees slightly bent.
  2. Grab the cable handle with both hands, keeping your arms fully extended and back straight.
  3. Engage your core and pull the handle towards your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  4. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, ensuring your elbows are close to your body.
  5. Slowly extend your arms back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  7. Inhale as you extend your arms and exhale as you pull the handle towards your torso.

Read the complete Seated Cable Row guide on FitnessVolt →

Tips for Seated Cable Row

  • Maintain a straight back throughout the exercise to avoid strain.
  • Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
  • Avoid using momentum; the movement should be controlled.

Where Do These 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 29, 2026

Is Your Seated Cable Row Good for Your Weight?

Use this page to compare your 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 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" 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 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.

Related Exercise Standards

Related Calculators

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