Liftworthy
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Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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Single-Arm Cable Row

CableCompoundEasy to learnOne side at a time
Front
Back
Primary Secondary

Works

Upper back & lats

Also biceps

You need

Cable station

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Squeeze
Main musclesAlso working
  1. 1Handle at chest height or a little lower
  2. 2Drive your elbow back past your torso
  3. 3Let the shoulder reach forward on the way back

Most common mistake

Twisting the whole torso instead of moving the arm.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Top 10 for back
  • Easy to keep adding weight
  • Easy on the joints and recovery

Compare with

vs Chest-Supported Rowvs Machine Rowvs Single-Arm Cable Pulldown
S
For back
#10 of 40
See the full list →
Research
85
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 85
Target tensionStrong
Loaded stretchStrong
ProgressionExcellent
Low costExcellent

One arm at a time lets the shoulder blade reach further forward for a bigger stretch, under steady cable tension.

Research behind these criteria

  • Target tension: Zabaleta-Korta et al., 2021 · Kinoshita et al., 2023
  • Loaded stretch: Maeo et al., 2021 · Maeo et al., 2023 · Pedrosa et al., 2022 · Kassiano et al., 2023
  • Progression: Plotkin et al., 2022 · Pelland et al., 2026
  • Low cost: Schoenfeld et al., 2021 · Refalo et al., 2023
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SMachine RowMachine
  • SAssisted Pull-UpMachine
  • SPlate-Loaded PulldownMachine
  • SLat PulldownCable

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