8 Best Cable Workouts For Bigger Back (From A Trainer)

Most gyms will have a seated cable machine, and the setup is simple:

• Get into a seated position with your knees bent at about a right angle.
• Grip the handles and get some tension on the cable.
• Start the seated cable row with a slow movement, pulling your hands to your chest.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and then release them, going back to the starting point.

Here's how you do this exercise with good form:

• Set up the machine with a cable rope attachment at head height.
• Your starting position is with your arms straight in front of your face and some tension on the cable.
• Slowly pull the ropes towards your face until they almost touch your nose.
• You'll feel the tension in your upper back and rotator cuff muscles.
• Slowly release your hands back to the starting point.

The close grip lat pulldown is my personal favorite, and I recommend going slow rather than heavy.

Here's how you do this exercise with good form:

• Set the cable machine up so that your hands can just about reach the pulldown bar.
• Keep your hands close together with palms facing away from you.
• Pull the bar down as far as your chest and release it back slowly.
• If you do a reverse grip lat pulldown, you can target secondary muscles like your biceps.

My clients love wide-grip lat pulldowns because they are a great compound exercise.

Here's how you do this exercise with good form:

• Set up the machine so your hands can reach the lat pulldown bar.
• Grip the bar with your hands more than shoulder-width apart.
• Slowly pull the bar down to your chest and release it back up again.
• Make sure your thighs are secure under the seat frame as heavy loads approaching your body weight could lift you off the seat.

This is another excellent compound exercise where cable machines can create excellent tension on the primary muscles.

Here's how you do this exercise with good form:

• Your starting position is with the cables set up at chest height and both hands gripping a handle.
• With your hands straight in front of you, step back a bit to add some tension.
• Slowly pull each hand back while keeping your arms straight.
• Release back to the starting point slowly.

I recommend not doing this as a seated cable row and opting for the standing setup instead.

Here's how you do this exercise with good form:

• Set yourself up with the cable at about chest level and bend your body forward.
• Reach for the cable and make sure there is tension on it with your arm fully extended.
• Start the movement slowly and pull the handle all the way to your chest.
• Release back slowly to keep more continuous tension.

This is a variation of the single-arm cable row above.

Here's how you do this exercise with good form:

• Set up for a standing cable row with the handle chest high.
• Take a runner's stance with your left foot forward and grip the handle with your left hand.
• Pull the handle towards your chest and rotate your torso to activate secondary muscles in your arms and pecs.

And finally, here's another one of my favorite compound cable back exercises.

Here's how you do this exercise with good form:

• Stand at the cable machine with the lat pulldown bar set up to the highest levels.
• Grip it with your hands shoulder-width apart and above your head.
• Slowly pull it down while keeping your arms perfectly straight.
• Once you get to just below your pecs, release the bar back up again.