Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows

A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.

Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows — Starting position Starting position
Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows — End position End position
Difficulty Beginner
Type Strength
Equipment Cable Machine
Primary Muscle Shoulders
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows

  1. Sit in the same position on a low pulley row station as you would if you were doing seated cable rows for the back.
  2. Attach a rope to the pulley and grasp it with an overhand grip. Your arms should be extended and parallel to the floor with the elbows flared out.
  3. Keep your lower back upright and slide your hips back so that your knees are slightly bent. This will be your starting position.
  4. Pull the cable attachment towards your upper chest, just below the neck, as you keep your elbows up and out to the sides. Continue this motion as you exhale until the elbows travel slightly behind the back. Tip: Keep your upper arms horizontal, perpendicular to the torso and parallel to the floor throughout the motion.
  5. Go back to the initial position where the arms are extended and the shoulders are stretched forward. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement.
  6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Barbell Rear Delt Row

    Barbell Rear Delt Row

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell
  2. 2 Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench

    Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  3. 3 Cable Rear Delt Fly

    Cable Rear Delt Fly

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  4. 4 Lying Rear Delt Raise

    Lying Rear Delt Raise

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  5. 5 Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise

    Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells
  6. 6 Cable Seated Lateral Raise

    Cable Seated Lateral Raise

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  7. 7 Alternating Cable Shoulder Press

    Alternating Cable Shoulder Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  8. 8 Cable Internal Rotation

    Cable Internal Rotation

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  9. 9 Cable Shoulder Press

    Cable Shoulder Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the shoulders, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  10. 10 Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise

    Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the shoulders, using dumbbells.

    intermediate Dumbbells

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do cable rope rear-delt rows work?

Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows primarily works the shoulders. The biceps and upper back assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for cable rope rear-delt rows?

Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows uses cable machine.

Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows: is it suitable for beginners?

Yes. Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.

What can I do instead of cable rope rear-delt rows?

Barbell Rear Delt Row, Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench, Cable Rear Delt Fly train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my cable rope rear-delt rows reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; cable rope rear-delt rows can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.