Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows
The cable rope rear delt row has you face a cable pulley set around chest to head height, grab a rope attachment, and pull it toward your face while flaring your elbows out wide. It combines a rowing pull with the horizontal abduction that targets your rear delts, and it suits anyone building shoulder health, upper back strength, or working on rounded-shoulder posture.
Why it works
Your rear delts and upper back muscles both pull your arms backward, but a standard row with elbows tucked close to your ribs mostly hits your lats and mid-back. Flaring your elbows out wide during the pull shifts more of the work onto your rear delts and the muscles that rotate your shoulders externally, which is why this variation trains a different piece of your pulling strength than a regular row does.
Set up
- Attach a rope to a cable set at roughly chest to head height.
- Grab the rope ends with an overhand or neutral grip and step back until there's tension in the cable.
- Stand with a slight forward lean, core braced, and arms extended toward the pulley.
How to do it
- Pull the rope toward your face, flaring your elbows out wide and high as you pull.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together and rotate your hands slightly outward as the rope reaches your face.
- Pause briefly at the end of the pull.
- Extend your arms back out slowly, resisting the cable the whole way.
- Repeat for the set without letting your torso rock to generate momentum.
Form cues
- Lead with your elbows flaring wide, not by bending your arms close to your sides.
- Keep your torso still, the pull should come from your shoulders and upper back.
- Finish each rep with your hands near your face and elbows above shoulder height.
- Control the return instead of letting the cable snap your arms forward.
Breathing: Exhale as you pull the rope toward your face, inhale as you extend your arms back out.
Common mistakes
Tucking the elbows close to the ribs like a standard row.
Fix: Keep your elbows flared out and high through the pull so your rear delts, not just your lats, do the work.
Rocking the torso backward to help pull the weight.
Fix: Brace your core and keep your torso still, letting your arms and shoulder blades do the moving.
Using too much weight and cutting the range short.
Fix: Drop the load until you can pull all the way to your face with control and extend your arms fully on the return.
How to program it
- This is a moderate-fatigue pulling movement for a small muscle group, so two or three sessions a week fit well if it isn't stacked on top of heavy back training the same day.
- Twelve to fifteen reps per set with a brief pause at the face position tends to work better here than heavy, low-rep sets.
- Place it after your main back or shoulder pressing work, since it works well as an accessory rather than a session opener.
Safety notes
- Keep the weight light enough to control the full range, including the stretch at the end of each rep.
- If your neck or upper traps take over the pull, lower the load and focus on driving the elbows wide instead of shrugging.
- Stop the range before your shoulders round forward on the return.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many sets and reps of cable rope rear delt rows should I do?
Two or three sets of 12 to 15 reps works well, with a brief squeeze at your face on each rep.
What's the difference between this and a regular cable row?
A regular row keeps your elbows close to your ribs and targets your lats and mid-back, while flaring your elbows wide here shifts more of the work onto your rear delts.
Can I do this without a cable machine?
A face pull with a resistance band or a bodyweight mid row with your elbows flared wide train a similar pattern without a cable station.
Why do I feel this more in my neck than my shoulders?
That usually means you're shrugging instead of pulling with your shoulder blades. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears and focus on driving your elbows wide and back.