Cable Chest Supported Row

Set an incline bench in front of a low pulley, sit facing the backrest, and lean your chest against the pad. Plant your feet firmly and reach down and forward to grab the bar with both hands.

Keep your chest on the pad and drive your elbows back to pull the bar toward your stomach just below the pad. Your torso is locked so you cannot use momentum, so think of moving your elbows back with your back muscles alone.

Briefly squeeze your back, then slowly straighten your arms and return the bar toward the cable. Let your shoulders follow slightly forward to stretch your back, but keep your chest on the pad.

With your chest fixed on the pad, the key is feeling your shoulder blades squeeze and your lats tighten. If your back feels weak without lower-back momentum, focus on pausing at the end instead of adding weight.

When the weight is too heavy, you start lifting your chest off the pad and raising your torso to pull. Shrugging or bending your wrists to pull shifts the work from your back to your neck and arms.

Exhale as you pull and inhale as you straighten your arms. With your chest pressed into the pad, keep your breathing steady instead of cutting it short.

Leaning on the pad lets you focus on your back without lower-back strain, so it suits high-rep or finishing sets. The bench angle changes the pull direction, so find the angle where the bar comes naturally to your stomach.