Exercise Comparison
Alternating Kettlebell Row vs Seated Cable Rows




Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Seated Cable Rows
Instructions
Alternating Kettlebell Row
Place two kettlebells in front of your feet. Bend your knees slightly and push your butt out as much as possible. As you bend over to get into the starting position grab both kettlebells by the handles.
Pull one kettlebell off of the floor while holding on to the other kettlebell. Retract the shoulder blade of the working side, as you flex the elbow, drawing the kettlebell towards your stomach or rib cage.
Lower the kettlebell in the working arm and repeat with your other arm.
Seated Cable Rows
For this exercise you will need access to a low pulley row machine with a V-bar. Note: The V-bar will enable you to have a neutral grip where the palms of your hands face each other. To get into the starting position, first sit down on the machine and place your feet on the front platform or crossbar provided making sure that your knees are slightly bent and not locked.
Lean over as you keep the natural alignment of your back and grab the V-bar handles.
With your arms extended pull back until your torso is at a 90-degree angle from your legs. Your back should be slightly arched and your chest should be sticking out. You should be feeling a nice stretch on your lats as you hold the bar in front of you. This is the starting position of the exercise.
Keeping the torso stationary, pull the handles back towards your torso while keeping the arms close to it until you touch the abdominals. Breathe out as you perform that movement. At that point you should be squeezing your back muscles hard. Hold that contraction for a second and slowly go back to the original position while breathing in.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Verdict
Both exercises target the middle back. Alternating Kettlebell Row is a intermediate exercise using kettlebells, while Seated Cable Rows is beginner and uses cable. Choose Seated Cable Rows if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Alternating Kettlebell Row for a greater challenge. Seated Cable Rows is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Alternating Kettlebell Row isolates the target muscle for focused development.