Seal Row vs Cable Seated Row
FR : Seal row ↔ Cable Seated Row
Swapping Seal Row (Barbell) for Cable Seated Row (Cable) retains 100% overlap; expect pulley-guided continuous line of pull. Compare exact 17-muscle fractional recruitment before swapping equipment mid-session.
Weighted Muscle Overlap
100%
Sum of min(coef A, coef B)
Primary Equipment
Barbell → Cable
Same rep/load measurement family
Load Transfer Protocol
Target RPE 7.5–8.5
Never assume 1:1 kg across leverages
Side-by-Side 17-Muscle Recruitment Delta
How primary mover (1.0× set) and synergist (0.5× set) allocation changes when swapping Seal Row for Cable Seated Row.
| Muscle Group | Seal Row | Cable Seated Row | Leverage Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Back (Rhomboids / Mid-Traps) | Primary (35%) | Primary (35%) | Matched |
| Lats (Latissimus Dorsi) | Primary (28%) | Primary (28%) | Matched |
| Biceps Brachii & Brachialis | Secondary (15%) | Secondary (15%) | Matched |
| Forearms & Grip | Secondary (12%) | Secondary (12%) | Matched |
| Shoulders (Deltoids) | Secondary (10%) | Secondary (10%) | Matched |
Load & Volume Conversion: Seal Row → Cable Seated Row
Worked weight heuristic: a 100 kg set on Seal Row (Barbell) maps roughly to 45 kg on Cable Seated Row (Cable; 2.5 kg jumps, curve: constant cable tension at peak lengthened position). Calibrate set 1 at RPE 8 so e1RM history for Seal Row remains unskewed. Zero anatomical muscles are dropped between Seal Row and Cable Seated Row; 1:1 weekly set volume carries straight across.
Supporting Sports-Science Literature
| Study Title | Lead Author & Year | Verified Link |
|---|---|---|
| Effects of body position and loading modality on muscle activity and strength in shoulder presses. | Saeterbakken (2013) | PubMed 23096062 ↗ |
| A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three chest-press exercises with different stability requirements. | Saeterbakken (2011) | PubMed 21225489 ↗ |
| Muscle activity levels in upper-body push exercises with different loads and stability conditions. | Calatayud (2014) | PubMed 25419894 ↗ |
| Variations in muscle activation levels during traditional latissimus dorsi weight training exercises: An experimental study. | Lehman (2004) | PubMed 15228624 ↗ |