Overhead cable row (exercise ball)

Exercise: Overhead cable row (exercise ball)

Muscles Exercised: Lats, Middle Back, Biceps, Forearms, Grip

Description:This exercise has similar mechanics to a seated cable row, but also adds a stability component due to the fact you are seated on an exercise ball and will recruit more stabilizers. This exercise also requires perfect form to avoid bouncing on the ball, and if you do it correctly will give good recruitment in your back and lats.

To perform this exercise, connect a v-bar attachment to the overhead cable machine. Seat yourself on an exercise ball with the correct weight rating. Pull the v-bar slowly down towards your body making sure you maintain your position throughout the exercise. DO NOT lean back using your momentum to pull the weight down, and DO NOT bounce down on the ball to help pull the weight down.

For maximum stimulation, pause at the bottom of the pull-down and contract your lats and rhomboids. To reduce recruiting your biceps as much (and to increase muscle recruitment in your back), hold the bar with your fingers hooked over the v-bar and your thumbs aligned with the v-bar handles as if you were giving someone a “thumbs up”. Be careful though that you still have a secure grip on the handle before performing the exercise. See an example here:

*Note: Some studies though show that modification of grip has little effect on back exercise effectiveness (1).

Click below to view a video of one of our authors performing a FULL set of the exercise

Video 1

References:

1) http://www.dynamic-med.com/content/3/1/4: Variations in muscle activation levels during traditional latissimus dorsi weight training exercises: An experimental study.
Gregory J Lehman , Day Deans Buchan , Angela Lundy , Nicole Myers and Andrea Nalborczyk - June 30, 2004

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