Seated Cable Row to Pendlay Row (Raw) Conversion Calculator
This Seated Cable Row to Pendlay Row (Raw) Conversion calculator estimates Pendlay Row (Raw) Conversion strength from Seated Cable Row performance.
Enter your sex, bodyweight, and Seated Cable Row performance to see your Pendlay Row (Raw) Conversion estimate, expected range, strength tier, and ratio to bodyweight.
The calculator uses the conversion model for this tool to translate Seated Cable Row performance into the Pendlay Row (Raw) Conversion estimate. Use the result as a planning estimate, not a guaranteed max or attempt recommendation.
What Your Seated Cable Row Result Means for Pendlay Row
This calculator turns one strict Seated Cable Row result into a predicted Pendlay Row 1RM. The result gives you a center estimate, a planning range, and a strength level for the Pendlay Row only.
| Example | Seated Cable Row result | Estimated Seated Cable Row max | Predicted Pendlay Row | Expected range | Target level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 190 lb male | 85 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 8 | 106 lb | 133 lb | 119–134 lb | Novice |
| 150 lb female | 60 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 8 | 74 lb | 86 lb | 74–88 lb | Intermediate |
For the male example, 85 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 8 predicts 133 lb with a 119–134 lb range. The Novice label rates the predicted Pendlay Row result; it does not rate the Seated Cable Row result.
How the Seated Cable Row to Pendlay Row Conversion Works
The calculator keeps the source and target measurement rules separate: the source entry is selected or loaded cable resistance, while the target result is total external weight.
| Step | What the calculator does | Worked example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Read the source load | Use selected or loaded cable resistance exactly as entered. | 85 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 8 |
| 2. Estimate the source max | Convert the completed set into an estimated source 1RM using the calculator’s approved repetition rule. | 106 lb |
| 3. Map to the target result | Apply the Seated Cable Row-to-Pendlay Row mapping (0.792 center coefficient for this male example). | 133 lb |
| 4. Show uncertainty | Calculate the lower and upper ends of the expected transfer range. | 119–134 lb |
| 5. Rate the target | Classify the unrounded center against Pendlay Row standards. | Novice |
The conversion matches reviewed strength levels for these two exercises. It does not claim that their loads, repetitions, equipment, or execution are interchangeable—or that the center is guaranteed.
Seated Cable Row to Pendlay Row Conversion Chart
This chart holds the source set at 5 strict reps. Every value is generated by the same calculation as the calculator.
| Seated Cable Row result | male estimate | male range | female estimate | female range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 5 | 64 lb | 57–64 lb | 58 lb | 51–60 lb |
| 70 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 5 | 99 lb | 89–100 lb | 91 lb | 79–94 lb |
| 95 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 5 | 135 lb | 120–136 lb | 123 lb | 107–127 lb |
| 125 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 5 | 178 lb | 158–179 lb | 162 lb | 141–167 lb |
| 160 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 5 | 227 lb | 203–229 lb | 208 lb | 180–214 lb |
| 185 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 5 | 263 lb | 234–265 lb | 240 lb | 208–247 lb |
The range reflects transfer uncertainty. Use the center to compare or plan, and use direct Pendlay Row performance to learn your actual result.
Pendlay Row Strength Standards
The calculator rates only the predicted Pendlay Row result. These reference standards use the same bodyweights and sex profiles as the examples above.
| Pendlay Row level | 190 lb male: total external weight | 150 lb female: total external weight |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Below 86 lb | Below 52 lb |
| Novice | 86–133 lb | 52–82 lb |
| Intermediate | 134–180 lb | 83–112 lb |
| Advanced | 181–228 lb | 113–142 lb |
| Elite | 229 lb or more | 143 lb or more |
| Stretch benchmark | 257 lb | 165 lb |
The live calculator resolves the target standard for the bodyweight entered. The source exercise keeps its own separate standards.
Key Differences Between Seated Cable Row and Pendlay Row
These exercises share relevant strength demands, but the differences below are why their raw numbers cannot be interchanged.
| Difference | Seated Cable Row | Pendlay Row | Why it affects the estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resistance and support | uses a cable stack while seated with the feet braced | uses a free barbell from the floor with no seated support | The exercises record resistance differently, so equal-looking numbers do not represent equal performance. |
| Entered load | selected cable-stack weight | total barbell weight including the bar | The exercises record resistance differently, so equal-looking numbers do not represent equal performance. |
| Start of each rep | the handle begins at full arm extension while cable tension remains continuous | the bar must be motionless on the floor before every pull | Source: The handle begins at full arm extension while cable tension remains continuous. Target: The bar must be motionless on the floor before every pull. The difference changes the strength or repetition capacity being measured. |
| Valid repetition standard | Sit with the feet braced and spine neutral, start from full arm extension, pull the handle to the lower ribs or upper abdomen with the elbows behind the upper body, and return under control without backward lean, leg drive, or jerking. | Set the upper body near parallel to the floor, begin every rep with the bar motionless on the floor, pull it to the lower chest or upper abdomen without hip drive or upper body rise, and return it under control to a complete reset. | Changing either repetition standard changes the exercise being compared and weakens the usefulness of the estimate. |
Getting and Using a Useful Seated Cable Row-to-Pendlay Row Estimate
Source test: Sit with the feet braced and spine neutral, start from full arm extension, pull the handle to the lower ribs or upper abdomen with the elbows behind the upper body, and return under control without backward lean, leg drive, or jerking.
Target represented: Set the upper body near parallel to the floor, begin every rep with the bar motionless on the floor, pull it to the lower chest or upper abdomen without hip drive or upper body rise, and return it under control to a complete reset.
| Before calculating | What to do |
|---|---|
| Use a valid Seated Cable Row set | Sit with the feet braced and spine neutral, start from full arm extension, pull the handle to the lower ribs or upper abdomen with the elbows behind the upper body, and return under control without backward lean, leg drive, or jerking. |
| Use 1 to 10 strict repetitions | Enter one whole-number Seated Cable Row set inside the calculator’s approved repetition range. |
| Keep the measurement convention straight | Enter selected or loaded cable resistance. Read the target as total external weight. |
| Use the range for planning | Start Pendlay Row practice near the conservative end and use the center as the main comparison point. |
| Retest under the same conditions | Keep the Seated Cable Row setup, range, way of recording resistance, and repetition standard consistent. |
Do not substitute Pendlay Row results entered as Seated Cable Row results, Seated Cable Row repetitions performed with a changed setup or range, partial-range, assisted, or momentum-driven Seated Cable Row repetitions, source resistance recorded under a different convention than selected or loaded cable resistance, multiple sets combined into one repetition total. Those are different tests, so their numbers do not belong in this conversion.
| Result component | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Predicted center | Use it as the main comparison point for the Seated Cable Row-to-Pendlay Row estimate. |
| Low end of range | Use it as the conservative reference when beginning or resuming Pendlay Row practice. |
| High end of range | Treat it as possible context—not a guaranteed result or attempt recommendation. |
| Pendlay Row strength level | Use it only to understand where the predicted result falls against Pendlay Row standards. |
| Direct Pendlay Row result | Replace the prediction with the actual result once Pendlay Row has been performed under the stated test. |
Example: 85 lb selected or loaded cable resistance × 8 predicts 133 lb with a 119–134 lb range. Use 133 lb as the comparison point, treat 119 lb as the conservative edge, and do not interpret 134 lb as a recommended attempt. Once you record a strict Pendlay Row result, use that direct result instead.
Related Seated Cable Row and Pendlay Row Tools
Use a direct standards tool when you have performed the exercise itself. Use neighboring tools to answer a different question—not to overwrite this conversion.