Thick mid-back, one rep at a time.
Lead with the elbows and avoid leaning back to yank the weight.
The close-grip cable row drives your elbows straight back along your ribs, a path that hammers the lats and the mid-back muscles between your shoulder blades. The narrow handle keeps the pull tight to your torso, and the cable's constant tension holds the back working from full arm extension to the squeeze at your stomach. The biceps assist in that tucked-elbow line, which is exactly why this grip lets most lifters row the most weight on a cable.
Elbow path. The close neutral grip tucks your elbows and pulls low toward the stomach, biasing lats and mid back. Wider grips flare the elbows and shift work toward the upper back and rear delts.
Your stomach, around the belly button, with elbows driving straight back past your ribs. Pulling it high toward the chest flares the elbows and defeats the point of the narrow handle.
You're starting the pull with your hands. Begin each rep by drawing your shoulder blades back, then drive the elbows, and cut the weight until the back leads and the arms just finish.
