One-Arm Dumbbell Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
Starting position
End position
How to Do One-Arm Dumbbell Row
- Choose a flat bench and place a dumbbell on each side of it.
- Place the right leg on top of the end of the bench, bend your torso forward from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, and place your right hand on the other end of the bench for support.
- Use the left hand to pick up the dumbbell on the floor and hold the weight while keeping your lower back straight. The palm of the hand should be facing your torso. This will be your starting position.
- Pull the resistance straight up to the side of your chest, keeping your upper arm close to your side and keeping the torso stationary. Breathe out as you perform this step. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. Also, make sure that the force is performed with the back muscles and not the arms. Finally, the upper torso should remain stationary and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work except for holding the dumbbell; therefore do not try to pull the dumbbell up using the forearms.
- Lower the resistance straight down to the starting position. Breathe in as you perform this step.
- Repeat the movement for the specified amount of repetitions.
- Switch sides and repeat again with the other arm.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to One-Arm Dumbbell Row
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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2
Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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3
One Arm Lat Pulldown
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.
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4
One-Arm Long Bar Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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5
Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
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6
Dumbbell Incline Row
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
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7
Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.
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8
Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.
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9
One Arm Chin-Up
An advanced compound strength exercise that works the upper back.
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10
One-Arm Kettlebell Row
An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a kettlebell.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do one-arm dumbbell row work?
One-Arm Dumbbell Row primarily works the upper back. The biceps and shoulders assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for one-arm dumbbell row?
One-Arm Dumbbell Row uses dumbbells.
One-Arm Dumbbell Row: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. One-Arm Dumbbell Row is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of one-arm dumbbell row?
Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row, Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row, One Arm Lat Pulldown train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my one-arm dumbbell row reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; one-arm dumbbell row can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your One-Arm Dumbbell Row with AI
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