One-Arm Kettlebell Row

An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a kettlebell.

One-Arm Kettlebell Row — Starting position Starting position
One-Arm Kettlebell Row — End position End position
Difficulty Intermediate
Type Strength
Equipment Kettlebell
Primary Muscle Upper Back
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do One-Arm Kettlebell Row

  1. Place a kettlebell in front of your feet. Bend your knees slightly and then push your butt out as much as possible as you bend over to get in the starting position. Grab the kettlebell and pull it to your stomach, retracting your shoulder blade and flexing the elbow. Keep your back straight. Lower and repeat.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where One-Arm Kettlebell Row does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to One-Arm Kettlebell 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.

  1. 1 Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row

    Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  2. 2 Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows

    Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.

    intermediate Cable Machine
  3. 3 Alternating Kettlebell Row

    Alternating Kettlebell Row

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the upper back, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  4. 4 Two-Arm Kettlebell Row

    Two-Arm Kettlebell Row

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a kettlebell.

    intermediate Kettlebell
  5. 5 Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row

    Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell
  6. 6 Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row

    Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  7. 7 One Arm Chin-Up

    One Arm Chin-Up

    An advanced compound strength exercise that works the upper back.

    advanced Not specified
  8. 8 One Arm Lat Pulldown

    One Arm Lat Pulldown

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  9. 9 One-Arm Dumbbell Row

    One-Arm Dumbbell Row

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  10. 10 One-Arm Long Bar Row

    One-Arm Long Bar Row

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the upper back, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do one-arm kettlebell row work?

One-Arm Kettlebell Row primarily works the upper back. The biceps assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for one-arm kettlebell row?

One-Arm Kettlebell Row uses kettlebell.

One-Arm Kettlebell Row: is it suitable for beginners?

One-Arm Kettlebell Row is rated intermediate. Movements that assume you already own the basic pattern and are ready to load it.

What can I do instead of one-arm kettlebell row?

Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row, Seated One-arm Cable Pulley Rows, Alternating Kettlebell Row train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my one-arm kettlebell row reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; one-arm kettlebell 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 Kettlebell Row with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.