Dumbbell Single Arm Row

What is the Dumbbell Single Arm Row?

The Dumbbell Single Arm Row is a one-arm rowing exercise where you support yourself on a bench and pull a dumbbell up toward your hip. It mainly trains your lats and the muscles between your shoulder blades. Working one side at a time helps you check that each side does its share.

Quick facts

• Level: Beginner
• Equipment: Dumbbell and flat bench
• Movement pattern: Horizontal pull
• Force: Pull
• Type: Compound
• Sides: One arm at a time

Muscles worked

Primary muscles

• Latissimus dorsi (lats)
• Middle trapezius and rhomboids

Secondary muscles

• Rear deltoids
• Biceps and brachialis

How to do the Dumbbell Single Arm Row

1. Setup: Place one hand and the same-side knee on a flat bench. Keep your other foot on the floor.
2. Setup: Hold a dumbbell in your free hand.
3. Start: Keep your back flat and your core braced. Let the dumbbell hang straight below your shoulder.
4. Move: Pull your elbow up and back toward your hip.
5. Move: Squeeze your shoulder blade toward your spine at the top.
6. Return: Lower the dumbbell under control until your arm is straight.
7. Finish: Finish all your reps on one side, then switch.

Coaching cues

• Pull your elbow toward your back pocket.
• Keep your shoulders level.
• Let your arm reach long at the bottom.

Common mistakes

• Twisting the torso to lift the weight. Keep your chest facing the floor. Use a lighter dumbbell if you have to rotate to finish a rep.
• Shrugging the dumbbell up. Keep your shoulder down, away from your ear, and lead with your elbow.
• Rounding the back. Brace your core and keep a flat line from your head to your hips.
• Pulling the dumbbell to your chest. Aim your elbow toward your hip so your lats do more of the work.

Easier and harder options

• Harder: Kettlebell Bird Dog Rows. One leg lifts off the bench, so your trunk has to work harder to stay still while you row.

Training focus and energy demand

This row is mainly used to build back strength and muscle size. The bench support lets you focus on the pull rather than on holding a hinge.

Your body uses several energy systems at once, and the mix shifts with load, speed, set length and rest. Short, heavy sets rely more on fast energy stored in the muscle. Longer sets with short rests rely more on aerobic energy. Hard efforts that last from several seconds to a few minutes also rely heavily on energy your muscles make quickly from carbohydrate.

FAQs

Which hand goes on the bench?

The hand on the same side as the knee on the bench. You row with the other arm.

Can I do this without a bench?

Yes. You can rest your free hand on a sturdy box or rack and keep both feet on the floor in a staggered stance.

Sources

• Fenwick, Brown and McGill, trunk muscle activity and spine load in rowing exercises (JSCR, 2009)
• American College of Sports Medicine position stand on progression models in resistance training (2009)
• Gastin, energy system interaction during maximal exercise (Sports Medicine, 2001)