Back · Row
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
The Single-Arm Dumbbell Row mainly trains your lats and upper back. Also working: biceps and rear delts.
Free weights
Flat bench
Stable
How to do it
- Same-side hand and knee on the bench, back parallel to the floor
- Let the dumbbell hang straight down, shoulder relaxed
- Pull your elbow toward your hip, not toward the ceiling
- Lower slowly, torso stays parallel to the floor
Coach’s tip
The exercise for when the stack is no longer enough for rows. Think “elbow into your pocket”: if you pull straight up, it’s mostly your upper traps doing the work.
Setup
Grip
Dumbbell or kettlebell
Load
Free weights
You need
Flat bench; one of: Dumbbells, Kettlebell
Stability
A bench, the floor or the frame takes the counterforce, or the cable pulls straight up or down. Good for heavy sets.
Alternatives
Other exercises for the same movement (row). In DCFT you can swap with one tap, and the app only offers what your equipment allows.
Questions about this exercise
What muscles does the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row work?
Mainly the lats and upper back. The biceps and rear delts help.
What can I do instead of the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row?
For the same movement: Seated Cable Row, One-Cable Seated Row and Seated Single-Arm Cable Row. In DCFT you swap with one tap.
DCFT
The Single-Arm Dumbbell Row in DCFT
In the app this exercise comes with your weight: the plate to pin, what you lifted last time and a rest timer that starts by itself.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription.