10 Best One-arm Towel Row Alternatives for Home
If you can't do the Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (with Towel), use single-arm inverted rows, suspension ring/TRX rows, feet-elevated rows, bent-over backpack rows, or towel pulldowns to target the lats. Cue: pull the elbow to the hip and retract the scapula to maximize lat activation and maintain horizontal-pull mechanics.
Original Exercise: Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (with Towel)
How to Perform Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (with Towel)
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a towel with one hand.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Pull the towel towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the towel back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.
Best Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (with Towel) Alternatives
1. Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row
99.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a dumbbell in one hand.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Let the dumbbell hang straight down in front of you, with your arm fully extended.
- Pull the dumbbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
2. Bodyweight Standing Close-grip One Arm Row
94.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a dumbbell in one hand with a neutral grip.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Pull the dumbbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.
3. Bodyweight Standing Row (with Towel)
91.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a towel in front of you with both hands.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
- Pull the towel towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly release the tension and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Bodyweight Standing Row
86.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Grasp a bar or handles with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
- Keep your back straight and core engaged.
- Pull the bar or handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
5. Bodyweight Standing Close-grip Row
86.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Extend your arms straight in front of you, gripping the bar or handles with a close grip.
- Pull the bar or handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly release and return to the starting position.
6. Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups
85% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on the stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inwards and your arms extended down by your sides.
- Engage your core and slowly lift one arm up towards your shoulder, keeping your elbow slightly bent.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arm back down to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement with the other arm.
7. Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row
85% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing your body.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Let the dumbbell hang straight down towards the floor, with your arm fully extended.
- Pull the dumbbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
8. Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row
83.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a barbell with one hand using an overhand grip.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your head in a neutral position.
- Pull the barbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Lower the barbell back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.
9. Dumbbell Bent Over Row
79.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Let your arms hang straight down towards the floor, with your elbows slightly bent.
- Pull the dumbbells up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
10. Bent Over Barbell Row
76.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Holding a barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing down), bend your knees slightly and bring your torso forward, by bending at the waist, while keeping the back straight until it is almost parallel to the floor. Tip: Make sure that you keep the head up. The barbell should hang directly in front of you as your arms hang perpendicular to the floor and your torso. This is your starting position.
- Now, while keeping the torso stationary, breathe out and lift the barbell to you. Keep the elbows close to the body and only use the forearms to hold the weight. At the top contracted position, squeeze the back muscles and hold for a brief pause.
- Then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Why You Might Need a Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (with Towel) Alternative
You might substitute this exercise for several reasons: lack of a secure anchor, door-frame restrictions, wrist or shoulder pain, or the need for progression and variety. Swapping movements can reduce joint strain—e.g., choose a neutral-grip ring row to lower shoulder abduction and impingement risk. Substitutes also let you manipulate load and lever arm; moving your feet forward decreases resistance, while elevating them increases it. Use cues like “initiate the pull with scapular retraction” to keep the lats engaged and avoid dominant upper-trap recruitment. Practical replacements maintain the same horizontal-pulling pattern and emphasize elbow-driven lat loading.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on load control, grip position, unilateral demand, and available anchors. If you need lower stress on the shoulder, pick a neutral-grip ring/TRX row and pull with the elbow close to the body. For progressive overload without gym gear, use a backpack row and lengthen the lever arm or add tempo. Prioritize movements that allow full scapular retraction and long-lat tension; if you feel the traps instead of the lats, adjust torso angle or grip width. Also consider core demand—single-arm options increase anti-rotation requirements and better replicate unilateral stability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (with Towel) work?
Primary work falls on the latissimus dorsi with secondary loading of the teres major, rhomboids, posterior deltoid, and biceps. Scapular stabilizers and core anti-rotation muscles engage to control torso position—cue: pull the elbow into the ribcage to maximize lat drive.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (with Towel)?
The single-arm inverted row (using a bar, rings, or a sturdy table edge) is the most direct bodyweight substitute because it preserves the horizontal-pull vector and unilateral loading. Technique cue: keep a straight torso, initiate the movement with scapular retraction, and drive the elbow to the hip to emphasize lat activation.
Can I build muscle without doing Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (with Towel)?
Yes. You can build lats with progressive overload across alternatives—increase reps, shorten rest, elevate feet, or add slow eccentrics to bodyweight rows. Focus on maintaining scapular retraction and an elbow-driven pull so the lats, not the traps, take the load.
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