10 Best Cable One Arm Bent Over Row Alternatives for Limited Equipment

The Cable One Arm Bent Over Row is done standing with a cable machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the One Arm Towel Row, the Elevator and Front Lever Reps.

Updated Ranked by our 12-factor similarity model How it works

Original Exercise: Cable One Arm Bent Over Row

Cable One Arm Bent Over RowPlay demonstration
Primary muscle
Upper Back
Equipment
Cable
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound

Secondary muscles: Biceps, Forearms

How to perform Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
  1. Stand facing a cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
  3. Grasp the cable handle with one hand, palm facing inward, and extend your arm fully.
  4. Pull the cable handle towards your body, keeping your elbow close to your side, until your hand reaches your lower chest.
  5. Pause for a moment, then slowly extend your arm back to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.
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Ranked Cable One Arm Bent Over Row Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

  1. Best match
    One Arm Towel RowPlay demonstration

    1. One Arm Towel Row

    88% match
    • Upper Back
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    Use this when you have nothing to train with, because it works the upper back with bodyweight alone.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a towel with one hand.
    2. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
    3. Extend your arm fully, allowing the towel to hang in front of you.
    4. Pull the towel towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the towel back to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: upper back, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
  2. ElevatorPlay demonstration

    2. Elevator

    79% match
    • Upper Back
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
    2. Place your hands on your hips or cross them in front of your chest.
    3. Keeping your back straight, slowly bend forward at the waist, lowering your upper body towards the ground.
    4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then slowly raise your upper body back up to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: upper back, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
  3. Bodyweight Standing One Arm RowPlay demonstration

    3. Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row

    72% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound

    A looser match: it works the lats rather than the upper back.

    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a dumbbell in one hand.
    2. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
    3. Let the dumbbell hang straight down in front of you, with your arm fully extended.
    4. Pull the dumbbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body.
    5. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
    6. Lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not upper back
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
  4. Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (With Towel)Play demonstration

    4. Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (With Towel)

    72% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a towel with one hand.
    2. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
    3. Pull the towel towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the towel back to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not upper back
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
  5. Bodyweight Standing Close-grip One Arm RowPlay demonstration

    5. Bodyweight Standing Close-grip One Arm Row

    69% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a dumbbell in one hand with a neutral grip.
    2. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
    3. Pull the dumbbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not upper back
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
  6. Bodyweight Standing Row (With Towel)Play demonstration

    6. Bodyweight Standing Row (With Towel)

    66% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Intermediate
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a towel in front of you with both hands.
    2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
    3. Pull the towel towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly release the tension and return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not upper back
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
  7. Front Lever RepsPlay demonstration

    7. Front Lever Reps

    63% match
    • Upper Back
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, palms facing away from you.
    2. Engage your core and pull your shoulder blades down and back.
    3. Keeping your body straight, lift your legs up until they are parallel to the ground.
    4. Hold this position for as long as you can, aiming for 10-20 seconds.
    5. Slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: upper back, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
  8. Bodyweight Standing Close-grip RowPlay demonstration

    8. Bodyweight Standing Close-grip Row

    63% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
    2. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
    3. Extend your arms straight in front of you, gripping the bar or handles with a close grip.
    4. Pull the bar or handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly release and return to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not upper back
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
  9. Bodyweight Standing RowPlay demonstration

    9. Bodyweight Standing Row

    63% match
    • Lats
    • Bodyweight
    • Beginner
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
    2. Grasp a bar or handles with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
    3. Keep your back straight and core engaged.
    4. Pull the bar or handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
    6. Slowly release and extend your arms back to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, and add reps before you add load.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, not upper back
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
  10. Back LeverPlay demonstration

    10. Back Lever

    62% match
    • Upper Back
    • Bodyweight
    • Advanced
    • Compound
    How to perform this exercise
    1. Start by hanging from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    2. Engage your core and pull your shoulder blades down and back.
    3. Bend your knees and tuck them towards your chest.
    4. Slowly lift your legs up, keeping them straight, until your body is parallel to the ground.
    5. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: upper back, the same as the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not a cable
    • Body position: hanging, not standing
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row

Why You Might Need a Cable One Arm Bent Over Row Alternative

You may swap the Cable One Arm Bent Over Row for shoulder pain, limited access to cable stations, or to correct asymmetries. Shoulder or lower-back irritation often requires reduced torso angle, choose a chest-supported row to remove lumbar shear and maintain scapular retraction. If you lack cables, the single-arm dumbbell or landmine row preserves unilateral loading and similar elbow-driven lat activation. Programming variety also helps: alternating vertical and horizontal pull angles recruits posterior deltoids and mid-traps differently. Use the cue "brace your core and lead the pull with the elbow" to keep clean biomechanics while reducing risk.

Cable One Arm Bent Over Row FAQ

What muscles does Cable One Arm Bent Over Row work?

It primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and middle trapezius while recruiting posterior deltoids and biceps as secondary movers. The erector spinae and glutes stabilize the torso, so keep a neutral spine and pull with the elbow to maximize scapular retraction and lat activation.

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