10 Best Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row Alternatives for Limited Equipment

If you can’t perform the Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row, use barbell bent-over rows, single-arm cable rows, chest-supported dumbbell rows, inverted rows, or T-bar rows. Maintain a neutral spine, hinge at the hips, and pull the elbow back toward the ribcage to emphasize lat engagement and scapular retraction on each rep.

Original Exercise: Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row

Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row
Primary Muscle
Lats
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Biceps, Forearms
How to Perform Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing your body.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
  3. Let the dumbbell hang straight down towards the floor, with your arm fully extended.
  4. Pull the dumbbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

Ranked Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row Alternatives

Best Match
One-Arm Long Bar Row

1. One-Arm Long Bar Row

97.9% Match
Lats Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Position a bar into a landmine or in a corner to keep it from moving. Load an appropriate weight onto your end.
  2. Stand next to the bar, and take a grip with one hand close to the collar. Using your hips and legs, rise to a standing position.
  3. Assume a bent-knee stance with your hips back and your chest up. Your arm should be extended. This will be your starting position.
  4. Pull the weight to your side by retracting the shoulder and flexing the elbow. Do not jerk the weight or cheat during the movement.
  5. After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
One-Arm Dumbbell Row

2. One-Arm Dumbbell Row

97.7% Match
Lats Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Choose a flat bench and place a dumbbell on each side of it.
  2. Place the right leg on top of the end of the bench, bend your torso forward from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, and place your right hand on the other end of the bench for support.
  3. Use the left hand to pick up the dumbbell on the floor and hold the weight while keeping your lower back straight. The palm of the hand should be facing your torso. This will be your starting position.
  4. Pull the resistance straight up to the side of your chest, keeping your upper arm close to your side and keeping the torso stationary. Breathe out as you perform this step. Tip: Concentrate on squeezing the back muscles once you reach the full contracted position. Also, make sure that the force is performed with the back muscles and not the arms. Finally, the upper torso should remain stationary and only the arms should move. The forearms should do no other work except for holding the dumbbell; therefore do not try to pull the dumbbell up using the forearms.
  5. Lower the resistance straight down to the starting position. Breathe in as you perform this step.
One-Arm Kettlebell Row

3. One-Arm Kettlebell Row

97.7% Match
Lats Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row

4. Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row

93.1% Match
Lats Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a barbell with one hand using an overhand grip.
  2. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your head in a neutral position.
  3. Pull the barbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  4. Lower the barbell back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.
Dumbbell Bent Over Row

5. Dumbbell Bent Over Row

91.4% Match
Lats Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
  2. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
  3. Let your arms hang straight down towards the floor, with your elbows slightly bent.
  4. Pull the dumbbells up towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
Shotgun Row

6. Shotgun Row

88.4% Match
Lats Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach a single handle to a low cable.
  2. After selecting the correct weight, stand a couple feet back with a wide-split stance. Your arm should be extended and your shoulder forward. This will be your starting position.
  3. Perform the movement by retracting the shoulder and flexing the elbow. As you pull, supinate the wrist, turning the palm upward as you go.
  4. After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

7. Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

86.9% Match
Lats Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
  2. Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, palms facing down, and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, until your torso is almost parallel to the floor.
  4. Pull the barbell towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
Bent Over Barbell Row

8. Bent Over Barbell Row

86.9% Match
Lats Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows

9. Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows

86.9% Match
Lats Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand erect while holding a barbell with a supinated grip (palms facing up).
  2. 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.
  3. While keeping the torso stationary, lift the barbell as you breathe out, keeping the elbows close to the body and not doing any force with the forearm other than holding the weights. On the top contracted position, squeeze the back muscles and hold for a second.
  4. Slowly lower the weight again to the starting position as you inhale.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row

10. Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row

85.8% Match
Lats Body-weight Intermediate Isolation
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.

Why You Might Need a Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row Alternative

You may need substitutes for shoulder pain, lower-back issues, missing equipment, or to add variety. Bent-over rows demand a hip hinge and spinal stability; if you have lumbar discomfort choose a chest-supported row to remove erector spine loading. If a dumbbell isn’t available, a single-arm cable row preserves unilateral strength and constant tension on the lats. For rehabilitation pick lower-load, higher-rep inverted rows to train scapular control. Always cue a tight core, neutral neck, and drive the elbow posteriorly to maximize lat activation while reducing compensatory upper-trap or biceps dominance.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Decide based on available gear, injury history, and the movement pattern you need. For limited lower-back capacity choose chest-supported or machine rows to minimize erector activation; cue a flat torso and pull through the elbow to emphasize lats. If you need constant tension and fine loading, pick single-arm cable rows and focus on a full range of motion with scapular retraction. For bodyweight-only training use inverted rows, setting the bar height to control intensity and keeping the core braced to maintain a straight line. Prioritize exercises that let you progressively overload the lats while keeping safe spine mechanics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row work?

The one-arm bent-over row primarily targets the latissimus dorsi while recruiting the rhomboids, middle and lower trapezius, posterior deltoid, and biceps. The erector spinae act isometrically to maintain the hip hinge; cue a neutral spine and drive the elbow back to maximize lat recruitment and minimize upper-trap compensation.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row?

The inverted row is the best bodyweight substitute because it preserves the horizontal pulling pattern and engages the lats and scapular retractors. Set the bar at an angle that lets you maintain a straight plank line, pull your chest to the bar, and squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top to optimize lat activation.

Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row?

Yes, you can build back muscle with other compound pulls that load the lats and scapular stabilizers, such as barbell rows, single-arm cable rows, and chest-supported rows. Focus on progressive overload, full elbow extension and a strong peak contraction while cueing scapular retraction to ensure the lats are driving the movement.

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