10 Best Dumbbell One Arm Upright Row Alternatives for Shoulder Strength
If you can’t do a dumbbell one-arm upright row, use single-arm lateral raises, cable face pulls, seated dumbbell presses, dumbbell high pulls, or banded upright rows to stress the delts. Cue: lead with the elbow and keep the wrist neutral to target the lateral deltoid while limiting upper-trap dominance and impingement.
Original Exercise: Dumbbell One Arm Upright Row
How to Perform Dumbbell One Arm Upright Row
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand with an overhand grip.
- Let the dumbbell hang at arm's length in front of your thighs, with your palm facing your body.
- Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, exhale and lift the dumbbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbow.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.
Best Dumbbell One Arm Upright Row Alternatives
1. Band Standing Rear Delt Row
79% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the band under your feet.
- Hold the band handles with your palms facing each other and your arms extended in front of you.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
- Pull the band 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.
2. Dumbbell Rear Delt Row_shoulder
78.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
- Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Extend your arms straight down towards the floor, with a slight bend in your elbows.
- Raise the dumbbells out to the sides, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
3. Circus Bell
74.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- The circus bell is an oversized dumbbell with a thick handle. Begin with the dumbbell between your feet, and grip the handle with both hands.
- Clean the dumbbell by extending through your hips and knees to deliver the implement to the desired shoulder, letting go with the extra hand.
- Ensure that you get one of the dumbbell heads behind the shoulder to keep from being thrown off balance. To raise it overhead, dip by flexing the knees, and the drive upwards as you extend the dumbbell overhead, leaning slightly away from it as you do so.
- Carefully guide the bell back to the floor, keeping it under control as much as possible. It is best to perform this event on a thick rubber mat to prevent damage to the floor.
4. Barbell Rear Delt Row
74.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Pull the barbell towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
5. Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows
74.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit in the same position on a low pulley row station as you would if you were doing seated cable rows for the back.
- Attach a rope to the pulley and grasp it with an overhand grip. Your arms should be extended and parallel to the floor with the elbows flared out.
- Keep your lower back upright and slide your hips back so that your knees are slightly bent. This will be your starting position.
- Pull the cable attachment towards your upper chest, just below the neck, as you keep your elbows up and out to the sides. Continue this motion as you exhale until the elbows travel slightly behind the back. Tip: Keep your upper arms horizontal, perpendicular to the torso and parallel to the floor throughout the motion.
- Go back to the initial position where the arms are extended and the shoulders are stretched forward. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement.
6. Dumbbell One Arm Snatch
72.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand with an overhand grip.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Lower the dumbbell towards the ground, keeping it close to your body.
- Explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles, driving the dumbbell upwards in a straight line.
- As the dumbbell reaches shoulder height, quickly rotate your hand and punch it overhead, fully extending your arm.
7. Dumbbell One Arm Lateral Raise With Support
69.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in one hand, with your palm facing your body.
- Place your other hand on a stable surface, such as a bench or wall, for support.
- Keep your back straight and engage your core.
- Raise the dumbbell out to the side, keeping your arm straight and your palm facing down.
- Continue lifting until your arm is parallel to the ground.
8. Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row
69.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Put weight on one of the ends of an Olympic barbell. Make sure that you either place the other end of the barbell in the corner of two walls; or put a heavy object on the ground so the barbell cannot slide backward.
- Bend forward until your torso is as close to parallel with the floor as you can and keep your knees slightly bent.
- Now grab the bar with one arm just behind the plates on the side where the weight was placed and put your other hand on your knee. This will be your starting position.
- Pull the bar straight up with your elbow in (to maximize back stimulation) until the plates touch your lower chest. Squeeze the back muscles as you lift the weight up and hold for a second at the top of the movement. Breathe out as you lift the weight. Tip: Do not allow for any swinging of the torso. Only the arm should move.
- Slowly lower the bar to the starting position getting a nice stretch on the lats. Tip: Do not let the plates touch the floor. To ensure the best range of motion, I recommend using small plates (25-lb ones) as opposed to larger plates (like 35-45lb ones).
9. Dumbbell One Arm Lateral Raise
69.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing your body.
- Keep your back straight and your core engaged throughout the exercise.
- Raise the dumbbell to the side, keeping your arm straight and your palm facing down.
- Continue lifting until your arm is parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
10. Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row
69.4% 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.
Why You Might Need a Dumbbell One Arm Upright Row Alternative
You might replace the one-arm upright row for pain, mobility, or equipment reasons. Upright rows can irritate the subacromial space if you lack external rotation or scapular control; choose movements that reduce humeral internal rotation and overhead compression. Use cues such as "maintain scapular retraction" and "lead with the elbow" to shift load from the upper trap to the lateral deltoid. Alternatives let you load the delts through safer planes (abduction or horizontal plane) and emphasize the anterior, lateral, or posterior fibers depending on your goal.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute by matching movement pattern, loading capability, and shoulder mechanics. For pure lateral deltoid work pick single-arm lateral raises with a slight lean; cue: keep the elbow above the wrist and pause at 90° to maximize lateral head activation. For balanced shoulder strength choose seated dumbbell presses—drive through the elbow, not the wrist, to engage deltoids and triceps. If impingement is the issue, favor face pulls or banded external-rotation drills that emphasize scapular control and infraspinatus activation while avoiding humeral elevation in internal rotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Dumbbell One Arm Upright Row work?
The one-arm upright row primarily targets the deltoids—especially the lateral head—while recruiting the upper trapezius and biceps as synergists. The movement combines shoulder abduction/scapular elevation mechanics, so scapular stabilizers and rotator cuff muscles assist to control the humeral head.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell One Arm Upright Row?
A bodyweight face-pull variation using a suspension trainer or banded horizontal pull is a top option. Cue: pull with elbows high and squeeze the scapulae together to emphasize posterior deltoid and scapular stabilizer activation without compressing the subacromial space.
Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell One Arm Upright Row?
Yes — you can build shoulder mass with alternatives that provide equal or better deltoid loading, such as progressive single-arm lateral raises, seated dumbbell presses, and dumbbell high pulls. Focus on progressive overload, clean technique (lead with the elbow, maintain neutral wrist), and full range of motion to drive hypertrophy.
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