10 Best Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups Alternatives for Home Gyms

Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups are done lying face down with a stability ball. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row, the Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (With Towel) and the Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row.

Exercise Ball Alternating Arm UpsWatch the Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups

The steps for Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups themselves, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Lats, with shoulders, core · Stability-ball · Beginner · Compound

  1. Sit on the stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inwards and your arms extended down by your sides.
  3. Engage your core and slowly lift one arm up towards your shoulder, keeping your elbow slightly bent.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arm back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat the movement with the other arm.
  6. Continue alternating arms for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Kettlebell Alternating Renegade RowPlay demonstration

    1. Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row

    89% match

    Lats · Advanced · Compound

    A good swap when you have a kettlebell to work with, and it still works the lats.

    • Kettlebell
    How to perform it
    1. Start in a high plank position with your hands gripping the kettlebells and your feet hip-width apart.
    2. Engage your core and keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
    3. Pull one kettlebell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body.
    4. Lower the kettlebell back down to the starting position and repeat with the other arm.
    5. Continue alternating arms for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups
    • Equipment: free weights, not bodyweight only
    • Body position: lying face down, the same as Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups
  2. Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (With Towel)Play demonstration

    2. Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (With Towel)

    85% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Bodyweight
    How to perform it
    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, the same as Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups
    • Body position: standing, not lying face down
  6. London Bridges

    6. London Bridges

    79% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the lats.

    • Other
    How to perform it
    1. Attach a climbing rope to a high beam or cross member. Below it, ensure that the smith machine bar is locked in place with the safeties and cannot move. Alternatively, a secure box could also be utilized.
    2. Stand on the bar, using the rope to balance yourself. This will be your starting position.
    3. Keeping your body straight, lean back and lower your body by slowly going hand over hand with the rope. Continue until you are perpendicular to the ground.
    4. Keeping your body straight, reverse the motion, going hand over hand back to the starting position.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, the same as Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups
    • Body position: lying on your back, not lying face down
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups

Why You Might Need an Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups Alternative

Common reasons to substitute include lack of a stability ball, shoulder or neck pain from unsupported prone lifting, or the need for heavier progressive overload. The exercise demands unilateral shoulder extension and anti-rotation stability; if you can't safely maintain spinal alignment or scapular control the lats won't receive full tension. Replacements let you change the pull plane (horizontal vs vertical), add external load, or provide chest support to reduce lumbar shear. For rehab or pain, pick supported variants that limit shoulder impingement and emphasize scapular depression and controlled eccentric lengthening.

Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups FAQ

What muscles does Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups work?

It primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, with secondary activation of the posterior deltoid, rhomboids, and teres major; the erector spinae and obliques stabilize the trunk. Biomechanically the move emphasizes unilateral shoulder extension and adduction, cue to retract the scapula and avoid lumbar extension to maximize lat loading.

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Search the exercise database and filter the ranked substitutes by the equipment you own.