10 Best Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row Alternatives for Home Gyms

What can you do instead of the Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row? Use single-arm dumbbell rows, inverted rows, or resistance-band rows to hit the lats while maintaining core anti-rotation carryover. Cue: brace your midline, drive the elbow down-and-back, and retract the scapula to maximize lat engagement and reduce shoulder shear.

Original Exercise: Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row

Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row
Primary Muscle
Lats
Equipment
Kettlebell
Difficulty
Advanced
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Core, Shoulders
How to Perform Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row
  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.

Ranked Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row Alternatives

Best Match
Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups

1. Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups

89.4% Match
Lats Stability-ball Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Kettlebell One Arm Row

2. Kettlebell One Arm Row

82.3% Match
Lats Kettlebell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell in one hand with an overhand grip.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
  3. Pull the kettlebell 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 kettlebell back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides and repeat with the other arm.
One-Arm Dumbbell Row

3. One-Arm Dumbbell Row

81.8% 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 Long Bar Row

4. One-Arm Long Bar Row

81.6% 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.
Dumbbell Bent Over Row

5. Dumbbell Bent Over Row

81% 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.
Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row

6. Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row

79.4% Match
Lats Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row

7. Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row

78.3% 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.
Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

8. Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

77.6% 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

9. Bent Over Barbell Row

77.6% 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

10. Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows

77.6% 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.

Why You Might Need a Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row Alternative

You may need substitutes because of limited kettlebells, wrist or shoulder pain, or because you want to emphasize lat strength over anti-rotation core demand. The renegade row blends a plank with unilateral row mechanics, so it stresses scapular stabilization and oblique-driven anti-rotation. Swapping to a single-arm dumbbell row or chest-supported row preserves lat loading while removing plank-induced hip torque. Cue: keep hips square, maintain a neutral spine, and pull the elbow toward the hip to bias latissimus dorsi. Alternatives let you adjust grip, range of motion, and load to reduce joint stress while keeping high lat activation.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute by matching the renegade row components you want to keep: horizontal pull, unilateral load, or anti-rotation core work. If equipment is limited, choose inverted (Australian) rows or band rows to preserve horizontal pull mechanics; cue: squeeze shoulder blades at the top. For wrist or shoulder issues use neutral-grip single-arm dumbbell rows or chest-supported rows to limit scapular shear. If you need core carryover, perform a single-arm plank row with lighter load and strict bracing to minimize hip drop. Prioritize movement quality, progressive overload, and full scapular retraction to maximize lat recruitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row work?

The kettlebell alternating renegade row primarily targets the latissimus dorsi and also recruits posterior deltoids, rhomboids, and middle traps during the pull. It places heavy demand on anti-rotation core muscles (obliques and transverse abdominis); cue: maintain a neutral spine and drive the elbow back while retracting the scapula.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row?

The inverted row (Australian pull-up) is the best pure bodyweight substitute because it preserves horizontal pulling and scapular retraction. Cue: keep your body rigid from head to heels, pull your chest to the bar, and consciously retract the shoulder blades to emphasize lat engagement.

Can I build muscle without doing Kettlebell Alternating Renegade Row?

Yes, you can build back muscle with other progressive pulling variations like single-arm dumbbell rows, chest-supported rows, lat pulldowns, and inverted rows. Focus on controlled eccentrics, full scapular retraction, and progressive overload to maximize hypertrophy and lat fiber recruitment.

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