10 Best Kettlebell One Arm Row Alternatives for Back Strength

The Kettlebell One Arm Row is done standing with a kettlebell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the One-arm Dumbbell Row, the One-arm Long Bar Row and the Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row.

If you train with dumbbells instead of a kettlebell, the Kettlebell One Arm Row still has a near match. The nearest is the Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row: same stance, same hinge, one dumbbell pulled up to your chest with the elbow tight. If you have a bench, the One-arm Dumbbell Row braces one knee and one hand on it and pulls the dumbbell up to the side of your chest.

Kettlebell One Arm RowWatch the Kettlebell One Arm Row

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

How to Do the Kettlebell One Arm Row

The steps for the Kettlebell One Arm Row itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Lats, with biceps, forearms · Kettlebell · Intermediate · Compound

  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.

The 10 Best Kettlebell One Arm Row Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Kettlebell One Arm Row 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. One-arm Dumbbell Row

    1. One-arm Dumbbell Row

    99% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    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.
    6. Repeat the movement for the specified amount of repetitions.
    7. Switch sides and repeat again with 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 the Kettlebell One Arm Row
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Kettlebell One Arm Row
  2. One-arm Long Bar Row

    2. One-arm Long Bar Row

    99% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    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.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Kettlebell One Arm Row
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Kettlebell One Arm Row
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Kettlebell One Arm Row
  6. Bodyweight Standing One Arm RowPlay demonstration

    6. Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row

    89% 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 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, the same as the Kettlebell One Arm Row
    • Equipment: bodyweight only, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Kettlebell One Arm Row
  7. Shotgun Row

    7. Shotgun Row

    89% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    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.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: lats, the same as the Kettlebell One Arm Row
    • Equipment: a cable, not free weights
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Kettlebell One Arm Row

Why You Might Need a Kettlebell One Arm Row Alternative

A kettlebell is not always around: some home setups have dumbbells instead, some gyms are barbell heavy, and plenty of hotel rooms have neither. The Kettlebell One Arm Row has you stand with both feet on the floor, hinge at the hips, and pull one weight to your chest while the other arm braces on nothing, so a swap either keeps that free-standing hinge or trades it for a bench. Dumbbell and barbell versions keep the same one-arm pull, and most of them keep you standing free too; only the One-arm Dumbbell Row moves you onto a bench with a knee and a hand braced. A cable station gives steady tension through the pull instead of gravity, and a two-handed barbell row lets you load more weight if you'd rather trade the single-arm work for total load.

How to Choose the Right Kettlebell One Arm Row Substitute

If you have dumbbells but not a kettlebell, the Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row is the like for like swap: stand, hinge, pull one dumbbell to your chest. The One-arm Dumbbell Row does the same pull with one knee and one hand braced on a bench, which steadies your torso if you have one. No dumbbells but a barbell within reach? The One-arm Long Bar Row and the Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row keep the single arm pull, while the Bent Over Barbell Row and Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row switch to both arms at once for more total load rather than a like for like swap. A cable station lets the Shotgun Row keep steady tension through the pull. The Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row skips the bench, standing and pulling a dumbbell to your chest.

Kettlebell One Arm Row FAQ

Can I do the Kettlebell One Arm Row at home?

Yes. With one dumbbell, the Dumbbell One Arm Bent-over Row is the same movement: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hinge at the hips and pull the dumbbell to your chest one arm at a time. If you have a bench, the One-arm Dumbbell Row braces one knee and one hand on it and pulls the dumbbell up to the side of your chest.

Which alternative works if my gym only has a cable machine?

The Shotgun Row keeps the one arm pull, and a low cable gives you steady tension through the whole range instead of gravity alone. Take a wide split stance with your arm extended at the start, then pull by drawing your elbow back and bending it, turning your palm up as you go, the same one side at a time as the kettlebell.

What should I do if I only have a barbell?

The One-arm Long Bar Row and the Barbell One Arm Bent Over Row keep the single arm pull, one from a landmine and one from a straight bar. If you would rather pull with both arms at once, the Bent Over Barbell Row and Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row let you load more weight in one go, trading the one-arm work for total load.

Which swap keeps me standing free, with no bench to brace on?

Yes, the Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row. It keeps you standing and hinging at the hips instead of bracing a knee on a bench, and it only takes a single dumbbell, pulled to your chest one arm at a time, the same way as the kettlebell version.

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