10 Best Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row Alternatives for Limited Equipment

The Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row is done kneeling with a cable machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Kneeling High Pulley Row, the One Arm Lat Pulldown and the Cable One Arm Pulldown. A harder version, the Cable Wide Grip Rear Pulldown Behind Neck, is listed below as a progression rather than a swap.

Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row

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

How to Do the Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row

The steps for the Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Lats, with biceps, middle back · Cable · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Attach a single handle to a high pulley and make your weight selection.
  2. Kneel in front of the cable tower, taking the cable with one hand with your arm extended. This will be your starting position.
  3. Starting with your palm facing forward, pull the weight down to your torso by flexing the elbow and retract the shoulder blade. As you do so, rotate the wrist so that at the completion of the movement, your palm is now facing you.
  4. After a brief pause, return to the starting position.

The 10 Best Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley 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. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

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

  1. Kneeling High Pulley Row

    1. Kneeling High Pulley Row

    92% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the lats.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    1. Select the appropriate weight using a pulley that is above your head. Attach a rope to the cable and kneel a couple of feet away, holding the rope out in front of you with both arms extended. This will be your starting position.
    2. Initiate the movement by flexing the elbows and fully retracting your shoulders, pulling the rope toward your upper chest with your elbows out.
    3. After pausing briefly, slowly return 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 the Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row
    • Equipment: a cable, the same as the Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row
    • Body position: kneeling, the same as the Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row
  2. One Arm Lat Pulldown

    2. One Arm Lat Pulldown

    90% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want to work the lats with less balance to manage.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    1. Select an appropriate weight and adjust the knee pad to help keep you down. Grasp the handle with a pronated grip. This will be your starting position.
    2. Pull the handle down, squeezing your elbow to your side as you flex the elbow.
    3. Pause at the bottom of the motion, and then slowly return the handle to the starting position.
    4. For multiple repetitions, avoid completely returning the weight to keep tension on the muscles being worked.

    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 Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row
    • Equipment: a cable, the same as the Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row
    • Body position: seated, not kneeling
    • Balance: easier to stay steady on than the Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row
  4. Band Kneeling One Arm PulldownPlay demonstration

    4. Band Kneeling One Arm Pulldown

    85% match

    Lats · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Band
    How to perform it
    1. Attach the band to a sturdy anchor point above your head.
    2. Kneel down and hold the band with one hand, palm facing down.
    3. Extend your arm fully overhead, keeping your elbow slightly bent.
    4. Engage your lat muscles and pull the band down towards your side, bringing your elbow towards your ribcage.
    5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then slowly release the tension and return to the starting position.
    6. 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 Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row
    • Equipment: a band, not a cable
    • Body position: kneeling, the same as the Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row

Why You Might Need a Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row Alternative

You might substitute this exercise for shoulder pain in the kneeling position, lack of cable stations, or to vary muscle stimulus. The kneeling high-pulley row places a high-to-low vector that emphasizes lat extension and scapular depression; substitutes change loading angle, torso stabilization demands, and range of motion. For example, a single-arm dumbbell row reduces shoulder elevation and increases pelvic stability, cue a long spine and drive the elbow back to load the lower lat fibers. If you need less rotation, use a lat pulldown and focus on pulling the bar to the chest with scapular retraction to mimic the same lat activation.

Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row FAQ

What muscles does Kneeling Single-arm High Pulley Row work?

It primarily targets the latissimus dorsi while recruiting the teres major, posterior deltoid, and scapular retractors (rhomboids and middle trapezius). The biceps assist as elbow flexors and the core stabilizes the torso, cue a tight core and pull the elbow down and back to maximize lat activation.

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