10 Best London Bridges Alternatives for Limited Equipment
If you can’t do London Bridges, choose alternatives that replicate horizontal pulling and long-axis shoulder extension to load the lats. Good substitutes include inverted rows, lat pulldowns, single-arm dumbbell rows, resistance-band pulldowns, and ring rows. Cue: lead with the elbow and squeeze the scapula to maximize lat activation while protecting the lumbar spine.
Original Exercise: London Bridges
How to Perform London Bridges
- 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.
- Stand on the bar, using the rope to balance yourself. This will be your starting position.
- 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.
- Keeping your body straight, reverse the motion, going hand over hand back to the starting position.
Pro Tips
- Category: Strength
- Force: Pull
- Movement type: Compound
Best London Bridges Alternatives
1. Bodyweight Standing Row
91.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Grasp a bar or handles with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
- Keep your back straight and core engaged.
- Pull the bar or handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
2. Bodyweight Standing Close-grip Row
87.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Extend your arms straight in front of you, gripping the bar or handles with a close grip.
- Pull the bar or handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly release and return to the starting position.
3. Bodyweight Standing Row (with Towel)
86.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a towel in front of you with both hands.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
- Pull the towel 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.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Elevator
83.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Place your hands on your hips or cross them in front of your chest.
- Keeping your back straight, slowly bend forward at the waist, lowering your upper body towards the ground.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then slowly raise your upper body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Bent Over Barbell Row
80.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- 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.
- 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.
- Then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
6. Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row
80.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a dumbbell in one hand.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Let the dumbbell hang straight down in front of you, with your arm fully extended.
- Pull the dumbbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
7. Bodyweight Standing Close-grip One Arm Row
79.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a dumbbell in one hand with a neutral grip.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- 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.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.
8. Bodyweight Standing One Arm Row (with Towel)
79.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a towel with one hand.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Pull the towel towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the towel back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.
9. Exercise Ball Alternating Arm Ups
79.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on the stability ball with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inwards and your arms extended down by your sides.
- Engage your core and slowly lift one arm up towards your shoulder, keeping your elbow slightly bent.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your arm back down to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement with the other arm.
10. Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row
76.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, palms facing down, and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, until your torso is almost parallel to the floor.
- Pull the barbell towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
Why You Might Need a London Bridges Alternative
You might substitute London Bridges for several reasons: back pain or limited shoulder mobility, no access to required equipment, or a need for a more progressive or unilateral option. London Bridges demand spinal extension control and a specific torso angle that can aggravate lumbar issues; alternatives can shift load to the scapulothoracic muscles and reduce spinal torque. When selecting a substitute, prioritize exercises that keep the torso stable, use scapular retraction (pinch shoulder blades together), and allow you to load the lats via elbow-driven pulling rather than excessive shoulder elevation.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Choose a substitute based on movement pattern match, load progression, and joint tolerance. If you need the same horizontal pull pattern, pick inverted rows and cue a straight line from head to heels and lead with the elbows to emphasize lats. For progressive loading, lat pulldowns or single-arm dumbbell rows let you increase resistance precisely. If spinal stress is the concern, use banded pulldowns or ring rows with a neutral spine and braced core to limit lumbar extension while maintaining lat activation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does London Bridges work?
London Bridges emphasize the latissimus dorsi through shoulder extension and adduction, while recruiting the posterior deltoids, rhomboids, and lower trapezius for scapular retraction. The exercise also engages the erector spinae to maintain spinal extension and the glutes to stabilize the pelvis.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to London Bridges?
Inverted rows are the best bodyweight substitute because they preserve the horizontal pulling pattern and load the lats without heavy spinal extension. Cue: keep a rigid plank line, pull the chest to the bar while driving your elbows down toward your ribs to maximize lat engagement.
Can I build muscle without doing London Bridges?
Yes — you can build lat mass using other compound pulls like weighted rows, lat pulldowns, and progressive overload on unilateral rows. Focus on consistent load progression, lead with the elbow on each rep, and prioritize full range of motion with controlled eccentrics to stimulate hypertrophy.
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