10 Best Smith One Arm Row Alternatives for No Smith Machine

The Smith One Arm Row is done standing with a Smith machine. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Lever T Bar Row, the Lever Reverse T-Bar Row and the Lever T-Bar Reverse Grip Row.

Smith One Arm RowWatch the Smith 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 Smith One Arm Row

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

Upper Back, with biceps, forearms · Smith-machine · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Adjust the height of the smith machine bar to waist level.
  2. Stand facing the smith machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
  4. Grasp the bar with one hand using an overhand grip, with your palm facing down.
  5. Keep your elbow close to your body and pull the bar towards your waist, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  6. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other arm.

The 10 Best Smith One Arm Row Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Smith 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. Lever T Bar RowPlay demonstration

    1. Lever T Bar Row

    92% match

    Upper Back · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a lever machine to work with, and it still works the upper back.

    • Lever
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the seat height and footplate position to ensure proper alignment.
    2. Sit on the machine with your chest against the pad and your feet flat on the footplate.
    3. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    4. Keep your back straight and engage your core.
    5. Pull the handles towards your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    6. Pause for a moment at the peak contraction, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: upper back, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
  4. Smith Bent Over RowPlay demonstration

    4. Smith Bent Over Row

    88% match

    Upper Back · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an overhand grip.

    • Smith-machine
    How to perform it
    1. Set up the smith machine with the bar at hip height.
    2. Stand facing the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    3. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
    4. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    5. Pull the bar towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    6. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the bar back down to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: upper back, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
  5. Smith Narrow RowPlay demonstration

    5. Smith Narrow Row

    88% match

    Upper Back · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with a narrow grip.

    • Smith-machine
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your feet flat on the floor.
    2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Keep your back straight and your chest up as you pull the handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    4. Pause for a moment at the peak of the movement, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: upper back, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
  6. Smith Reverse Grip Bent Over RowPlay demonstration

    6. Smith Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

    88% match

    Upper Back · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an underhand grip.

    • Smith-machine
    How to perform it
    1. Set up the smith machine with the bar at hip height.
    2. Stand facing the bar with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    3. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
    4. Grasp the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
    5. Pull the bar towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    6. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the bar back down to the starting position.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: upper back, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
    • Equipment: a machine, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
  7. Band One Arm Standing Low RowPlay demonstration

    7. Band One Arm Standing Low Row

    88% match

    Upper Back · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Band
    How to perform it
    1. Attach the band to a stable anchor point at waist height.
    2. Stand facing the anchor point with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    3. Hold the band with one hand, palm facing inward, and step back to create tension in the band.
    4. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
    5. Pull the band towards your waist, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
    6. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly release the band back 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: upper back, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
    • Equipment: a band, not a machine
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Smith One Arm Row
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Smith One Arm Row

Why You Might Need a Smith One Arm Row Alternative

You may need substitutes because of shoulder pain, limited gym equipment, or a preference for freer movement patterns. The Smith machine fixes the bar path, which can restrict natural scapular motion and increase shear on the shoulder for some lifters. Alternatives like chest-supported rows reduce spinal shear and isolate the rhomboids, while single-arm dumbbell rows allow a neutral wrist and a fuller scapular retraction. If you have a wrist or elbow issue, swap to a pronated or neutral-grip handle and focus on leading with the elbow and squeezing the scapula at the top to preserve upper-back activation.

Smith One Arm Row FAQ

What muscles does Smith One Arm Row work?

The Smith One Arm Row primarily targets the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and middle trapezius, with secondary activation of the posterior deltoid and biceps. The erector spinae and obliques stabilize the torso; focus on elbow-driven pulls and scapular retraction to maximize upper-back recruitment.

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