10 Best Smith One Arm Row Alternatives for No Smith Machine

Use single-arm dumbbell rows, chest-supported rows, barbell bent-over rows, inverted rows, or one-arm cable rows to replace the Smith One Arm Row. Each preserves horizontal-pull mechanics and targets the lats, rhomboids, and posterior deltoid. Brace your torso, retract the scapula, and pull through the elbow to emphasize upper-back contraction.

Original Exercise: Smith One Arm Row

Smith One Arm Row
Primary Muscle
Upper-back
Equipment
Smith-machine
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Biceps, Forearms
How to Perform Smith One Arm Row
  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.

Ranked Smith One Arm Row Alternatives

Best Match
Lever T Bar Row

1. Lever T Bar Row

92.2% Match
Upper-back Lever Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Lever Reverse T-bar Row

2. Lever Reverse T-bar Row

88.2% Match
Upper-back Lever Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and footplate position on the leverage machine.
  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 chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Lever T-bar Reverse Grip Row

3. Lever T-bar Reverse Grip Row

88.2% Match
Upper-back Lever Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your chest against the pad and your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Keep your back straight and engage your core.
  4. Pull the handles towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly release and extend your arms back to the starting position.
Smith Bent Over Row

4. Smith Bent Over Row

87.7% Match
Upper-back Smith-machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Smith Narrow Row

5. Smith Narrow Row

87.7% Match
Upper-back Smith-machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Smith Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

6. Smith Reverse Grip Bent Over Row

87.7% Match
Upper-back Smith-machine Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Band One Arm Standing Low Row

7. Band One Arm Standing Low Row

87.7% Match
Upper-back Band Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  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.
Cable One Arm Bent Over Row

8. Cable One Arm Bent Over Row

87.7% Match
Upper-back Cable Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand facing a cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
  3. Grasp the cable handle with one hand, palm facing inward, and extend your arm fully.
  4. Pull the cable handle towards your body, keeping your elbow close to your side, until your hand reaches your lower chest.
  5. Pause for a moment, then slowly extend your arm back to the starting position.
One Arm Towel Row

9. One Arm Towel Row

85.6% Match
Upper-back Body-weight Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a towel with one hand.
  2. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
  3. Extend your arm fully, allowing the towel to hang in front of you.
  4. Pull the towel towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the towel back to the starting position.
Lever One Arm Bent Over Row

10. Lever One Arm Bent Over Row

82.3% Match
Upper-back Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a barbell with an overhand grip.
  2. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your head up.
  3. Let the barbell hang in front of you with your arms fully extended.
  4. Pull the barbell up towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
  5. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.

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.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on equipment, pain history, and your goal. For hypertrophy choose unilateral dumbbell or cable rows to increase time under tension; use a chest-supported row if you need to offload the lower back. For strength and carryover to heavy pulls, pick a bent-over barbell row and maintain a braced core and neutral spine. Evaluate biomechanics: shorter torso-to-load lever (chest-supported) reduces lower-back demand, while a more horizontal torso increases lat and posterior chain recruitment. Always prioritize scapular retraction cues, initiate the pull from the scapula and lead with the elbow, to ensure targeted upper-back activation.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Smith One Arm Row?

The inverted row (Australian pull-up) is the best bodyweight option because it preserves the horizontal-pull vector and loads the lats and mid-traps. Keep a rigid plank body, retract the scapula before pulling, and aim to bring your chest to the bar to increase intensity.

Can I build muscle without doing Smith One Arm Row?

Yes. You can build upper-back muscle with progressive overload using dumbbell rows, cable rows, inverted rows, and bent-over barbell rows. Prioritize full range of motion, consistent loading, and scapular retraction cues to drive hypertrophy across the same muscle groups.

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