You can use a single-arm dumbbell row to exercise your latissimus dorsi (a large back muscle) and improve the overall function of your shoulder joint. This text is about how to do a back exercise. You will need a strong back to do this exercise.
How to Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
The single-arm row can be done with a variety of arm positions and paths of motion to emphasize different muscles. The most basic single-arm row emphasizes the lat muscle.
Step 1 — Support Yourself on a Flat Bench
– Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell resting on the bench between your legs. – Place one hand and the corresponding knee on the bench. Keep your back flat and your shoulder blades pulled down and back, like they're headed for your back pockets. To maintain proper alignment, keep your head and neck level, not tilted up or down. You can look at the ground in front of the bench.
Pick up the dumbbell with your other hand. letting the dumbbell hang with your palm facing the bench, keeping your shoulder joint from moving down. When stretching your arm, you should have a slight bend in your elbow, rather than keeping it completely straight or locked.
Keep your core muscles engaged so that your hips stay level and you maintain a straight line from your hips to your neck.
Step 2 — Lift the Weight Towards Your Hip
Use your elbow to move the weight towards your hip on the same side of your body. Keep your hand in a neutral position, with your palm facing the bench and your body. To engage the lat muscle as much as possible, keep your elbow close to your body.
Your hand should be in line with your forearm and directly beneath your elbow. The weight should be close to your hip and your forearm should be close to your ribs in the top position.
As you pull the weight up, make sure not to rotate your shoulders too much or twist your trunk. Do not jerk the weight or lift your upper body forcefully to create momentum.
Step 3 — Lower to the Stretched Position
Slowly lower the weight back to the starting point. Pick up the weight by moving your hand in a slight arc away from your hip until your arm is nearly straight. The weight should be directly under your shoulder.
It is important to keep your shoulders in the correct position as you lower the weight. Keep your shoulders locked into your shoulder girdle and pulled away from your ears. Do not shrug them up towards your ears or the ceiling.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Mistakes to Avoid
Most problems with the single-arm row have to do with losing proper position of the torso, shoulder, or arm. If you want to avoid problems, pay attention to your body and follow simple techniques.
Sagging Lower Back
If you lose focus and stop engaging your core muscles, your lower back will start to sag down toward the bench. If you have bad posture, it can put strain on your vertebrae and cause back pain or injury.
Try to lengthen your spine by imagining it getting taller from your tailbone to your neck. Keep your abs tense. Do not rotate your hips as this can put your lower back out of position.
Curving the Spine Upward
A sagging spine is not the only problem that can occur, the opposite can happen as well and cause just as many problems. To get the most power output and muscle recruitment, you want to keep your torso neutral, neither rounded nor excessively curved.
If you curved your spine too much, it will limit how much your shoulder can move. If you do this, the exercise will be less effective and you might hurt your shoulder.
The best way to avoid injury is to keep your upper body flat with strong abs and steady, stable hips.
Dropping Out of the Shoulder Joint
It is easy to lose the shoulder placement when lowering the weight during the eccentric portion of the exercise.
Benefits of the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
The single-arm row is an excellent exercise for developing size and strength in the back, shoulders, and arms.
The movement can be used to work a majority of the muscles in the upper body, depending on the person's goal of emphasis on muscular size or strength.
Training for a V-Taper Physique
The single-arm row can help build muscle in the shoulders, upper back, and lats to create a v-taper, or inverted triangle, physique. This gives the appearance of an athletic, well-developed body.
Training for Strength
When the muscles in your back are stronger, it provides better stability when doing exercises such as bench presses and overhead presses that require supporting weight.
Improved Shoulder Health
The single-arm row helps to strengthen the trapezius and rhomboids, which can be beneficial for overall scapular health and shoulder function.
Muscles Worked by Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
This exercise is good for your upper body because it uses many different muscles all at once.
Like many other compound exercises, it is an efficient way to workout for various programs.
Latissimus Dorsi
This means that when you’re rowing with one arm, your lat on the side of the working arm does most of the work. The muscle primarily responsible for single-arm rows is the latissimus dorsi, more commonly known as the lat. The lats are a muscle located on either side of your back, extending from your shoulder blades down to your lower ribs. Their primary purpose is to draw the upper arm towards the centerline of your body.
Upper Back
Several relatively less major muscles are located in the upper back region including the rhomboids, rear deltoids, and teres major and minor. These muscles share similar roles in moving and stabilizing the shoulder blade.
Biceps Brachii
The biceps are muscles located on the front part of the upper arm. They are responsible for bending and flexing the elbow. Recruitment during the row does not happen with the primary movers. Instead, the secondary movers are recruited.
Who Should Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
The single-arm row is compatible with most lifters. It’s a good idea to start doing this exercise with lighter weights and improving your form before progressing to heavier weights. You can keep doing this exercise even as you get better at it and start lifting heavier weights.
Lifters Training for Muscle Size
The single-arm row is a popular bodybuilding exercise because it allows you to focus on one side of the body at a time, which can help you build muscle evenly on both sides.
Beginning Lifters
The support of the bench can help you focus on your form. The best way to train multiple muscles and increase back strength is to do it together. The single-arm row is an essential exercise for developing general strength.
Frequent Sitters
If you have a sedentary job, spend a lot of time looking at a computer screen, or are starting to develop a hunch in your upper back, the single-arm row can help correct alignment issues and postural problems by strengthening your upper back.
How to Program the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
The single-arm row is an effective way to develop the back and shoulders. It can be used in a variety of programs to target different muscle groups.
Single-Arm Row for Size Gains
If you want to gain size in your lats, do single-arm rows with high weight on an upper body day. You should aim to perform three or four sets of six to eight repetitions, using a weight that is sufficiently heavy that the last two repetitions are very difficult to complete. Even when lifting heavy weights, maintain stability in your shoulder and core muscles.
Single-Arm Row for Mobility
The single-arm row is a good exercise to improve shoulder and upper back mobility. The focus of this approach will be on creating alignment in the spine, stability in the shoulder, and a slow lowering motion. To complete this type of training, raise the weight in one second intervals and lower it in three second intervals. Do this for two to three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions, with the last two reps being difficult to complete.
Single-Arm Row for Recovery
If you want to recover from a shoulder overuse injury, you should exercise without weights, or with very light weights. Do this for one or two sets of 20 to 25 repetitions. The goal is just to keep the joint moving and increase flexibility in the muscles around the joint.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Variations
Slight changes in your hand or body position, or the amount of movement you make, can target your muscles in a different way and change which muscles are used.
Floor Single-Arm Row
No bench? No problem. Use the floor. Get down on your hands and knees. Mimic the same positioning of your back and shoulders. To perform this exercise, start by placing the weight of the dumbbell under your hand. Next, pull up on the dumbbell from that position. The weight being lifted can touch the floor at the bottom of the exercise.
If you have shoulder issues, this can be a good option for you since it requires less range of motion and the floor supports the weight at the bottom instead of it hanging freely.
Self-Supported Single-Arm Row
Bend your legs slightly and hinge forward at the waist. Support yourself with your non-working hand on your thigh. Perform the row the same way as you would with a bench. Don't raise your torso or you'll turn the exercise into a shrug.
If you have trouble keeping your balance, try standing in a lunge position with your feet staggered and resting your free hand on the forward leg.
Supinated Single-Arm Row
Instead of having your palm face the side of your body, turn your palm so it faces the front (supinated) and keep this hand position during the exercise. This exercise significantly recruits the biceps while also involving the lats.
This grip adjustment also allows you to pull the weight higher into your hip, which gives you a better range of motion and a more intense contraction.
Elbow-Out Single-Arm Row
This version of the exercise targets the upper back muscles more than the lats, making it more effective for building upper back muscle size and/or improving shoulder health. (1)
Face your palm towards your feet and row with your elbow to the side so that it's in line with your shoulder, rather than close to your ribs. Your shoulder, elbow, and hand should be in line with your body, forming a 90-degree angle.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Alternatives
There are many benefits to adding some variety to your upper back exercises or to your routine in general.
Seated Row
You can do a seated row at a cable station or with a resistance band around your feet while sitting on the floor.
To work your back and shoulders most effectively, keep your upper body tall and position stable. Use a thumbs-up grip and move through a full range of motion.
Lat Pulldown
The latissimus dorsi, or “lats” for short, are the large muscles on the sides of your back. The pulldown exercise is a great way to strengthen these muscles. To also recruit your upper back, keep your shoulders down and back during the exercise.
Maintain engagement of your core muscles and do not allow your spine to collapse into a hunched position. Your elbows should be in front of you when you are in the bottom position so that you can have a complete muscle contraction.
FAQs
I feel the single-arm dumbbell row in my biceps mostly because weight is being lifted with my arm extended and held parallel to the floor.
Double-check your form. Make sure your spine is straight and your abdominal muscles are engaged. Don't let your shoulder move out of place. It's more important to focus on pulling the weight toward your hip, which will engage more of the lat muscle and less of the biceps.
Why does my neck hurt during the exercise?
When you try to look forward, you are likely cranking your neck into an awkward position. When you are bench pressing, you should keep your eyes focused on the floor in front of the bench, rather than looking up at the wall or mirror, or down at your hand on the bench.
