ProgreviaSingle-arm dumbbell row: proper form, muscles worked and common mistakes
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How to do it
Support knee and hand on the bench with a neutral back parallel to the floor. Row the dumbbell toward the hip keeping the elbow close, without rotating the torso or shrugging the shoulder.
Muscles worked
Main muscle: back. Also worked: biceps. When it plans weekly volume, the generator counts each set of this exercise as one full set for back and half a set for each secondary muscle (what is known as fractional counting).
Single-arm dumbbell row or Meadow row: bench support vs staggered stance
Here your free hand and one knee rest on a bench, so the torso is supported and the lower back hardly has to work. In the Meadow row you stand in a staggered stance with a landmine bar: you need more balance and an active hip hinge, and the overhand grip with a high, back-pointing elbow changes where the pull goes. With the dumbbell, the elbow travels close to the hip and the range is long, because the arm hangs below the torso and rises until the elbow passes the line of your body. That lets the lat stretch at the bottom and contract hard at the top.
It is the simplest way into rowing: you need a dumbbell and a bench, you learn the pattern without coordinating a barbell, and you can focus on each side separately, starting with the weaker one. It works well in home routines or as a second back exercise after a heavy one. If you end up running out of dumbbell in your gym, the Meadow row or the T-bar row give you a higher ceiling.
One detail specific to this version: let the shoulder blade drift slightly forward at the bottom without letting the shoulder sag, and start the pull by moving it back before you bend the elbow. That way you use the full range instead of just pulling with the arm.
Technical sheet
- Movement pattern
- Horizontal pull
- Minimum level
- Beginner
- Technical demand
- Basic
- Fatigue it generates
- High (1.2 out of 2.2)
- Risk if technique breaks down
- Low
- Worked one side at a time
These are the values the generator uses to decide where the exercise goes within the session.
Recommended sets and reps
As a compound lift, it fits in 3–5 sets of 5–12 reps leaving 1–3 reps in reserve (RIR). Prioritize it at the start of the session, when you're fresh.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Pulling with the arms instead of starting the movement by retracting the shoulder blades and driving the elbows back.
- Letting your dominant side do more of the work: each arm or leg completes the same range, at the same pace.
- Always starting with your good side and doing fewer reps on the other: start with the weaker side and match its reps on the strong one.
What the research says
Because it is a multi-joint lift, the 2021 review of the repetition continuum by Schoenfeld and colleagues leaves room to choose: both heavy and moderate sets build muscle if they finish near failure, but maximal strength needs some heavy work.
It is done one arm at a time, which shows whether one side is lagging and lets you give it the same reps as the other without the stronger side taking over.
On how hard to push: the meta-analysis by Refalo and colleagues (2023) found no clear advantage in going to failure over stopping just short of it. That is why the generator programs it with reps in reserve (RIR) instead of asking for failure on every set.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. Sports. 2021;9(2):32.
- Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2023;53(3):649-665.
How Single-arm dumbbell row compares with other back exercises
Of the 18 back exercises in the catalogue, ranked from least to most fatiguing by the values the generator uses, Single-arm dumbbell row is number 11 (tied with one other).
It sits in the middle of its group: it works as the day's main exercise or as a second or third one.
With different equipment, the same movement pattern offers 10 alternatives, such as Seated band row, High cable row and Machine row.
| Exercise | Equipment | Fatigue | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine row | machine | Moderate (0.9 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Inverted row | bodyweight | Moderate (0.9 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Gironda row | cable | Moderate (1 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Seated cable row | cable | Moderate (1 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Single-arm dumbbell row | dumbbells | High (1.2 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Hammer Strength machine row | machine | High (1.2 out of 2.2) | Basic |
| Meadow row | barbell | High (1.4 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| T-bar row | barbell | High (1.6 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
One side at a time. The meta-analysis by Kassiano et al. (2025), across nine studies, found no significant difference in hypertrophy between unilateral and bilateral training; for strength, each format improved most in its own type of test.
- Kassiano W, Nunes JP, Costa B, Ribeiro AS, Loenneke JP, Cyrino ES. Comparison of muscle growth and dynamic strength adaptations induced by unilateral and bilateral resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2025;55(4):923-936.
Related guide
The best back exercises: a zone-by-zone guide
Alternative exercises
More horizontal pull exercises
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Single-arm dumbbell row work?
Single-arm dumbbell row mainly works the back muscle group, plus synergist and stabilizer muscles depending on the variation.
How many sets of Single-arm dumbbell row should I do?
Between 3 and 5 sets per session, adjusting the total weekly volume for back to your level (about 10–20 sets per muscle per week).
Should I row the dumbbell to my hip or to my chest?
Toward the hip, with the elbow close to your side, is the usual choice for emphasizing the lats. Pulling higher, toward the chest with the elbow out, shifts more work to the upper back and rear shoulder. Either can be useful; keep your torso still and stop the pull when the shoulder blade is retracted, not when you have to twist to reach further.
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