Demonstration of One-arm Dumbbell Rows

One-arm dumbbell rows (also called bent-over rows) primarily target the upper and middle back muscles including the latisimus dorsi, rhomboids, and trapezious muscles.

One-arm Dumbbell Row Exercise Demonstration

Starting position: Find a workout bench, and place a dumbbell on either side of the bench. To work the right side of your back, lean forward and place your left hand and knee on the bench to support your body. Reach down and grip the dumbbell.

Tips:

Make sure that your back is parallel to the ground.

Contract the abdominal muscles and maintain the natural curvature of the spine (do not round your back).

The exercise: Without using momentum, slowly lift the weight upwards as far as you can while exhaling. Simultaneously tighten the abdominals to keep the body from rotating. Focus on pulling the elbow upwards as far as possible, making sure that the dumbbell ends up parallel to your torso.

After you have rowed the dumbbell upwards as far as possible, slowly lower it to the starting position while exhaling.

Muscles Involved in One-arm Dumbbell Rows

Pull-ups are a compound movement that target latisimus dorsi muscle, however, muscles in the shoulder and arms also act as synergists and stabilizers.

Here are all of the muscles used during a pull-up:

Primary Target Muscle(s)