One-arm dumbbell row: how to do it
Main muscles: Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major, Rhomboids. Helpers: Biceps, Middle traps. Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Dumbbells
Reps
8–12
Rest
105 s
Muscle group
Back
How to do it
- Knee and hand on the bench, back parallel to the floor and flat.
- Pull the dumbbell to the waist, elbow along the torso, shoulder blade going back.
- Lower to a full stretch of the lat and do not rotate the torso.
Common mistakes
Turning the torso after the weight, pulling with the biceps, rounding the back.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major, Rhomboids
- Secondary
- Biceps, Middle traps
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Programs that use it
- Dumbbells only, 4 days4 × 8–12
- Circuit, 3 days3 × 8–12
Alternatives: similar exercises
Pull-ups
Bodyweight · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major
Barbell row
Barbell · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
T-bar row
Barbell · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
Close-grip lat pulldown
Cable · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major
Seated machine row
Machine · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Rhomboids, Middle traps
Lat pulldown
Cable · Latissimus dorsi (lats), Teres major
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
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