What muscles does one arm bent over row work?

One Arm Bent Over Row mainly works your lats. It also works your middle back, biceps and forearm.

What equipment do you need for one arm bent over row?

To do one arm bent over row, you need dumbbell.

How do you do one arm bent over row?

Here is how to do one arm bent over row. Set a dumbbell on the floor beside a flat bench. Place one knee and the same-side hand on the bench so your torso is roughly parallel to the floor and well supported. Reach down with your free hand and grab the dumbbell with a neutral grip, palm facing the bench. Let your arm hang straight down so your lat is stretched at the bottom. Set your back flat and neutral, with a natural arch, and keep your hips square to the floor. Brace your core so your torso stays stable and does not twist. Pull your shoulder blade down and back first, before your elbow moves. This sets the lat and keeps the biceps from taking over the pull. Row the dumbbell up toward your hip and lower ribs by driving your elbow back and up. Think about leading with the elbow, not the hand. Keep the elbow fairly close to your body as it travels, rather than flaring out wide. Pull until the dumbbell reaches your ribcage and your shoulder blade is squeezed in. Squeeze your lat and mid-back hard at the top and hold for a full second. You should feel the muscles under your armpit and along your ribs working, not just your arm. Lower the dumbbell slowly over 2 to 3 seconds until your arm is fully extended and your lat is stretched again. Do not let the weight drop. Finish all your reps on one side, keeping the torso still, then switch and repeat. Aim for 8 to 15 reps per arm with control over momentum.

What are common mistakes to avoid with one arm bent over row?

When you do one arm bent over row, avoid these common mistakes: yanking with the arm and biceps instead of the back; twisting the torso to heave the weight up; skipping the shoulder blade set.

Is one arm bent over row good for beginners?

One Arm Bent Over Row is a beginner exercise. It is a good choice if you are new to training.

One Arm Bent Over Row Exercise - How To Video & Tips

One Arm Bent Over Row Overview

The one arm bent over row works your lats. Your lats are the big wing muscles on the sides of your back. It also uses your middle back, biceps, and forearms. You need one dumbbell and a bench. You rest one knee and hand on the bench. Then you row the weight up. The one arm bent over row builds a strong, wide back. Working one arm at a time fixes weak spots. The bench supports you so your form stays clean. It is great for beginners. It fits in any back workout. It helps your posture and your bigger pulls.

What Is The Point of the One Arm Bent Over Row?

The one arm bent over row builds your back width and strength while fixing muscle imbalances. It targets each side separately so your stronger side can't help the weaker one.

How To Do The One Arm Bent Over Row

Set a dumbbell on the floor beside a flat bench. Place one knee and the same-side hand on the bench so your torso is roughly parallel to the floor and well supported.
Reach down with your free hand and grab the dumbbell with a neutral grip, palm facing the bench. Let your arm hang straight down so your lat is stretched at the bottom.
Set your back flat and neutral, with a natural arch, and keep your hips square to the floor. Brace your core so your torso stays stable and does not twist.
Pull your shoulder blade down and back first, before your elbow moves. This sets the lat and keeps the biceps from taking over the pull.
Row the dumbbell up toward your hip and lower ribs by driving your elbow back and up. Think about leading with the elbow, not the hand.
Keep the elbow fairly close to your body as it travels, rather than flaring out wide. Pull until the dumbbell reaches your ribcage and your shoulder blade is squeezed in.
Squeeze your lat and mid-back hard at the top and hold for a full second. You should feel the muscles under your armpit and along your ribs working, not just your arm.
Lower the dumbbell slowly over 2 to 3 seconds until your arm is fully extended and your lat is stretched again. Do not let the weight drop.
Finish all your reps on one side, keeping the torso still, then switch and repeat. Aim for 8 to 15 reps per arm with control over momentum.

One Arm Bent Over Row Form Tips

Keep your back flat and level the whole time.
Let your arm hang straight down to start.
Pull your elbow back toward your hip, not out wide.
Squeeze your shoulder blade at the top.
Keep your body still. Do not twist to lift.
Look down at the bench to keep your neck straight.
Breathe out as you pull. Breathe in as you lower.
Lower the weight all the way for a full stretch.
Move slow and controlled both ways.
Keep your core tight to hold you steady.

Common Mistakes to Avoid for the One Arm Bent Over Row

Yanking with the arm and biceps instead of the back. When you pull with your hand, the arm robs the lat of the work and you feel it in the elbow instead of the target. Lead with the elbow driving back and let the hand just hold the dumbbell.
Twisting the torso to heave the weight up. Rotating your body to throw the dumbbell up is a momentum cheat that takes tension off the lat. Keep your hips and shoulders square to the floor and move only the arm and shoulder blade.
Skipping the shoulder blade set. If you row with a loose, jammed-up shoulder, the lat never loads properly and the upper trap takes over. Pull the shoulder blade down and back first, then drive the elbow.
Flaring the elbow out wide. A wide, chicken-wing elbow shifts the work to the rear shoulder and weakens the lat pull. Keep the elbow tracking fairly close to your body as it moves back.
Using too much weight. Going too heavy forces you to jerk and twist and kills the clean pull. Drop the load so you can pause and squeeze at the top without swinging.
Not lowering under control. Dropping the dumbbell fast wastes the eccentric, which builds a lot of the muscle, and stresses the shoulder at the bottom. Lower over 2 to 3 seconds and resist the whole way.
Cutting the range short. Rowing only halfway or never fully extending at the bottom shortchanges both the squeeze and the stretch. Pull the dumbbell all the way to your ribs and let it hang to a full stretch each rep.
Rounding the lower back. Letting your spine round under load puts your back at risk and takes the mid-back out of a strong position. Keep a flat, braced back with a natural arch throughout.
Shrugging the shoulder up at the top. When you shrug, the trap takes over and the lat disengages. Keep the shoulder pulled down and drive the elbow toward your hip instead of up to your ear.
Rowing to the chest instead of the hip. Pulling high toward the chest turns it into more of a rear-delt move and off the lat. Aim the dumbbell toward your lower ribs and hip for the best lat contraction.
Ignoring side-to-side differences. Because each arm works alone, a stronger side can quietly do more reps and build an imbalance. Match reps and effort per arm and start with your weaker side.

One Arm Bent Over Row Workout Tips

Set your shoulder blade before your elbow on every rep. Pulling the blade down and back first loads the lat, and that small habit is the difference between feeling your back and feeling your arm.
Lead the pull with your elbow, not your hand. Driving the elbow back and toward your hip keeps the lat doing the work and the biceps just along for the ride.
Aim the dumbbell toward your hip and lower ribs. Pulling low and back hits the lat far better than rowing high to the chest, which shifts the work to the rear delt.
Control the lowering over 2 to 3 seconds. Owning the eccentric keeps tension on the lat and builds more muscle than dropping the weight.
Add a one second squeeze at the top. Pausing in the contracted position kills momentum and strengthens the mind-muscle connection with your back.
Let the dumbbell hang to a full stretch at the bottom. Reaching that lengthened position each rep trains the lat through its whole range and helps it grow.
Keep your torso locked and square. The bench supports you, so use that stability to move only your arm and shoulder rather than twisting for extra weight.
Run this in the 8 to 15 rep range for 3 to 4 sets per arm. The single-arm row rewards control and feel over ego lifting, so keep the reps clean.
Start each set with your weaker side. Letting the weak arm set the rep count keeps both sides balanced and stops a strong side from taking over.
Program it as a main back builder or after heavy barbell rows. The single-arm version lets you really focus on one lat at a time and iron out imbalances.
Progress by adding small weight while keeping the pull clean. Steady load increases with good form are progressive overload done right for the back.
Keep the elbow close to your side as it travels. A tucked elbow path keeps the lat loaded and protects the shoulder from the strain of a wide flare.
Use a neutral or slightly forward grip and hold firm. A solid grip stabilizes the wrist and lets you focus on driving with the back.
Film a set from the side to check your form. It quickly shows whether you are twisting for momentum or rowing with a stable torso.
Do not grind every set to failure. Leaving a rep in the tank keeps your pull clean and lets you match the reps on your other arm.
Be patient and chase the squeeze. A strong mind-muscle connection with the lat builds over time and pays off in a thicker, wider back.