Skip to content
Unite Fitness Journal
Menu

One-Arm Dumbbell Row: Form Guide, Muscles and Mistakes

Load card

Equipment
Dumbbell
Muscle group
Back
Main muscles
latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, middle trapezius
Also working
biceps, posterior deltoid
Mechanics
Compound
Pattern
Horizontal pull
Level
Beginner

The One-Arm Dumbbell Row is a beginner-friendly compound exercise that falls under the horizontal pull movement pattern. You perform it by supporting your body on a bench and pulling a single dumbbell up toward your torso. This unilateral approach allows you to train each side of your body independently.

This movement primarily targets the muscles of your back, including the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and middle trapezius. It also recruits your biceps and posterior deltoid as supporting muscles to help complete the pulling motion.

How to do it

Place one knee and the same-side hand on a flat bench, keeping your back flat and parallel to the floor. Hold a dumbbell in your free hand with your arm fully extended toward the ground.

  1. Brace your core and keep your spine neutral.
  2. Pull the dumbbell upward by driving your elbow toward the ceiling.
  3. Keep your arm close to your side as the weight moves toward your hip.
  4. Squeeze your back muscles at the top of the movement.
  5. Lower the dumbbell slowly and with control back to the starting position.
  6. Allow your shoulder blade to stretch slightly at the bottom before starting the next rep.

Sets, reps and load

Start with 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions per side. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets to allow your muscles to recover.

Choose a dumbbell that feels challenging by the last two reps but still allows you to maintain a flat back and smooth technique.

Common mistakes

  • Yanking the weight. Use a controlled tempo on the way up and the way down. Rely on your back muscles instead of momentum.
  • Twisting your torso. Keep your chest facing the floor throughout the entire set. If you have to rotate to lift the weight, it is too heavy.
  • Flaring the elbow. Keep your pulling arm tucked close to your ribcage. This ensures the latissimus dorsi does the majority of the work.
  • Rounding the lower back. Push your chest out and brace your core to maintain a flat back. Make sure your supporting knee and hand are positioned securely on the bench.

Make it easier or harder

Easier

  • Perform the movement without any weight to practice the pulling pattern.
  • Lean on a higher surface like an incline bench to reduce the angle of your torso.

Harder

  • Pause for two seconds at the top of the movement to increase time under tension.
  • Perform the exercise from a staggered stance without resting your knee on a bench.

Before you load it up

  • Grip often gives out before the target muscle; straps or a lighter load are reasonable while grip strength catches up.

Swaps and related back exercises

Same muscle group with different equipment:

More dumbbell options:

Browse all dumbbell exercises or every back exercise.

When to see a doctor or physio

  • Sharp pain in your lower back or spine.
  • A pinching sensation in your shoulder joint.
  • Numbness or tingling traveling down your arm.

This page is general training information, not medical advice. If you are new to strength training, managing a health condition, pregnant or coming back from an injury, check with a doctor or physio first.

How this page was made. Exercise data (equipment, muscles, mechanics, level) compiled by the Unite Journal Crew as a general anatomy guide, cross-checked against the public-domain free-exercise-db list. Text drafted with AI assistance and edited by the crew; see our house rules. Last checked October 2026.