Exercise guide · evidence-graded

Dumbbell Row

The one-arm dumbbell row is a bench-supported horizontal pull: one hand and knee rest on a bench while the other arm rows a dumbbell from a hanging stretch up to the hip. It works the lats most, with the mid-back, rear shoulders and biceps assisting, and the bench takes most of the work of holding the torso still.

Also called: DB Row, One Arm Row, Single Arm DB Row, One-Arm Dumbbell Row · Equipment: dumbbell · Pattern: pull

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How to do it

Step by step

Put one knee and the same-side hand on a flat bench, with the hand under your shoulder and the knee under your hip. Plant the other foot on the floor, slightly back and out to the side.
Pick up the dumbbell with your free hand, palm facing in. Set your back flat and close to parallel with the floor, head in line with your spine, and chest and hips square to the floor.
Let the working arm hang straight under your shoulder and allow the shoulder blade to drift forward into a stretch.
Brace your trunk. Drive your elbow up and back towards your hip, keeping the upper arm close to your side and the hand relaxed around the handle.
Finish with the dumbbell beside the bottom of your ribcage and your shoulder blade pulled back, without turning your chest towards the ceiling.
Take the dumbbell back down under control until your arm is straight and the shoulder blade has moved forward again.
Complete every rep on one side, then swap your hand, knee and foot positions to train the other arm.

Coaching cues

Elbow to your hip pocket
Lead with the elbow, hand relaxed like a hook
Chest square to the floor
Long arm at the bottom, shoulder blade back at the top
Flat back, head in line with your spine

In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.

Muscles worked

What it trains

Muscle	Role	Evidence
Latissimus dorsi	Prime mover	C
Trapezius: middle	Prime mover	C
Rhomboids	Secondary	C
Posterior deltoid	Secondary	C
Biceps brachii	Secondary	C
Brachialis	Secondary	C
Trapezius: lower	Secondary	D
Erector spinae	Stabiliser	C
Obliques (internal/external)	Stabiliser	C
Forearm flexors	Stabiliser	D

Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.

Common faults

What goes wrong, and the fix

Torso twisting to heave the dumbbell

Fix: Keep chest and hips square to the floor; use a load you can row without turning.

Elbow rowed high towards the armpit

Fix: Pull the elbow back towards your hip with the upper arm close to your side.

Stretch at the bottom cut short

Fix: Let the arm hang straight and the shoulder blade drift forward before each pull.

Pulling with the hand instead of the elbow

Fix: Keep the hand loose like a hook and drive the elbow up and back.

Rounded or sagging back

Fix: Set hand under shoulder and knee under hip, then flatten your back before the first rep.

Grip giving out before the back

Fix: Many lifters use lifting straps on heavy or high-rep sets.

Programming

What the research says

Muscle growth · first choiceGeneral fitness · first choiceStrengthRehab & prehabSport performanceEnduranceFat loss & conditioning

Load by goal — Research comparing loads finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure, while maximal strength favours heavier loads.
Effort — Studies show growth rises as sets get closer to failure along a flattening curve, and reaching true failure adds only a small extra effect. Strength gains appear largely insensitive to how close to failure you train.
Volume and frequency — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns; around 10 or more weekly sets has been associated with more growth than fewer than 5. With volume matched, frequency adds little, so it mainly serves to spread sets across the week.
Rest — In trained lifters, rests of about 3 minutes between sets have produced greater strength and size gains than 1-minute rests.
Range of motion — Reviews find full range of motion gives equal or greater gains than partial range, with clearer data for the legs than the upper body. Many lifters use the full path from a straight-arm hang to the hip.
Free weight or machine — A meta-analysis found free-weight and machine training give similar muscle growth, while strength gains are specific to the equipment trained on.

Alternatives · VALDA FLEX

Swap it mid-workout

With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.

Log the dumbbell row in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.

General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.