What you'll gain

• Builds the lats and biceps one side at a time.

• Trains a long-range row with bench-supported safety.

• Fixes side-to-side imbalances in horizontal pulling.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Place one knee and the same-side hand on a flat bench with your back parallel to the floor.

2. 2

   Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand with your arm hanging straight down beneath your shoulder.

3. 3

   Set a flat back, brace your core, and keep your hips square to the bench.

4. 4

   Pull the dumbbell up to the side of your ribs by driving your elbow back along your body.

5. 5

   Squeeze your shoulder blade in toward your spine at the top of the row and pause briefly.

6. 6

   Lower the dumbbell slowly until your arm is fully extended again, then repeat for reps before switching sides.

Common Mistakes

• Rotating the torso to throw the dumbbell up, which turns the row into a swing and offloads the back.

• Pulling with the arm only and letting the elbow flare wide, which trades lat work for rear-shoulder work.

• Rounding the lower back instead of bracing flat, which puts the spine at risk under load.

• Cutting the bottom range short and skipping the lat stretch, where most of the growth stimulus happens.

About This Exercise

The dumbbell single arm row is the most-programmed unilateral back lift in strength training. Bracing one hand and one knee on a bench and rowing a dumbbell from full hang up to the ribs trains the lats and biceps through a long range of motion, with the bench support keeping the lower back safe and the working side fully isolated. For any fitness app or coaching platform, this row earns a permanent slot in the pull-day library. It works in beginner programs because the bench setup makes it stable, and it works in advanced hypertrophy blocks because it allows heavy loading one side at a time. It's also a clean teaching piece for the row pattern before users move to barbell rows.

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