All Exercises

Lever One Arm Seated Row (Seated row machine)

Target your lats, rhomboids, and traps with the Lever One-Arm Seated Row. Build unilateral back strength and improve posture effectively and safely.

Intermediate
Compound
Pull
1 min per set2 min rest

Description

A strength training exercise that targets the middle and lower back muscles. While seated on the machine, the user pulls the lever towards the body using one arm.

How to Do Lever One Arm Seated Row (Seated row machine)

  1. 1
    Setup

    Adjust the seat height so your chest is aligned with the top of the pad, and the handle is within comfortable reach. Plant your feet firmly on the footrests, maintaining a slight bend in your knees.

  2. 2
    Setup

    Grasp the handle with an overhand or neutral grip, ensuring your working arm is fully extended and your shoulder is slightly protracted. Keep your torso upright and core engaged.

  3. 3

    Initiate the pull by retracting your scapula, then drive your elbow back towards your hip, pulling the handle towards your lower rib cage. Exhale as you pull.

  4. 4

    Squeeze your back muscles at the peak of the contraction, ensuring your torso remains stable and avoids rotation.

  5. 5

    Slowly control the return of the handle to the starting position, allowing your arm to fully extend and your shoulder to protract, feeling a stretch in your lat. Inhale during this eccentric phase.

  6. 6

    Complete all repetitions on one side before switching to the other arm to maintain balance and focus.

Tips

  • Focus on initiating the pull with your back muscles, specifically feeling your shoulder blade retract, rather than pulling primarily with your biceps.
  • Maintain a stable core throughout the movement, resisting the urge to twist your torso or lean excessively to one side.
  • Visualize driving your elbow behind your body, aiming to bring the handle to your lower rib cage, which helps engage the lats more effectively.
  • Control the eccentric (lowering) phase, allowing a full stretch in your lat, as this phase is crucial for muscle growth.

Common Mistakes

  • ×Using excessive momentum or twisting the torso to pull the weight reduces the target muscle activation; instead, keep your core stable and pull with controlled back muscle engagement.
  • ×Shrugging the shoulder during the pull disengages the lats and puts strain on the upper traps; instead, keep your shoulder depressed and focus on pulling with your elbow.
  • ×Failing to achieve a full range of motion by not fully extending the arm at the start or not fully retracting the shoulder blade at the end limits muscle activation; ensure a complete stretch and contraction.

Variations

Related Exercises

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