Smith One Arm Row
Strengthen your back and biceps with the Smith One Arm Row. This exercise targets the lats, rhomboids, and traps for a powerful, sculpted physique.
Description
Smith One Arm Row is a strength exercise that primarily targets the lats and to a lesser degree also targets the biceps and middle back.
How to Do Smith One Arm Row
- 1Setup
Set the Smith machine bar to approximately mid-thigh height. Stand perpendicular to the bar, with the bar near your working side.
- 2Setup
Hinge at your hips, keeping your back straight and knees slightly bent, until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Place your non-working hand on a stable bench or your thigh for support.
- 3Setup
Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width, ensuring your working arm is fully extended towards the floor.
- 4
Initiate the pull by retracting your shoulder blade, then drive your elbow up towards the ceiling, pulling the bar towards your lower rib cage. Exhale as you pull.
- 5
Squeeze your lat and middle back muscles at the top, then slowly extend your arm to lower the bar back to the starting position, allowing your shoulder blade to protract fully. Inhale as you lower.
- 6
Maintain a stable, unrotated torso throughout the movement, completing all repetitions on one side before switching arms.
Tips
- Focus on initiating the pull with your back muscles, specifically the lats, rather than just yanking with your biceps.
- Maintain a flat back and engaged core throughout the exercise to prevent lower back strain and maximize muscle activation.
- Control both the pulling (concentric) and lowering (eccentric) phases of the movement to increase time under tension and muscle growth.
- Keep your head in a neutral position, looking slightly forward or down, to maintain spinal alignment and avoid neck strain.
Common Mistakes
- ×Avoid rounding your lower back during the pull by keeping your core tight and maintaining a neutral spine throughout the movement.
- ×Prevent using excessive body English or momentum to lift the weight by selecting a challenging yet manageable weight that allows for strict form.
- ×Don't shrug your working shoulder towards your ear; instead, keep your shoulder blade depressed and retracted to properly engage the lats and avoid upper trapezius dominance.
Variations
Band one arm Standing Low Row
Pulling a resistance band attached at a low position, this one-arm standing low row effectively targets your lats and middle back muscles for improved
Barbell One Arm Bent over Row
Strengthen your back and core with the Barbell One-Arm Bent Over Row. This unilateral exercise builds strength, improves posture, and targets your lats
Lever One Arm Lateral High Row
Master the Lever One Arm Lateral High Row to sculpt a strong, defined upper back. This compound exercise effectively targets your lats, improving posture
Smith Bent Over Row
Perform Smith Bent Over Rows to build a strong, muscular back. This compound exercise targets your lats, traps, and rear deltoids for upper body strength
Related Exercises
Smith Reverse Grip Bent Over Row
Strengthen your back with the Smith Reverse Grip Bent Over Row. This exercise targets your lats and middle back using a fixed bar for stability.
Smith Bent Over Narrow Supinated Grip Row
Perform the Smith Bent Over Narrow Supinated Grip Row to build a strong, thick back. This exercise targets your lats and mid-back for powerful pulling.
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.
Lever Seated Row
Perform the Lever Seated Row to build a strong, thick back. This compound exercise effectively targets your lats, traps, and rhomboids for improved
Assisted Standing Triceps Dip
Build triceps strength with machine assistance that lets you focus on proper dip form at a manageable load.
Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
The ultimate full-body dumbbell complex combining a push-up, row, clean, and overhead press in one flow.
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