Single-Arm Cable Row

What is the Single-Arm Cable Row?

The single-arm cable row is a horizontal pull performed one side at a time against a cable, rowing a D-handle to the torso. The constant cable tension and independent handle let each lat work through a long range with some rotation, exposing side-to-side differences a two-handed bar hides, a controllable, joint-friendly way to build and balance the mid-back.

Muscles worked

Primary: Back

The lat and mid-back of the working side drive the elbow back to pull the handle to the torso against constant cable tension, moving through a full, slightly rotational range.

Secondary: Biceps, Traps

The biceps of the working arm assist by flexing the elbow, and the traps retract the shoulder blade at the finish of each rep.

How to perform the Single-Arm Cable Row

1. Set a single D-handle on a low cable pulley and sit or stand in a staggered stance facing the machine with the cable at torso height.
2. Grip the handle with one hand and let the arm extend fully so the cable pulls the shoulder blade into a protracted stretch.
3. Brace the trunk and keep the hips square, using the free hand on a support if standing to resist rotation.
4. Row the handle toward your lower ribs by retracting the shoulder blade first, then driving the elbow back past the torso.
5. Allow a slight controlled torso rotation toward the working side to lengthen the contracted range the single arm allows.
6. Return the handle forward under control into a full stretch, finish all reps, then repeat on the other arm.

Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

A unilateral horizontal pull on a cable: the working shoulder extends and the elbow flexes to bring the handle to the midsection against a constant line of tension. As a compound single-arm movement, the independent handle removes the stronger side’s ability to compensate and allows a longer, more rotational pull than a fixed two-handed bar, with the cable keeping tension through the whole range.

Form cues

• •Sit or stand tall, let the working shoulder reach forward at the stretch, then row the handle to the hip.
• •Drive the elbow back close to the body and pull the shoulder blade fully in at the finish.
• •Allow a little controlled torso rotation toward the cable, but don’t heave the whole body around.
• •Match the reps and range on your weaker side and let it set the load for both.

Common mistakes

• •Twisting the whole torso to heave the handle back rather than a small controlled rotation with a braced trunk.
• •Pulling with the biceps first instead of retracting the shoulder blade to start the row.
• •Cutting the forward reach short so the lat never fully stretches between reps.
• •Letting the working shoulder roll forward at the stretch instead of keeping it packed down.

Variations & alternatives

• •Seated cable row: the two-handed version for loading both sides together with more total weight.
• •Single-arm lat pulldown: a one-arm vertical pull that hits the lats from overhead.
• •Dumbbell row: a braced free-weight one-arm row with a more vertical path.
• •Meadows row: a single-arm landmine row that biases the lat from an angled arc.

Conventional Deadlift

Back · Barbell

Barbell Row

Back · Barbell

Pull-Up

Back · Bodyweight

Lat Pulldown

Back · Machine

Seated Cable Row

Back · Cable

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Use the single-arm cable row as a secondary mid-back movement in the library’s 10–15 rep range, where constant tension and honest per-side effort reward a full stretch and squeeze over heavy load. It’s ideal for bringing up a weaker side, since neither lat can carry the other. Run the weaker side first and match it. A few sets per arm build the mid-back well.

Frequently asked questions