The 9 Best Barbell Row Alternative Movement Options
Pulling exercises play a crucial role in strength training and back development.
They’re the foundation for building a stronger back, improving grip strength, and enhancing overall athletic performance.
Whether you’re aiming to increase your muscle mass, correct muscle imbalances, or improve your posture, pulling movements are essential.
However, not everyone can consistently perform the bent-over barbell row—a classic back exercise—due to injuries, lack of equipment, or the need for training variety.
For many athletes, sticking to one exercise like the barbell row can lead to plateaus or even discomfort.
If you’re recovering from lower back pain, have limited access to weights, or simply want to mix up your workout routine, there are plenty of barbell row alternatives to explore.
As a physical therapist and CrossFit coach, I’ve helped countless athletes improve their performance and prevent injuries by incorporating effective barbell row alternatives into their training routines.
These alternatives not only target the same muscle groups—like the latissimus dorsi, spinal erectors, and rear deltoids—but also provide unique benefits to improve strength, posture, and performance.
In this guide, you’ll discover the 9 best barbell row alternatives that help you build a strong back while minimizing the risk of injury.
The Best Nine Barbell Row Alternative Options
1. Dumbbell Rows
Muscles Targeted: Lats, traps, rhomboids, rear deltoids, and core.
Benefits: The dumbbell row is a versatile movement that balances strength between both sides of your body, reducing muscular imbalances.
It also engages your stabilizer muscles due to the free range of motion.
By allowing various grip angles—overhand, underhand, or neutral—you can tailor the exercise to target specific parts of your back.
How to Perform:
- Place a dumbbell on each side of a flat bench.
- Position your right knee and hand on the bench for support, keeping your spine neutral and hips squared.
- Grab the dumbbell with your left hand using a neutral grip (palm facing in). Let your arm hang straight down toward the floor.
- Pull the dumbbell toward your hip by driving your elbow back and keeping it close to your body. Focus on retracting your shoulder blade as you row.
- Lower the dumbbell under control until your arm is fully extended.
- Perform the desired reps, switch sides, and repeat.
Form Tip: Avoid rotating your torso or shrugging your shoulder. Keep your back straight, core engaged, and movement slow for optimal activation.
2. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
Muscles Targeted: Lats, traps, rhomboids, and core.
Benefits: This unilateral movement is excellent for addressing muscular imbalances while improving range of motion and control.
It allows for isolated work on each side, ensuring equal strength development.
How to Perform:
- Set up as you would for a traditional dumbbell row, with one knee and hand on a bench.
- Grab the dumbbell with a neutral grip and let your arm hang naturally.
- Row the dumbbell toward your hip, driving your elbow back and squeezing your shoulder blade.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position.
- Perform all reps on one side, switch, and repeat.
Form Tip: Focus on slow, controlled movements to avoid momentum and ensure tension remains on the lats.
3. Seated Cable Row
Muscles Targeted: Lats, mid-back, and biceps.
Benefits: The seated cable row provides constant tension throughout the movement, making it ideal for hypertrophy.
Adjustable resistance allows for precise load control, catering to different training goals.
How to Perform:
- Sit on the cable machine with your feet on the platform and knees slightly bent.
- Grab the handle with an overhand or neutral grip. Sit tall, keeping your torso upright and core engaged.
- Pull the handle toward your lower chest by driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Slowly extend your arms to return to the starting position.
Form Tip: Avoid leaning back excessively. Keep your chest up and focus on squeezing your mid-back during each pull.
4. Gorilla Row
Muscles Targeted: Lats, traps, and core.
Benefits: This dynamic exercise involves alternating arms, which challenges your stability and core engagement while targeting the back muscles.
How to Perform:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and two dumbbells or kettlebells between your feet.
- Hinge at the hips, keeping your spine neutral and chest proud.
- Grab both weights and row one arm toward your hip while keeping the other arm extended.
- Lower the weight and immediately row with the opposite arm. Alternate smoothly while maintaining core stability.
Form Tip: Resist torso rotation by bracing your core and keeping your hips squared throughout the movement.
5. Single-Arm Landmine Row
Muscles Targeted: Lats, mid-back, and core.
Benefits: The landmine setup creates a unique angle that effectively targets the lats while minimizing strain on the lower back.
How to Perform:
- Stand perpendicular to a landmine barbell setup.
- Hinge at the hips, keeping your spine neutral, and grab the bar sleeve with one hand.
- Row the bar toward your hip, keeping your elbow close to your body.
- Slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.
- Perform all reps on one side, then switch.
Form Tip: Focus on maintaining a neutral spine and avoid leaning too far forward to reduce back strain.
6. Landmine Towel Row
Muscles Targeted: Lats, mid-back, and forearms.
Benefits: Using a towel to grip the barbell challenges your forearms and grip strength, which is particularly useful for athletes in grappling or grip-heavy sports.
How to Perform:
- Wrap a towel around the landmine bar sleeve and hold both ends tightly.
- Hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight.
- Row the towel toward your chest, driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Lower the weight under control and repeat.
Form Tip: Keep tension on the towel to prevent slipping, and avoid shrugging your shoulders during the pull.
7. Renegade Row
Muscles Targeted: Lats, core, shoulders, and triceps.
Benefits: This exercise combines a plank hold with a row, challenging total body stability, core strength, and back activation.
How to Perform:
- Start in a high plank position with hands on dumbbells, aligned under your shoulders.
- Keeping your hips stable, row one dumbbell toward your hip while balancing on the opposite arm.
- Lower the dumbbell and alternate sides.
Form Tip: Widen your stance for added stability and focus on keeping your hips square to the floor.
8. Incline Dumbbell Row
Muscles Targeted: Upper back, traps, and rhomboids.
Benefits: The incline bench eliminates momentum, isolating the upper back muscles for better activation.
How to Perform:
- Set a bench to a 30-45 degree incline. Lie face down with your chest against the bench.
- Grab a dumbbell in each hand with arms extended.
- Row the dumbbells toward your hips, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Lower the weights under control and repeat.
Form Tip: Keep your chest in contact with the bench to avoid using momentum.
9. Inverted Row
Muscles Targeted: Lats, traps, rhomboids, and core.
Benefits: This scalable bodyweight exercise builds functional strength and improves your ability to control your body.
How to Perform:
- Set a barbell in a rack or use suspension trainers. Lie underneath and grip the bar with an overhand grip.
- Extend your legs and keep your body in a straight line.
- Pull your chest to the bar by driving your elbows back.
- Lower yourself under control to the starting position.
Form Tip: Engage your core and keep your body rigid to maintain proper alignment. Adjust the bar height to scale difficulty.
Importance of Progressive Overload
If you want to build a stronger back and achieve consistent progress, you must apply the principle of progressive overload. (1)
Progressive overload refers to gradually increasing the intensity of your exercises by adding heavier weights, increasing reps, or improving time under tension. It’s the best way to stimulate your muscles, promote muscle hypertrophy, and boost overall strength.
When incorporating barbell row alternatives into your training, start with a weight or resistance level that challenges you without compromising your proper form.
For instance, with the single-arm dumbbell row, you might begin with a moderate weight and focus on achieving a full range of motion.
As your strength improves, you can add more weight, perform slower reps, or include pauses at the top of the movement to increase difficulty.
Remember, your progress can stall if you’re always using light weights.
By gradually challenging yourself with heavier weights while maintaining a neutral spine, you’ll ensure continuous improvement.
Avoid letting your ego take over; lifting too much weight too soon can lead to lower back pain or poor form, which may limit your results and increase the risk of injury.
Grip Variations
One often-overlooked factor in pulling exercises is the importance of grip variations.
The way you position your hands—whether using an overhand grip, underhand grip, or neutral grip—can dramatically affect which muscle groups you activate during a row.
Overhand Grip: This grip places greater emphasis on your upper back muscles, including the rear deltoids and outer region of your upper back.
Movements like the gorilla row or seal row are excellent examples that use an overhand position to target these areas.
Underhand Grip: By flipping your palms up, you shift the focus toward the latissimus dorsi and biceps.
This grip increases your ability to lift much weight because it engages additional muscles to assist the pull.
The Yates row is a popular barbell row variation that utilizes an underhand grip to emphasize muscle hypertrophy in the lats.
Neutral Grip: Using a neutral grip (palms facing each other) helps reduce strain on your shoulder blades and lumbar spine while still effectively targeting the muscles of the back.
Exercises like the single-arm dumbbell row or landmine row allow for this variation, making them a great alternative for anyone dealing with lower back pain or shoulder discomfort.
Incorporating different grips into your routine keeps your training balanced and helps prevent muscle imbalances.
By changing your grip, you’ll also work your back from different angles, leading to more complete development and increased grip strength.
Horizontal vs. Vertical Pulling
When designing your training programs, it’s important to balance horizontal pull and vertical pulling movements. (2)
While horizontal pulling exercises—like the bent-over row or chest-supported row—focus on strengthening the upper back muscles, vertical pulls target the largest muscle of your back, the latissimus dorsi.
Both movement patterns are essential for achieving a well-rounded, stronger back.
Horizontal pulling emphasizes scapular retraction, which is critical for improving posture and shoulder health.
Exercises like the inverted row or single-arm row help develop the middle and lower traps, rhomboids, and rear delts, promoting balance across the group of muscles in your back.
On the other hand, vertical pulling movements—such as pull-ups or lat pulldowns—are ideal for building width in the lats.
These exercises also complement horizontal rows, ensuring that you develop a back that’s both strong and aesthetically balanced.
For the best results, include a mix of horizontal pull and vertical pulling exercises in your workout routine.
If you’re aiming for long-term progress, balancing these movement patterns will help you avoid plateaus and prevent muscle imbalances.
Injury Prevention Tips
No matter how effective an exercise is, neglecting proper form can lead to injuries that stall your progress.
This is especially true for pulling movements like the bent-over barbell row or its alternatives.
To prevent injuries and maximize the benefits of your back training, prioritize the following tips:
- Warm Up Thoroughly: Begin each session with dynamic stretches and activation exercises for your shoulders, lumbar spine, and core. Movements like band pull-aparts or light resistance band rows help prepare your muscle groups for the work ahead.
- Maintain a Neutral Spine: Whether you’re performing a single-arm row or a barbell row variation, always keep your spine neutral. Rounding your back places unnecessary stress on the spine, increasing the risk of injury. (3) Focus on hinging from your hips to maintain the correct bent-over position.
- Focus on Proper Form: It’s better to use lighter weight with perfect form than to sacrifice technique with much weight. Control the movement, engage your core for core stability, and pull through your shoulder blades to maximize results.
- Cool Down and Mobility: After your workout, spend time stretching your back, shoulders, and hamstrings to reduce tightness and improve flexibility. This will also help prevent stiffness or lower back pain.
Wrapping Up On Barbell Row Alternatives
Incorporating barbell row alternatives into your training is an excellent way to diversify your workouts, target your back muscles from different angles, and address potential imbalances or weaknesses.
By mixing these variations into your routine, you can enhance strength, stability, and overall muscle development while keeping your training fresh and engaging.
Next time you hit the gym, try one or two of these exercises to see which ones align best with your goals.
Whether you’re looking for core stability, grip strength, or targeted back activation, there’s a variation for you.
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References:
1. Plotkin, D., Coleman, M., Van Every, D., Maldonado, J., Oberlin, D., Israetel, M., Feather, J., Alto, A., Vigotsky, A. D., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2022). Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations. PeerJ, 10, e14142. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14142
2. Baker, D. G., & Newton, R. U. (2004). An analysis of the ratio and relationship between upper body pressing and pulling strength. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 18(3), 594–598. https://doi.org/10.1519/R-12382.1
3. Riley, A. E., Craig, T. D., Sharma, N. K., Billinger, S. A., & Wilson, S. E. (2015). Novice lifters exhibit a more kyphotic lifting posture than experienced lifters in straight-leg lifting. Journal of biomechanics, 48(10), 1693–1699. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.05.022
