Cable Single Arm Neutral Grip Row
Single-arm cable row with a neutral handle that builds the lats and biceps one side at a time.
How to do it
- Set the pulley to chest height, attach a single neutral handle and take it in one hand.
- Step back until the cable is taut with your arm fully extended, and stand in a split stance.
- Brace your core and place your free hand on your hip or a stable support.
- Pull the handle to your lower ribs, keeping your elbow close to your side and leading with the elbow.
- Draw your shoulder blade back and down at the end of the pull, feeling the lat engage.
- Slowly let the handle return to full arm extension over 2–3 seconds, then repeat for 10–15 reps per side.
Key technique cue
Don't twist the torso: drive the elbow to the side.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Rotating the torso to throw the elbow back, which steals load from the lat.
- ✕ Flaring the elbow wide, which loads the rear delt instead of the lat.
- ✕ Shrugging the shoulder at the end of the pull, which swaps lat work for trap work.
- ✕ Letting the handle snap forward and skipping the slow return, where most of the growth happens.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds the lats and biceps one side at a time to fix imbalances.
- ✓ Trains a joint-friendly neutral grip that protects the wrists and shoulders.
- ✓ Reinforces a horizontal pulling pattern that balances out pressing.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Cable Single Arm Neutral Grip Row
- Cable Single Arm Underhand Grip Row
- Dumbbell Row Unilateral
- Dumbbell Single Arm Row
- Kettlebell Single Arm Row
About the exercise
The cable single arm neutral grip row is a single-arm horizontal pulling exercise done from a chest-height pulley with a single neutral handle. Working one arm at a time exposes side-to-side imbalances that two-handed rows hide, and the neutral grip keeps the wrists and shoulders in a comfortable, joint-friendly position. The free hand stays available to stabilize the body or rest on the hip. It is a great fit for pull days, back hypertrophy blocks and rehab-adjacent work where single-arm training is needed to fix asymmetries. It also suits beginners learning the row pattern, since the lighter single-arm load makes the contraction easier to feel and control.
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