Meadows Row

A unilateral landmine row taken from a staggered stance side-on to the bar, pulling one side of the back.

How to do it

  1. Wedge one end of a barbell into a landmine or a corner and load the other end.
  2. Stand beside the loaded end so your body is side-on to the bar.
  3. Stagger your stance with the leg nearest the bar set behind you.
  4. Hinge forward and grip the bar end overhand with your shoulder above it.
  5. Row the bar back toward your hip, letting the elbow flare and pass your torso.
  6. Lower to a full stretch, finish the set, then switch sides.

Key technique cue

Stay side-on, let the elbow sweep past the torso, don't square up.

Common mistakes

  • Squaring up to the bar, which turns the sweeping arc into an ordinary bent over row.
  • Twisting the torso to lift the weight, which trades back work for spinal rotation.
  • Standing too upright, so the range shortens and the lats barely stretch.
  • Losing the thick sleeve to grip fatigue, which ends the set before the back is worked.

Benefits

  • Trains one side of the back at a time so asymmetry shows up.
  • The long rowing arc keeps the lats loaded through a full stretch.
  • The staggered stance adds an anti-rotation demand on the trunk.

Progression: from easier to harder

  1. Step 1
  2. Step 2 You are here
    • Meadows Row
Full “Landmine row” progression

About the exercise

The Meadows row is a single arm row done on the end of a barbell set in a landmine, with your body side-on to the bar and your stance staggered. Because the shoulder sits above the bar end and the elbow flares out, the pull sweeps back toward the hip rather than straight up, which keeps the lats and mid back loaded through a long arc. The trunk works isometrically against rotation while the biceps and rear delt assist. The lift takes its name from John Meadows, the coach who popularized it. It covers unilateral rowing with a barbell and helps address left-right asymmetry.

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