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Exercises

Meadows row alternatives: the same one-arm stretch without a landmine

Published October 23, 2026

The best Meadows row alternative is the one-arm dumbbell row, because it keeps the same one-arm pull to the hip and you can load it heavy. For the closest feel, the dumbbell lawnmower row copies the staggered stance and long reach. At a cable station, the single-arm cable row holds tension through the stretch; with no weights, TRX rows and archer pull-ups cover the same back.

What a meadows row alternative has to replace

Lats, one-arm landmine row

Meadows Row

Upper Back, Lats

Standing side-on to a landmine bar and rowing the thick end with one hand gives your lat a long stretch and a pull out and back toward the hip. It is the row every swap below is trying to replace.

How to do it

  1. Wedge one end of the bar into a corner or landmine and load the other end.
  2. Stand side on to the loaded end in a staggered stance, front knee bent, and rest your free forearm on that knee.
  3. Grip the sleeve end overhand and pull it up toward your hip, driving your elbow back and slightly out.
  4. Lower until your arm is fully straight and your shoulder dips toward the floor, then row again. Finish the set and switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow back and slightly out
  • Let the shoulder drop at the bottom
  • Hips stay square

Common mistakes

  • Rotating your torso to heave the bar: keep your shoulders level and lighten the load.
  • Gripping the thick sleeve too far from the end: hold just behind the collar so your hand does not slip.

Swap for: One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Single-Arm Cable Row, Dumbbell Lawnmower Row

The Meadows row trains your lats and upper back one side at a time, with your rear shoulder helping. Standing side-on to a landmine bar lets your shoulder drop far toward the floor at the bottom, so your lat gets a long stretch, and the angled path pulls your elbow out and back.

A replacement should keep a one-arm pull and a long reach at the bottom.

One arm with a dumbbell or kettlebell

These keep the one-arm pull and the long reach. Brace your free hand on a bench or your front thigh, like the knee brace on a Meadows row.

Closest swap with a dumbbell

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Lats, Upper Back

The same one-arm pull to the hip, braced on a bench instead of your knee. You lose a little of the stretch and the angled path, but it is the easiest swap to load heavy.

How to do it

  1. Put one hand and the same-side knee on a bench, or your hand on a chair seat with both feet on the floor, so your back is flat.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand with your arm hanging straight.
  3. Pull your elbow back toward your hip until the dumbbell reaches your ribs.
  4. Lower it until your arm is straight again, finish all reps, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow to your hip
  • Back flat as a table
  • Full stretch at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Twisting your chest open to lift the dumbbell higher: keep both shoulders level.
  • Shrugging the shoulder up toward your ear: pull the elbow back, not the shoulder up.
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Closest feel: long reach, staggered stance

Dumbbell Lawnmower Row

Lats

A staggered stance, a hand on your front thigh and a low reach across your front foot copy the Meadows row setup with a dumbbell. The stretch at the bottom is the reason to pick it.

How to do it

  1. Stand in a wide staggered stance with your right foot forward and both knees bent, lean your torso forward, and brace your right hand on your right thigh.
  2. Let the dumbbell in your left hand hang low inside your front foot, shoulder turned slightly downward.
  3. Pull the dumbbell up and back toward your left hip, turning your chest square as the elbow passes your side.
  4. Lower back to the floor-side start along the same path and repeat, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Start low and across, finish at the hip
  • Hips still, chest turns
  • Smooth, not yanked

Common mistakes

  • Jerking the dumbbell off the floor like starting a mower: the pull should be steady from the bottom to the top.
  • Turning so far that the lower back twists: the rotation is small and comes from the upper body.
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With kettlebells

Kettlebell Row

Lats, Upper Back

Rowing from a hinge with a bell in each hand, one arm at a time, keeps the one-arm pull. With a single kettlebell, finish all reps on one side, then switch.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, a kettlebell in each hand.
  2. Hinge until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, arms hanging straight under your shoulders.
  3. Pull one bell toward your hip, keeping your elbow tucked in tight, while the other arm stays long.
  4. Lower it until your arm is straight and your shoulder blade slides forward, then row the other side. With only one bell, do all your reps on one side, then switch.

Cues

  • Elbow toward your hip
  • Stretch at the bottom
  • Shoulders square

Common mistakes

  • Turning your chest toward the ceiling to finish the rep: keep both shoulders facing the floor.
  • Short reps that stop with the elbow bent: reach all the way down before each pull.
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Cables and machines

A cable keeps tension at the stretch, and a chest pad takes your lower back out of it.

Best swap at a cable station

Single-Arm Cable Row

Upper Back, Lats

The cable keeps tension through the long reach at the front, where a free weight gets light, and the one-arm pull matches the Meadows row.

How to do it

  1. Set a pulley at about chest height with a single handle and stand facing it, feet about shoulder-width apart.
  2. Take the handle in one hand, step back until your arm is straight, then soften your knees and lean forward slightly from the hips.
  3. Row the handle to your side by driving your elbow back past your ribs, keeping your chest square to the stack.
  4. Let the arm straighten and your shoulder reach toward the pulley, finish the set, then switch hands.

Cues

  • Reach, then pull
  • Elbow tight to the side
  • Finish square

Common mistakes

  • Twisting far back at the finish to move more weight: the rotation stays small.
  • Letting the stack yank your arm forward: control the return.
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Machine swap for a tired lower back

Chest-Supported Row

Upper Back, Lats

With your chest on the pad, nothing but your back works. Pick it when your lower back is the limit on standing rows.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so the handles are at chest height and the pad sits against your upper chest.
  2. Grab the handles with arms straight and your shoulders stretched forward.
  3. Pull the handles back by driving your elbows behind you until your hands reach your torso.
  4. Return slowly to straight arms and repeat without lifting off the pad.

Cues

  • Chest stays on the pad
  • Wide elbows for upper back, tucked for lats
  • Full stretch each rep

Common mistakes

  • Pulling your chest off the pad to finish reps: the set is over when you cannot finish with the chest down.
  • Setting the seat too low so you pull toward your neck: handles should line up with your mid-chest.
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Two-hand cable row

Seated Cable Row

Upper Back, Lats

A seated cable row with a close handle trains your lats and mid-back with steady tension. Pair it with a one-arm swap to cover both.

How to do it

  1. Sit at the cable row with your feet on the platform and knees slightly bent, holding a close-grip handle with your arms straight.
  2. Sit tall with your chest up and let the cable pull your shoulder blades forward a little.
  3. Row the handle to your lower ribs, driving your elbows back past your torso.
  4. Return it under control until your arms are straight and your shoulders reach forward, then repeat.

Cues

  • Sit tall, no rocking
  • Handle to the belly button
  • Shoulders reach at the front

Common mistakes

  • Rocking back and forth to move the stack: your torso should stay close to upright throughout.
  • Shrugging the handle up toward your neck: pull your shoulders down before the elbows bend.
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Barbell and landmine

If you have a bar but want both arms, or the bar is not in a corner.

Two-hand landmine row

T-Bar Row

Upper Back, Lats

Same landmine, both hands, heavier load. Pick it when the corner is free but you want a two-arm row or a shorter session.

How to do it

  1. Stand over the bar facing away from the anchor, plates in front of you.
  2. Put a V-handle under the sleeve or grip the bar with both hands.
  3. Hinge until your chest is at about 45 degrees and your back is flat.
  4. Pull the plates toward your lower chest, elbows close.
  5. Lower until your arms are straight and your shoulders stretch forward.

Cues

  • Chest stays over the plates
  • Elbows to your hips
  • Full stretch at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Standing up as you pull: the angle you start at is the angle you finish at.
  • Shortening the bottom: let your shoulder blades spread before the next rep.
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Barbell, both arms

Barbell Row

Upper Back, Lats

A bent-over barbell row trains the same lats and mid-back with both arms at once. Use it when the bar is not wedged in a corner.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet roughly hip width and hold the bar with an overhand grip just outside your thighs.
  2. Soften your knees and push your hips back until your torso is around 45 degrees or lower, with the bar hanging at arm's length below your knees.
  3. Pull the bar into your lower ribs, driving your elbows back past your torso.
  4. Lower the bar until your arms are straight again, holding the same torso angle for every rep.

Cues

  • Chest proud, back flat
  • Elbows past the ribs
  • Same angle top to bottom

Common mistakes

  • Standing taller with each rep until the row becomes a shrug: pick a load you can row at a fixed angle for every rep of the set.
  • Bouncing the bar off your thighs with a hip thrust: if you need the hip drive, the weight is too heavy for the rep range.
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Bodyweight and bands

No weights: straps, a band or a pull-up bar.

No weights, straps over a door

TRX Row

Upper Back, Lats

A bodyweight row on suspension straps. Walk your feet forward to make it harder, or do it one arm at a time once two arms get easy.

How to do it

  1. Anchor the suspension straps above a closed door or a beam, take a handle in each hand, and sit back, knees bent, both soles planted.
  2. Lean back until your arms are straight and your body forms a line from knees to shoulders.
  3. Pull your chest up to the handles by driving your elbows back past your ribs.
  4. Lower back to straight arms under control and repeat.

Cues

  • Hips stay up in line
  • Elbows past the ribs
  • Walk the feet forward to make it harder

Common mistakes

  • Letting your hips sag as you tire: squeeze your glutes and end the set when the line breaks.
  • Pulling only with the arms and stopping short: the handles should finish beside your chest every rep.
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Bands only

Band Bent-Over Row

Lats, Upper Back

Standing on a band and rowing to your lower ribs covers your back with no weights at all.

How to do it

  1. Stand on the middle of a long band with your feet hip-width apart and hold an end in each hand.
  2. Hinge forward from the hips with soft knees until your torso is at about 45 degrees, back flat.
  3. Row both handles toward your lower ribs, elbows close, and pause with your shoulder blades pulled together.
  4. Let the band pull your arms back to straight slowly and repeat.

Cues

  • Hold the squeeze for a second
  • Slow on the way back
  • Shorten your grip to add tension

Common mistakes

  • Letting the band snap your arms back down: resist it all the way, because the lowering counts.
  • Using a band so light the set never gets close to failure: choke up on the band or switch to a heavier one.
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One-sided pull on a bar

Archer Pull-Up

Lats, Upper Back

Shifting toward one hand puts most of your weight on one arm, the bodyweight version of a one-arm row.

How to do it

  1. Take an overhand grip about twice your shoulder width and hang with your arms straight.
  2. Pull your body toward your right hand, letting your left arm straighten along the bar.
  3. Get your chin near your right hand at the top, then lower back to the middle.
  4. Alternate sides each rep, or do all reps on one side and switch.

Cues

  • Pull toward one hand
  • Other arm straight
  • Lower to center

Common mistakes

  • Bending the assisting arm so both share the work: straighten it as much as you can.
  • Rushing back through the middle: control the lowering on each side.
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Example sessions without the meadows row

Session 1

Gym, no landmine

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Seated Row Machine, Cable Row

You train in a gym with dumbbells, cables and machines, but no landmine or free corner.

The one-arm dumbbell row takes the Meadows row's slot as the heavy one-arm pull, the chest-supported row adds two-arm volume with your lower back resting, and the single-arm cable row finishes with the long stretch under constant tension. 10 working sets.

Back
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
One-Arm Dumbbell Row1 warm-up set firstSets are per arm. 4 × 8–12 2 90 s
Chest-Supported Row 3 × 10–12 2 90 s
Single-Arm Cable RowSets are per arm. 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Run it as your back day once or twice a week.
How to progress
When every set of a row hits the top of its range at the RIR shown, add the smallest dumbbell or pin jump next session and start back at the bottom of the range.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Home, dumbbells and a bench

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Resistance Bands

You have dumbbells and a flat bench at home.

The lawnmower row copies the Meadows row's stance and reach, the one-arm row on the bench adds higher-rep work, and band rows finish both sides at once. 10 working sets.

Back
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Lawnmower Row1 warm-up set firstSets are per arm. 4 × 8–12 2 75 s
One-Arm Dumbbell RowSets are per arm. 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Band Bent-Over Row 3 × 15–25 1 45 s
How to run it
Twice a week on non-consecutive days, 60 to 75 seconds between sets.
How to progress
Add reps to the top of each range, then move up a dumbbell. At your heaviest dumbbell, take three seconds to lower each rep.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

No weights: a bar, straps and a band

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Suspension Trainer, Resistance Bands

You train with bodyweight, a pull-up bar, suspension straps and a band.

The archer pull-up loads one side at a time, the TRX row is the main horizontal pull, and the band row adds easy volume. 10 working sets.

Back
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Archer Pull-UpReps are per side. 3 × 3–6 2 2 min
TRX Row 4 × 8–15 2 75 s
Band Bent-Over Row 3 × 15–25 1 45 s
How to run it
Two or three times a week. Keep two reps in reserve on the archer pull-up.
How to progress
On the TRX row, walk your feet forward once you reach 15 reps on every set, then try it one arm at a time. On the archer pull-up, add a rep per side first.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is a good substitute for Meadows rows?

The one-arm dumbbell row is the closest, and the dumbbell lawnmower row copies the stance and long reach. The single-arm cable row is the best swap at a cable station.

Is the Meadows row effective?

Yes. It gives your lat a long stretch one side at a time and lets you row heavy. But a one-arm dumbbell or cable row trains the same muscles, so you do not need a landmine to build your back.

Why is it called the Meadows row?

It is named after bodybuilding coach John Meadows, who made it popular.

What is the difference between a bent-over row and a Meadows row?

A bent-over row uses both arms on a barbell with your torso square. The Meadows row is one arm at a time on a landmine, standing side-on, with a longer stretch and an angled pull.

What exercise can replace a seated row?

A chest-supported machine row, a one-arm dumbbell row or a single-arm cable row. All train the same mid-back and lats.