Training guide
A kettlebell row is a pull with the bell hanging from your hand: bent over with a bell in each hand, one arm at a time with a hand on a bench, or the gorilla row, rowing two bells from the floor in turn. It works your lats, upper back, the back of your shoulders and your grip, and the one-arm versions make your trunk resist the twist. Every version but the gorilla row's floor set-up has a 3D demo below.
Nobody has studied kettlebell rows on their own, and for the row itself a kettlebell is a weight with a handle, so the evidence comes from dumbbell and barbell rows: the hinge loads your lower back most, a hand on a bench takes it away, and one or two bells at home are enough to train your back.
This guide shows the bent-over, one-arm and gorilla rows step by step, the ladder from a hip hinge to the renegade row, how to look after your lower back and grip, how heavy to go and how many sets to do.
We found no study of kettlebell, gorilla or renegade rows. A review of kettlebell training says that in a one-arm bent-over row the kettlebell becomes a weight with a handle, and the one lab study with kettlebell rows found only modest differences between free-weight and band rows. Use whichever you have; the row's rules are the same.
Your lats, the middle and lower trapezius and rhomboids, the back of your shoulders and your biceps, with your grip. One-arm rows work the trunk against twisting: two-arm rows drew only 37 to 41% of the outer oblique activity of one-arm rows in 15 trained men, and one-arm rows favoured the middle and lower trapezius over the upper in 17 women.
The standing bent-over row put the most load on the lower spine of three rows measured in 7 men, and bent it most. A two-arm free-weight row worked the lower-back muscles 12% more than a one-arm row. A hand on a bench very likely spares your back (our reading; not measured). Hold your torso between about 45 degrees and horizontal with a flat back, as our bent-over row guide says.
Two bells on the floor between feet set wider than your hips: hinge, row one bell to your hip while your other hand holds its bell on the floor, set it down, then row the other side. Coaches disagree on the details, and claims that it eases lower back strain are untested.
Very thick bars cut bent-over row strength, by about 9% with a 5 cm bar and 37% with a 7.6 cm bar, but grip force peaks near a 3.8 cm handle, and a competition kettlebell's handle is 33 mm. That a kettlebell handle doesn't hold your row back is our inference; no study has tested it. Heavy one-arm sets can still tire your grip, and carries train it.
2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side, stopping 2 or 3 reps short (our dumbbell row guide's doses, our editorial starting point), resting about 90 seconds to 2 minutes, about twice a week, counting towards about 10 hard sets a week for your back. Gorilla rows: 3 sets of 8 to 10 each side, a coaching dose.
Horizontal pulls with one or two kettlebells, your body held in a hip hinge or supported on a bench. The bell hangs below your hand, so it sits a little lower and closer to your leg than a dumbbell (our reading); otherwise it's a weight with a handle. Our move pages show the bent-over two-kettlebell row, the alternating bent-over row and the renegade row; our kettlebell workouts row a bell one-handed over the supported single-arm row.
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The bent-over two-kettlebell row; the one-arm row with a hand and knee on a bench, or with one hand on a bench or chair in a staggered stance, as Nuffield Health teaches beginners; the alternating row; the gorilla row, from the floor; and the renegade row, from a plank, which has its own guide.
The lats, middle and lower trapezius, rhomboids, the back of the shoulder and teres major pull; the biceps, brachialis and forearms help; the hamstrings, glutes and lower-back muscles hold the hinge; one-sided rows bring in the obliques. Where your elbow travels shifts the work: close to your side favours the lats, out towards shoulder height the upper back and back of the shoulder, as our dumbbell row guide explains. Row studies are small and short, and no study has compared rows for muscle growth.
A steady hip hinge, as the two-bell row's move page asks, and for the alternating row, the two-bell row. For the renegade row, a solid plank and the supported row.
Long legs and tight hamstrings make a flat-backed hinge harder: bend your knees more, or row with a hand on a bench (editorial). Many people find one side stronger, and one-arm rows let you match the sides. Most row studies are small, 3 to 20 people, and mostly in young men.
From our move page, our bent-over row guide and StrengthLog's cue; the breathing is from our breathing guide.
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The movement on the figure: Bent-over two-kettlebell row
The figure holds a dumbbell; a kettlebell works the same way, as our kettlebell workouts use it. The cue to stop before your trunk turns is from the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Staggered stance, with no knee on the bench: one hand on a bench or chair, the opposite foot forward, hinged with a flat back, as Nuffield Health teaches beginners.
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The movement on the figure: Supported single-arm dumbbell row
No 3D demo shows the floor set-up: the alternating bent-over row below shows the arm action, and the kettlebell deadlift lifting bells from the floor. From PureGym, Experience Life, StrengthLog and Gymshark. Coaches disagree on whether the resting bell stays down and whether your trunk may turn a little.
The alternating row's arm action at 3 sets of 8 to 10 each side, the gorilla row's coaching dose; the kettlebell deadlift, 1 or 2 light sets of 8 to rehearse lifting bells from the floor (our kettlebell workout's 8 reps).
We searched PubMed and Europe PMC and found no study of kettlebell, gorilla or renegade rows. The only lab study with a kettlebell row, in 20 young men, found that free-weight rows worked the middle and lower trapezius more than a band row, with modest differences; its summary doesn't separate the kettlebell from the dumbbell. A review of 99 kettlebell publications rated the evidence for kettlebell training low to very low confidence overall.
In 7 men, the standing bent-over row put 3,576 newtons of load on the lower spine, against 2,457 for a standing one-arm cable row and 2,339 for an inverted row. It also worked the lower-back muscles hardest, at about 43% of maximum, and bent the lower spine most. The loads were modelled, from young men and one rep, and that study's one-arm row was a cable row in a lunge, not a hinged one-arm row.
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In 15 trained men, two-arm rows drew 37 to 41% of the outer oblique activity of one-arm rows, and a two-arm free-weight row drew 12% more lower-back muscle activity than a one-arm free-weight row and 34% more than a machine row. In 17 women, one-arm rows worked the middle and lower trapezius more than the upper. These are summaries only, and muscle activity shows effort, not growth.
In a preliminary study of 3 men, lower-back muscle activity was lower with the chest on a bench than standing bent over, though not significantly. A 2026 review of 23 studies found only one that compared rows directly in the same people, and no training comparisons of rows. We found no study comparing torso angles in a bent-over row.
In 11 trained men, bent-over row strength fell by about 9% with a 5 cm bar and 37% with a 7.6 cm bar, and fat-grip attachments lowered it in 15 men. In 61 workers, grip force rose as handle diameter increased from 2.5 to 3.8 cm, then fell. A competition kettlebell's handle is 33 mm, a maker's specification. Applying this to kettlebells is our inference.
In 40 workers in high-pain jobs, 8 weeks of kettlebell swings and deadlifts eased low back pain by 1.4 points and neck and shoulder pain by 2.1 points against controls; no rows were tested. In older women with low muscle mass, an 8-week kettlebell programme including rows raised back and grip strength, but the rows' share can't be separated.
2 sets of 8, then a 20 to 30 second hold at about 45 degrees, back flat (our bent-over row technique workout).
3 sets of 8 to 12 each side, resting 60 to 90 seconds, stopping 2 or 3 reps short (our kettlebell workout B).
3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping 2 or 3 reps short, as our back workout at home does its two-dumbbell row (editorial).
3 sets of 8 to 10 each side: the gorilla row's coaching dose, with the same arm action.
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3 sets of 16 to 20 reps, 8 to 10 each side, as one coaching article gives it.
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2 sets of 6 to 8 each side, once a straight-arm plank is steady (our renegade row guide, editorial).
Supported before unsupported, as our bent-over row technique workout teaches. The one-arm row's figure holds a dumbbell.
3D demoHip-hinge practiceBeginner · No equipment
3D demoKettlebell deadliftBeginner · A kettlebell
3D demoSupported single-arm dumbbell rowIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoBent-over two-kettlebell rowIntermediate · A kettlebell
3D demoAlternating bent-over kettlebell rowIntermediate · A kettlebell
3D demoRenegade rowAdvanced · A kettlebellReview authors call the kettlebell a weight with a handle in this exercise, the only lab comparison found modest differences, and swapping a dumbbell for a kettlebell at the same load changed shoulder muscle activity little in presses (28 and 20 people).
Kettlebells often come in bigger jumps than dumbbells, so you add reps for longer before moving up (editorial). The bell hangs lower, which suits the gorilla row from the floor.
Bands built strength like weights and machines (7 studies, 224 people), free weights and machines matched (13 studies, 1,016 people), and muscle grew with light or heavy loads when sets were hard. Across 137 reviews, the type of equipment didn't consistently change results. One or two kettlebells at home are enough to train your back.
Aim for discomfort you'd call mild to moderate, no more than about 5 out of 10. It should settle within an hour or so, and your back should be no worse the next morning, as our back pain guides say. Pain, pins and needles or numbness spreading down a leg are the exception: stop, and see our sciatica guide.
Row with a hand and knee on a bench, a chest-supported row or a band row: they take the hinge out, as our dumbbell row guide says. Go back to bent-over rows when your back settles.
Keep your back long and don't round under load, as our back workout at home advises. The supported one-arm row is the easiest place to start.
2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side, stopping 2 or 3 reps short: our dumbbell row guide's kettlebell rows at the dumbbell doses (editorial). Our kettlebell workouts use 3 sets of 8 and 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side. One coaching source uses 4 sets of 8 to 12 per arm for single-arm rows and for two-bell rows, with a minute's rest; gorilla rows, 3 sets of 16 to 20, 8 to 10 each side. In your first two weeks, stop 3 or 4 reps short, as our plans do.
About 90 seconds to 2 minutes, as our plans advise for sets of 8 to 12. Resting more than about a minute gave a small advantage for muscle growth across 9 studies.
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About twice a week for your back, counting all your rows and pulls towards about 10 hard sets a week, as our bent-over row and dumbbell row guides suggest. More sets build more muscle, with smaller returns from each extra set.
There's no need to train to failure, and people misjudge the reps they have left by about one, so stop when your torso starts to rise or turn.
A bell you can row about 10 to 12 times each side with 3 or 4 to spare in your first two weeks, as our dumbbell row guide suggests. Your row bell will usually be heavier than your press bell and lighter than your deadlift bell (editorial). There are no research standards for how heavy.
Add reps to the top of the range, then take the next bell. If it's a big jump, add a set or slow the lowering first, as our plans advise.
The bells are too heavy. Hold the angle, or row with a hand on a bench, as our bent-over row guide says.
Reset the hinge and lighten the bells: the bent-over row loads the lower spine most of the rows measured.
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Stop the row before your trunk turns.
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Pull your elbows towards your hips, not your shoulders towards your ears, as our dumbbell row guide cues.
Start each rep from long arms, and in gorilla rows from the floor.
Lower to long arms every rep.
Add carries, as our grip strength workout does, rather than reaching for straps at first (editorial).
From a high plank on two kettlebells, you row one to your ribs without letting your hips turn, then the other. No study has measured it; the plank, not your back, limits the weight, so it's mainly a trunk exercise. Start with 2 sets of 6 to 8 each side once a straight-arm plank is steady. Our renegade row guide covers it in full.
The NHS advises avoiding planks to start with after a birth, and our renegade row guide says to leave it out with heart failure, as the British Heart Foundation advises avoiding planks. With high blood pressure, keep sets short and keep breathing.
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Suitcase carries, 2 walks of 20 to 30 metres each side (our bent-over row technique workout); farmer's carries, 3 walks of 30 metres with about 45 seconds' rest (our grip strength workout); chest-supported dumbbell rows, 2 sets of 10 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 (our bent-over row technique and pull day workouts); band rows, 3 sets of 10 to 15 with 60 to 90 seconds' rest, and kettlebell sumo high pulls, 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 stopping 2 or 3 reps short (the move pages' doses); face pulls, 3 sets of 12 to 20 (our upper body workout at home); kettlebell swings, 5 sets of 10 (our kettlebell workout).
3D demoSuitcase carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell
3D demoFarmer's carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell
3D demoChest-supported dumbbell rowBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoKettlebell sumo high pullIntermediate · A kettlebell
3D demoFace pullIntermediate · A band
3D demoKettlebell swingIntermediate · A kettlebellStart with the one-arm row on a bench, within the back pain rule above; our back pain guide has the rest of the plan.
With controlled high blood pressure, the American Heart Association considers low- to moderate-intensity strength training with proper breathing safe. Breathe out as you lift, as our breathing guide advises.
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With a pacemaker or defibrillator, the American Heart Association asks you to check with your doctor before upper-body strength training, because repeated arm movements can damage or dislodge the leads.
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The NHS says strength training at a gym is fine if you do it already, and to stop if you feel uncomfortable, too hot or unwell. The supported one-arm row is the most comfortable version as your bump grows, as our dumbbell row guide says; leave renegade rows to the plank advice.
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Leave out renegade rows to start with: the NHS advises avoiding planks and heavy lifting at first.
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Follow your surgeon's limits on lifting first.
With thumb arthritis or trigger finger, start light, as our grip strength guide advises; a padded or thicker handle may feel easier.
Our kettlebell back workout puts the hinge, the supported, bent-over and alternating rows, a high pull and a carry into one session. The kettlebell workouts row a bell one-handed; the back workout at home and the bent-over row technique workout teach the hinge.
A 35-minute kettlebell back workout: hinge practice, supported, bent-over and alternating rows, high pulls and a carry. One or two bells and a bench or chair.
35 minIntermediate10 movesA band, A kettlebellA 30-minute full-body kettlebell workout: deadlifts, swings, cleans, presses, rows, halos and carries.
30 minIntermediate9 movesA kettlebell, A dumbbellKettlebell workout B: Turkish get-ups, goblet squats, single-leg deadlifts, floor presses, one-arm rows and an overhead carry, with one or two bells.
40 minIntermediate10 movesA kettlebell, A dumbbellA back workout at home with dumbbells and a band: pull-ups or band-assisted pulls, two rows, face pulls, reverse flys, shrugs and Romanian deadlifts.
40 minIntermediate14 movesA band, Pull-up barA 30-minute practice session for the bent-over row: hold the hinge, groove the pull with your chest supported, then row dumbbells and a light bar.
30 minBeginner8 movesA band, A dumbbellA 20-minute kettlebell swing workout: 30 seconds of swings, 30 seconds of rest, building to the 12 rounds a training trial used, then carries.
20 minIntermediate7 movesA kettlebell, A dumbbellAn 8-week kettlebell plan for beginners: two strength sessions and a swing-interval day each week, with how to choose a bell and swing safely.
3 training days35 minBeginner3 days a weekThree full-body home workouts a week with dumbbells or no equipment at all, plus walks and an 8-week plan to keep progressing.
3 training days35 minBeginnerIf you get chest pain or pressure, feel faint or dizzy, are unusually breathless, or your heart races or beats irregularly during exercise, as our plans advise. The American Heart Association says these need immediate medical evaluation.
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For chest pain that comes on suddenly and doesn't go away, feels tight or like squeezing, spreads to your arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness; arm pain that comes on suddenly with pressure, heaviness or squeezing across your chest; severe difficulty breathing, or a chest that feels tight or heavy; someone who faints while exercising; palpitations that don't go away, or come with chest pain, shortness of breath or feeling faint; or a headache that starts suddenly and is extremely painful, especially while lifting or straining. The NHS says a bleed on the brain may be more likely when lifting something heavy. Don't drive yourself to A&E.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for a headache that's triggered or made worse by coughing, sneezing, bending down or exercising.
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Call 999 or go to A&E: loss of feeling or numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels, changes in genital sensation during sex or problems with erections or orgasm, or pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs. These are signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs treating in hospital urgently. Don't drive yourself.
See a GP if pain spreading down a leg hasn't improved after a few weeks of home treatment, is getting worse or stops your normal activities. Sciatica on both sides, or weakness or numbness in both legs that's severe or getting worse, is a 999 call or a trip to A&E.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have back pain and feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or have severe pain that starts suddenly or gets worse quickly.
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A sudden sharp pain in your back, side or armpit during a row may be a strained muscle. Get help from NHS 111, or go to an urgent treatment centre (in the US, urgent care), if it's very painful or the pain is getting worse, there's a large amount of swelling or bruising or it's getting worse, it feels very stiff or is difficult to move, it's not feeling any better after treating it yourself, or you also have a very high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery.
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A pop or snap with sudden pain at the front of the elbow, especially with bruising, a gap at the front of the elbow or a bulge in the upper arm, can be a torn biceps tendon. Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E (in the US, urgent care) the same day, and don't wait for it to settle, as our biceps guides say.
Stop if your fingers tingle or go numb: that's a nerve, not a tired muscle, as our grip strength guide says.
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See a GP if you think you have a hernia, a bulge or lump that may get bigger when you strain and smaller when you lie down. Get help from NHS 111 if you have a hernia and pain in or around it, a bloated tummy, you feel or are sick, you're vomiting blood or your vomit looks like coffee grounds, you're constipated, you have a high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery, or you've suddenly become confused. Call 999 or go to A&E for a femoral hernia (a small lump at the top of your thigh, in your groin) with very bad tummy pain, sickness, being unable to fart or poo, a high temperature or sudden confusion.
The NHS lists lifting heavy weights among the causes of a femoral hernia. After an inguinal hernia repair, avoid heavy lifting or strenuous activity for at least 4 to 6 weeks.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for sudden or very bad shoulder pain, an arm you can't move, a shoulder that has changed shape or is badly swollen, pins and needles that don't go away, no feeling in your arm or shoulder, an arm or shoulder that's hot or cold to touch, pain after an injury or a fall, severe pain in both shoulders, or feeling feverish or unwell. Go to A&E if, after an injury, you can't move your arm or your shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape. See a GP if shoulder pain is getting worse or hasn't improved after 2 weeks.
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Muscle soreness for a day or two after a new or harder session is common and fades. Sharp pain, or pain that builds during a set or lingers into the next day, isn't: swap to an easier version, and see a clinician if it persists, as our plans advise. The NHS says to stop exercising straight away if you feel any pain or become unwell, and to get help from 111 if symptoms worry you or don't go away.
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Speak to your GP first if you haven't exercised for some time or have medical conditions or concerns, as the NHS advises. Get advice before hard or straining work if your blood pressure is uncontrolled (140/90 or higher at a clinic, or 135/85 at home), or you have heart disease or chest pain when you're active, a pacemaker or defibrillator, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, a hernia, recent eye or tummy surgery, or you're pregnant, as our breathing guide lists.
With controlled high blood pressure, the American Heart Association considers low- to moderate-intensity strength training with proper breathing safe. Breathe out as you lift, as our breathing guide advises.
With a pacemaker or defibrillator, the American Heart Association asks you to check with your doctor before upper-body strength training, because repeated arm movements can damage or dislodge the leads.
Mostly true for the row itself: review authors call the kettlebell a weight with a handle in a one-arm row, and the one lab comparison found modest differences. That's a reason to use what you have, not a reason to skip them.
Bands, free weights and machines built strength alike, and muscle grows with light or heavy loads when sets are hard. One or two kettlebells, a chair and the floor are enough.
Untested: the bell on the floor is under your hand, not your trunk, and you're still in a hinge. Bent-over rows load the lower spine most of the rows measured; if your back is the limit, put a hand on a bench.
Only much thicker handles cut row strength, by about 9% and 37% with 5 and 7.6 cm bars, and a 33 mm kettlebell handle sits where grip force is near its peak. This is our inference; no kettlebell study has tested it.
No study has compared them. The plank, not your back, limits the weight, so they're mainly a trunk exercise, as our renegade row guide says.
They load the lower spine more than supported rows, which is a reason to build up and hold your position, not to avoid them. The supported rows take the hinge out when your back needs a rest.
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Hinge forward with a flat back, a kettlebell in each hand under your shoulders, and row both to your lower ribs with your elbows close to your sides, then lower them slowly. Or row one bell with your other hand and knee on a bench. Keep your torso still throughout.
Your lats, middle and lower trapezius, rhomboids, the back of your shoulders and your biceps, with your grip. One-arm rows also work your obliques against twisting: two-arm rows drew only 37 to 41% of their outer oblique activity in 15 trained men.
For the row itself there's little difference: review authors call the kettlebell a weight with a handle here, and one lab study found modest differences. Use whichever you have; dumbbells usually come in smaller steps.
Two kettlebells on the floor between wide feet: you hinge, row one bell to your hip while your other hand holds its bell on the floor, set it down, then row the other side. Coaches disagree on the details, and the claims that it's easier on your back are untested.
Yes: do all your reps on one side with your free hand braced on your thigh or a block, then swap. It becomes a one-arm row from the floor.
One you can row about 10 to 12 times each side with 3 or 4 reps to spare in your first two weeks. Your row bell is usually heavier than your press bell. There are no research standards for how heavy.
Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side, stopping 2 or 3 reps short, about twice a week: our editorial starting point. Coaches use up to 4 sets of 8 to 12 per arm.
Bent-over rows load your lower back more than supported rows: in one lab study the bent-over row put the most load on the lower spine of three rows. Build up gradually, keep your back flat, and put a hand on a bench if your back tires first. Pain down a leg means stop.
Both work your back. One arm at a time works your trunk against twisting and lets you rest a hand on a bench; two bells at once work your lower back harder and save time.
Yes. Free weights, machines and bands build strength alike, and muscle grows with light or heavy loads when sets are hard. Add a hinge and a carry, as our kettlebell back workout does.
The renegade row is a row from a push-up plank, mostly a trunk exercise; the gorilla row is a bent-over row from the floor, mostly a back exercise. Our renegade row guide covers the plank version.
Yes, as helpers: your biceps bend your elbow in every row. Rows count towards your arms, but curls may still add, as our dumbbell row guide explains.
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. Check with a GP before starting hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness when active, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
