How to do a Kettlebell Alternating Row
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Workouts with Kettlebell Alternating Row
Instructions for Proper Form
Kettlebell Alternating Row is a compound exercise that primarily targets the back, but also hits the shoulders and biceps. By alternating sides after each rep, you give your muscles a brief moment to recover in the middle of your set, while also allowing you to focus your attention on the side that’s performing the movement. This is a great exercise for building muscle mass and strength.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Grasp a kettlebell in each hand and position them on your sides with your palms facing you.
- Hinge at your hips to fold your torso forwards. Position the kettlebells directly beneath your shoulders.
- Engage the muscles in your back to raise one of the kettlebells. Focus on driving your elbow back rather than raising the kettlebell.
- Hold this position for a moment at the top of the movement.
- Slowly allow the kettlebell to descend back toward the starting position while maintaining tension in your upper back.
- Alternate sides and repeat.
- Maintain good posture by keeping your core engaged for stability and your back straight.
- You should feel this exercise in your back.
Common Form Mistakes
Over Recruiting Biceps
While your biceps should be involved, you should be feeling a majority of the tension in your back. Try focusing on driving your elbow back instead of bringing the weight towards your chest. This mindset shift will help you recruit the proper muscle groups for this exercise.
Back Flat
Keeping your back flat is essential to maintaining proper form with this exercise. It’s very common to see your back start to round as you become fatigued. Focus on keeping your core engaged, and shoulders back.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Kettlebell Alternating Row standards by male, female, weight, age and height
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Alternatives & Variations to Kettlebell Alternating Row
1. Dumbbell Row
99.9 mSCORESWAPPED 6,224 TIMESThis compound movement primarily targets the back, but also hits the shoulders and biceps, as well as requiring some core activation for stability. By bracing yourself on the flat bench, you can position your torso parallel to the ground, without needing specific equipment. This is a great exercise with or without limited equipment, and a staple in many back workouts.
2. Dumbbell Bent Over Row
94.4 mSCORESWAPPED 5,261 TIMESDumbbell Bent Over Row is a compound exercise that primarily targets the back, but also hits biceps. The use of dumbbells helps prevent compensating for any discrepancies in strength between sides, as well as adds more instability to the movement compared to equipment like barbells. This can be a great addition to any back workout for building muscle mass and strength.
3. Lat Pulldown
100 mSCORESWAPPED 5,177 TIMESThis compound exercise primarily targets the back, but also hits the shoulders and biceps. The movement itself is based on a Pull Up, however, by locking your legs into place, you can add significantly more stability to the movement making it easier to complete a rep, as well as getting control over the resistance. This exercise can be easily adapted to meet your needs with different handles.
4. Cable Row
99.8 mSCORESWAPPED 4,198 TIMESCable Row is a compound movement that primarily targets your back, but also hits your shoulders and biceps. This exercise is often done with a specific cable machine that sets you into the perfect position, but you can also use an adjustable cable to have more control over the direction your resistance is coming from. This is a great exercise for building muscle mass and strength in your back, and is a common addition to most upper body or pull workouts.
5. Kettlebell Row
66.1 mSCORESWAPPED 2,666 TIMESKettlebell Row is a compound exercise that primarily targets the back. The use of a single kettlebell, and the position of your torso adds instability to the movement, and forces you to brace your core to maintain good posture. In addition, targeting one side at a time allows you to focus your attention on that side which can improve muscle activation, and help prevent any compensating for strength discrepancies between sides.
6. Dumbbell Bent Over Reverse Fly
81.9 mSCORESWAPPED 2,328 TIMESDumbbell Bent Over Reverse Fly is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the posterior deltoids (back of the shoulder). The use of dumbbells helps prevent compensating for strength discrepancies between sides. Leaning forward during the exercise allows for better isolation of the targeted shoulder muscles while also recruiting some muscle activation in the upper back.
7. Machine Row
95.6 mSCORESWAPPED 1,486 TIMESLike other row variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your back. Unlike other variations, using a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds a ton of stability to the movement. This is excellent exercise for learning or practicing the movement of a seated row.
8. Bent Over Barbell Row
97.1 mSCORESWAPPED 1,329 TIMESBent Over Barbell row is a compound movement that primarily targets your back, but also hits your shoulders, traps, and biceps. The use of a barbell adds more stability to this movement compared to something like dumbbells which can help you focus on exerting strength rather than stabilizing the movement. It’s a great exercise for building strength, and can be a way to start learning more advanced exercises like Olympic Lifts.
9. Gorilla Rows
80.1 mSCORESWAPPED 1,169 TIMESGorilla Rows are a compound exercise that primarily targets the back, but also hits the shoulders, biceps, and traps. By alternating sides after each rep, you give your muscles a brief moment to recover in the middle of your set, while also allowing you to focus your attention on the side that’s performing the movement. The posture this exercise puts you in can help you develop functional strength outside of just the rowing movement as well.
- Intermediate
- Back
- Kettlebells
10. Incline Dumbbell Row
90.5 mSCORESWAPPED 1,071 TIMESThis is a compound exercise that primarily targets your back. It’s a variation on the more standard Bent Over Row, that uses an incline bench to stabilize your upper body. This added stability ensures that you can't assist yourself by recruiting other muscle groups. The added stability also allows you to focus on moving the weight rather than stabilizing your upper body in the right position.