Execution Cues:
Single Arm DB Row:
- Initialize the setup by first having a stable support structure that is roughly mid thigh in height. This will be used for your off arm to provide stability during the set.
- Stand over a DB and take a staggered stance. The foot that is ipsilateral to the working arm should be kicked back slightly. This will allow room for the DB to get a full ROM at the top of the rep.
- Hinge over and brace yourself against the support structure (typically a bench or rack) with your opposite hand. Reach down and grab the DB preparing to lift it off the ground. Make sure you pay attention when picking it up and don't be lazy. This is how low back injuries happen.
- Lift the DB off the floor and find your center of mass. Your spine should be flat, torso at a ~30º angle to the floor, hips square with shoulders and abs braced. The contralateral leg should be bearing most of the load with the ipsilateral leg and off arm acting more as stabilizers. (Note: this is not the only way to perform these! You can take an even stance or even opposite staggered stance as well. We will focus on the regular staggered stance here)
- Begin the row by powerfully driving your elbow up and back to extend the shoulder. Think about gripping the DB hard but allowing the load to follow the path of the elbow. The forearm should remain perpendicular to the floor at all times.
- Through the concentric, think about depressing and retracting the scapula to get the lats and mid back maximally involved.
- Once you can no longer extend your shoulder (i.e. get your elbow "higher") and retract your shoulder blade, allow the natural momentum of the DB to begin pulling you into the eccentric. Control the rep all the way back to baseline; full protraction with the arm fully straight and perpendicular to the floor.
Meadows Row:
- Set up by first placing a barbell in a landmine attachment or securely in the corner of converging walls (additionally, these can be set up on certain Tbar row machines). The idea is to have one end of the barbell fixed in space but allow the free end to move unrestricted.
- After the desired weight is added to the open end of the barbell (free end), stand over the open end facing sideways with your planned working arm on the side closest to the bar. Take a staggered stance with your ipsilateral leg (same side as the working arm) back and slightly externally rotated to open the hips. The contralateral foot (opposite side of the working arm) should be ~6 inches in front of the open end with the heel lined up with the vector of the barbell. Most of your weight should be distributed into the front leg with the back being used mostly for balance and support.
- Once a stable base has been established, hinge forward with a neutral spine and grab the end barbell. Your grip should be pronated. Due to the circumference of the sleeves, it is recommended to use straps to assist with grip.
- From here, take a diaphragmatic breath to brace your abs and then lift the bar off the floor using your quads, glutes and erectors. Note that the bar is going to move in an arc rather than a straight vertical line.
- When standing tall with the bar in hand, take a moment to collect yourself and ensure your positioning is sound. Once last minute corrections have been made, hinge again at the hips almost as if performing a B Stance RDL. Your off hand should make contact with your front thigh and then act as a tertiary support. This position should now resemble the Single Arm DB Row except with a pronated grip on the bar.
- Begin the row by powerfully driving your elbow up and back to extend and abduct the shoulder. The path of the row will be slightly different (leading to a more flared elbow) compared to the SADBR due to the arc of the motion and pronated grip. The forearm should remain perpendicular to the floor at all times.
- Through the concentric, think about depressing and retracting the scapula to get the lats and mid back maximally involved. The rear delts are also going to play a huge role here as the flared elbow more naturally aligns with those fibers.
- Once you can no longer extend/abduct your shoulder (i.e. get your elbow "higher") and retract your shoulder blade, allow the natural momentum of the barbell to begin pulling you into the eccentric. Control the rep all the way back to baseline; full protraction with the arm fully straight and perpendicular to the floor.
- From here, the bar can be set back down on the floor to end the set.
Key Similarities:
- Unilateral, horizontal rows
- Target the same muscle groups (lats, rhomboids, mid/low traps, and rear delts) though to varying degrees
- Both of these movements work best within the 8-15 rep range
- Methods of progression are generally going to be the same for each (standard progressive overload)
- Applicable intensity techniques will crossover due to the mechanics and set-up of each being so similar
- Volume parameters will also be the same due to the fatigue generated and magnitude of stimulation being almost identical
- Absolute loading tends to be within very similar ranges
Key Differences:
- Modalities—DB vs Landmine creates a different line of pull
- SADBRs are a neutral grip whereas Meadows are pronated (These are a bit more fluid though I refer to the base case here)
- Meadows rows are going to have a slightly higher risk of injury (low back) due to the rotational component inherent with the arcing motion
- Meadows rows also have a higher skill prerequisite
- Grip tends to be a failure point much more frequently with Meadows rows, comparatively
- SADBRs have a smaller footprint and are more portable (can be performed pretty much anywhere) compared to Meadows rows that need at least a barbell, plates, and a wider radius (and preferably a landmine as well)
- Meadows rows tend to be a bit harder to standardize due to the increased reliance on equipment as well as anchor point (if the bar is anchored at floor level, it will create a different stimulus compared to if it's anchored in a landmine a foot off the floor)
Primary Use Case for Single Arm DB Row:
- Hypertrophy of the Lats, Rhomboids, Mid/Low Traps, and Rear Delts
Primary Use Case for Meadows Row:
- Hypertrophy of the Lats, Rhomboids, Mid/Low Traps, and Rear Delts