CaloSign inBent-over row alternatives
Rows build the upper back that balances out all the sitting and pushing we do. No dumbbells? A towel, a table or a doorframe will do; at the gym, cables and machines take the strain off the lower back.
No equipment 6
Towel row
Loop a towel round a door handle, lean back, pull the elbows past the ribs.
Start with 2 × 10, build to 3 × 12.
Works: back and lats, with the biceps
Tempo: 2s each way
Table row
Lie under a sturdy table, grip the edge, pull the chest up to it.
Start with 2 × 10, build to 3 × 12.
Works: back and lats, with the biceps and core
Tempo: 2s release · 1s pull
Doorframe row
Hold both sides of a doorframe, lean back, pull in with a straight body.
Start with 2 × 10, build to 3 × 12.
Works: back and lats, with the biceps
Tempo: 2s release · 1s pull
Backpack row
Fill a backpack with books, hinge forward, row it to the belly.
Start with 2 × 10, build to 3 × 12.
Works: back and lats, with the biceps
Tempo: 2s release · 1s pull
Skip with lower-back pain.
Prone W pull
Face down, pull the elbows down and back into a W, squeeze.
Start with 2 × 10, build to 3 × 12.
Works: back, with the shoulders
Tempo: 2s release · 1s pull
Skip with neck pain.
Seated towel row
Sit tall, loop a towel round the feet, press the feet into it and pull the elbows back.
Start with 2 × 10, build to 3 × 12.
Works: back and lats, with the biceps
Tempo: 2s each way
With dumbbells 1
Single-arm dumbbell row
Free hand on a bench or chair, pull the weight to the hip, no twisting.
Start with 2 × 10 each side, build to 3 × 12 each side.
Works: lats and back, with the biceps
Tempo: 2s release · 1s pull
At the gym 2
Seated cable row
Sit tall, pull the handle to the belly, shoulder blades back, no rocking.
Start with 2 × 10, build to 3 × 12.
Works: back and lats, with the biceps
Tempo: 2s release · 1s pull
Chest-supported row
Chest on the incline pad, pull the elbows back and squeeze.
Start with 2 × 10, build to 3 × 12.
Works: back and lats, with the biceps and shoulders
Tempo: 2s release · 1s pull
If something hurts
- With lower-back pain: Towel row, Table row, Doorframe row, Prone W pull.
- With neck pain: Towel row, Table row, Doorframe row, Backpack row.
Start with the easier number and build up over a couple of weeks. Stop if something hurts, and ask a doctor or physiotherapist about pain that stays - this is general guidance, not medical advice.
Let the app do the swapping
CaloDaily plans your week of workouts around what you have - home or gym, dumbbells or none - and any joints to go easy on. Tap a move you can't do and it offers these same swaps, with the reps adjusted. Pair it with the calories burned calculator to see what a session is worth.
More exercise alternatives
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