The One-Arm Dumbbell Row is one of the most common back 
exercises that people learn when they first start training...and 
for good reason. It's an excellent exercise and an easy one to
learn. It can be done very effectively by total beginners.

However, once you're past the beginner stage, where do you 
go from there to make the exercise even MORE challenging
and effective?

The first and most obvious step is increasing the weight and/or 
number of reps.

The problem is, most gyms don't have extremely heavy 
dumbbells and quite often you'll run out of weight before you 
can really challenge yourself enough, especially as you get 
stronger.

The exercise I've got for you to fix that is the Wall One-Arm Dumbbell Row.

The concept is VERY simple...instead of setting your non-
working hand on a bench, you will instead be setting your 
hand flat on a wall in front of you, then supporting your body
using an isometric plank type of hold.

While you're holding this position, you're going to do the 
dumbbell row. This is going to target your back very strongly 
(especially the lower/inner lats, I've found) AND your core at
the same time.

First, set a dumbbell you could normally use for about 15 to 
20 reps a few feet in front of the wall. Set your palm flat on the
wall at about upper abdominal/lower chest height (when 
standing).



Keeping your hand on the wall, reach down and grab the 
dumbbell. Lock your core down TIGHT when you pick up
the dumbbell, and make sure to keep an arch in the lower
back as you're doing the exercise to protect your lower back.



Now step your feet back and set them about a foot or two
apart, so you're forming a triangular base of support with 
your hand and feet. The dumbbell should be hanging 
straight down at arms-length.



Now row up, just as you normally would for a one-arm dumbbell
row. Hold the contraction at the top, for a second or two, and
really try and pull your working-side shoulder blade "across"
your back as much as you can. This is what's going to really 
help with targeting the lower/inner lats...this is especially due
to the opposing tension of the static hold on the other lat.



Just holding that plank position with your hand on the wall,
even without the rowing, is going to work your core. Throw 
in the row as well, and you dramatically increase the core 
stabilization required for the exercise as your core must 
dynamically stabilize your body as the weight changes
position.

This hold actually works the lat and tricep of the holding arm, too.

The higher you set your hand on the wall, the easier the hold 
will be...the lower you set your hand, the tougher it'll be. And 
if you go low enough, you'll have to push HARD with your legs
as well, to keep your body wedged and stable in position.

One you finish your reps on one side (and this can really be 
ANY rep range you like...anything from very low reps to very
high reps, depending on your goal and the weight you're 
using..and your core strength!), I recommend taking a short 
rest (at least 15 to 20 seconds) to give the lat on the static 
hold side a bit of a break, then work the other side.





You can also hold the dumbbell in an underhand "curl" grip 
to change things up. This can actually help target that lower
lat area even better.





Using an overhand grip and coming up wider to hit the 
upper back is possible with lighter weight...and it does 
have to be lighter because at the top, the dumbbell will 
end up well outside of your base of support..and a heavier 
dumbbell will tip you over.

The only downside to this exercise is that you may be a 
bit leery of suporting yourself with your palm flat on the 
wall like this. Personally, I think this actually FORCES 
greater tension into the muscles of the back and core.

However, if you prefer a more "stable" version, try this 
version using a bar for your hand. 

I just have a bar set on the rails in the power rack. You
can use a Smith machine, or really anything solid that's
about 4 feet off the ground.

This allows you to grip onto something rather than relying 
on core tension and friction to press your hand into the 
wall and not slip.

The rest of the exercise is done exactly the same.









As in the previous version, the higher the bar, the easier
the "hold" portion of the exercise will be.

Next time you hit your back, give this version of the One-
Arm Dumbbell Row a try. I'm a BIG fan of exercises that 
target the core strongly without compromising workload
on the target muscle. This is a GREAT example of that 
philosophy.