6 Best Dumbbell Lat Exercises (With Form Tips)

By Alex Lawrence · Updated 4 November 2026

Primary muscles: Lats
Secondary muscles: Upper back, Rear delts, Biceps
Equipment: Dumbbell

The best dumbbell lat exercises are the single-arm dumbbell row, the Kroc row, the chest-supported incline row, the seal row, the dumbbell pullover and the elbow-to-hip “lat row”. Pull your elbow towards your hip, not your shoulder, and you’ll feel your lats do the work.

How do you target your lats with dumbbells?

To target your lats with dumbbells, pull your upper arm down and back towards your hip, because that’s the movement the lats make. The latissimus dorsi is the large, flat muscle that runs from your lower and mid back up to your upper arm. With the teres major and pectoralis major, it pulls your arm in towards your body (adduction), turns it inwards and pulls it back (extension).

Rows where your elbow flares out and finishes high train more of your upper back and rear delts. Rows where your elbow stays close and travels towards your hip bias the lats. Think of a train pulling into a station: same engine either way, but the platform you aim for decides where you end up.

The 6 best dumbbell lat exercises

1. Single-arm dumbbell row

The single-arm dumbbell row is the go-to dumbbell lat exercise because you can go heavy with a long range of motion.

Put one knee and the same-side hand on a flat bench, back flat, other foot on the floor.
Let the dumbbell hang straight down from your shoulder.
Pull your elbow back towards your hip, keeping it close to your side.
Lower until your arm is straight and you feel a stretch under your armpit.

2. Kroc row

The Kroc row is a heavy, higher-rep single-arm row with a little body English allowed, done braced on a bench or rack. It trains the lats and grip hard.

Brace one hand on a bench or dumbbell rack, feet staggered, back flat and slightly inclined.
Row a heavy dumbbell for 10–20 reps, pulling towards your hip.
A small amount of momentum is fine near the end of the set. Twisting your whole torso isn’t.
Use straps if your grip fails before your back.

3. Chest-supported incline dumbbell row

The chest-supported row takes your lower back out of the movement, so your lats and upper back do all the pulling.

Set an incline bench to about 30–45 degrees and lie chest-down.
Let the dumbbells hang straight down, palms facing each other.
Row your elbows back towards your hips, keeping them close to your body.
Lower under control to a full stretch.

4. Dumbbell seal row

The seal row is a row lying flat face-down on a high bench, so there’s no way to cheat with your legs or back.

Lie face-down on a flat bench raised on blocks or plates so your arms hang without the dumbbells touching the floor.
Row both dumbbells towards your hips.
Pause briefly, then lower to a full stretch.

5. Dumbbell pullover

The dumbbell pullover trains the lats and chest together through a big overhead stretch. In a small study of eight men, the barbell pullover worked the chest (pectoralis major) more than the lats, so count it as a lat helper, not your main lat exercise.

Lie across or along a flat bench holding one dumbbell over your chest with both hands.
With a slight bend in your elbows, lower the dumbbell back behind your head until you feel a stretch along your sides.
Pull it back over your chest by driving your upper arms down.
Keep your ribs down and your hips still.

6. Elbow-to-hip “lat row”

The lat row is a single-arm row done with a lighter weight and a deliberate arc: the dumbbell starts slightly in front of you and sweeps back to your hip.

Set up like a single-arm dumbbell row.
Start with the dumbbell slightly forward of your shoulder.
Pull in an arc back towards your hip, keeping your arm close to your side.
Use a weight light enough to feel your lat doing the work.

It’s the difference between yanking a lawnmower cord and drawing a sword from your hip: same arm, very different path.

Sample dumbbell lat workout

This sample dumbbell lat workout takes about 30 minutes and fits on any pull or back day.

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Single-arm dumbbell row	3 × 8–12 each side	90 s
Chest-supported incline row	3 × 10–12	90 s
Dumbbell pullover	2 × 12–15	60–90 s
Elbow-to-hip lat row	2 × 12–15 each side	60 s

The ACSM position stand supports moderate loads for muscle growth. Add reps first, then move to the next dumbbell when you hit the top of the range on every set.

Common dumbbell row mistakes

The most common dumbbell row mistake is pulling with the arm and shrugging, instead of driving the elbow back with the back muscles.

Mistake	What it looks like	Fix
Elbow flaring wide	Elbow finishes level with your shoulder	Keep it close; pull towards your hip
Twisting the torso	Chest rotates open on every rep	Lighter weight; keep your hips and shoulders square
Shrugging	Shoulder rises to your ear	Pull your shoulder down and back first
Half reps	Arm never straightens	Lower to a full stretch every rep

Pair them with

Lats are only part of your back. Add face pulls for the rear delts and mid traps, shrugs for the upper traps, and farmer’s carries for grip. Our push pull legs and upper lower split guides show where they fit in a week.