Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Lever Unilateral Row: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The lever unilateral row is a machine-based exercise targeting the upper back. It involves pulling a lever arm with one side of the body at a time, focusing on the upper back muscles while also engaging the biceps and forearms.

Primary muscles
Traps
Secondary muscles
Biceps , Forearms
Equipment
Leverage Machine
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the lever unilateral row
Front view: muscles worked by the lever unilateral row. Primary: traps. Secondary: biceps and forearms.
Back view: muscles worked by the lever unilateral row. Primary: traps. Secondary: biceps and forearms.
Primary Secondary

How to do the lever unilateral row

  1. Step 1: Adjust the seat height and position yourself facing the machine.
  2. Step 2: Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and keep your back straight.
  3. Step 3: Pull the handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment at the peak of the movement, then slowly release and extend your arms back to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the lever unilateral row by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Lever Unilateral Row alternatives

More exercises that train the traps as their main target:

More traps exercises

See the best trap exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.