The cable lunge with single arm row is a combination exercise performed facing a low pulley, pairing a reverse lunge with a one-arm row to train the quads, glutes and upper back together. Unlike a dumbbell lunge and curl, the cable pulls you forward and down the whole time, so the front leg has to resist being dragged toward the stack while the lat rows against a line that is loaded at the bottom of the lunge. Coaches program it in circuits or as a second movement on a full-body day, after the main lower-body lift.
What Muscles Does the Cable Lunge With Single Arm Row Work?
- Primary: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, latissimus dorsi (lats)
- Secondary: Hamstrings, rhomboids, posterior deltoid, biceps brachii
- Tertiary: Obliques, gluteus medius, forearm flexors
How Do You Set Up for the Cable Lunge With Single Arm Row?
Set a single handle on the low pulley and choose a light stack. Grip the handle in your right hand, back away until the cable is taut with your arm straight, and face the machine with your feet hip-width apart. Stand tall with the left foot planted, the right arm reaching toward the pulley, shoulders square to the stack, and your free hand resting on your hip.
How Do You Perform the Cable Lunge With Single Arm Row?
- Step your right foot straight back and lower into a reverse lunge, letting the right arm stay long toward the pulley.
- Touch the back knee an inch above the floor, front shin vertical and the torso leaning slightly forward over the front thigh.
- Drive through the front heel to stand, and start pulling the handle as the hips rise.
- Finish the row as you reach full height, with the elbow past the ribs and the handle at your hip.
- Hold the top for one count with the front leg locked and the shoulder blade pulled back.
- Extend the arm and step back into the lunge under control, arriving with the cable taut before the next rep; switch sides after the set.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Row on the way up: Time the pull to the leg drive, so the handle reaches the hip exactly as the knees lock.
- Reach at the bottom: Let the cable pull the arm long in the lunge so the lat is stretched before it works.
- Keep the chest facing the stack through the row rather than twisting toward the working arm.
- Push the floor away with the front heel and feel the front glute hold you against the cable's drag.
- Set the shoulder blade down before the elbow bends so the trap does not shrug the handle up.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Loading the stack for the row: the cable jerks you forward out of the lunge, so pick a weight the front leg holds steady.
- Rowing at the bottom of the lunge: pulling with the knee down loses the leg drive, so save the pull for the stand.
- Letting the front knee cave inward: the cable drags the knee toward the stack and the hip loses the glute, so track the knee over the second toe.
- Twisting the torso to finish the row: the obliques finish the pull and the lat stops short, so keep both shoulders square to the machine.
- Stepping back onto the toes and bouncing: the back knee taps the floor and rebounds, so touch down softly and drive from the front foot.
What Are the Best Cable Lunge With Single Arm Row Variations?
- Split stance cable row: feet fixed in a lunge while only the arm works, for learning the row.
- Cable lunge with row and rotation: turning the chest toward the working side at the top adds an oblique twist.
- Forward cable lunge with row: stepping toward the stack, then rowing as you push back.
- Cable lunge with same-side row: rowing on the front-leg side loads that hip harder.
- Standing One Arm Row with Resistance Band: the same pull on a band, without the lunge.
How Do You Progress the Cable Lunge With Single Arm Row?
- Move up one plate once every rep finishes with the handle at the hip and the front knee tracking straight.
- Build from 8 to 12 reps per side at a fixed weight before adding a plate.
- Add a fourth set per side when three sets no longer leave the front leg tired.
- Pause the bottom of the lunge for two counts and row for a three-count when a heavier plate is too much.
How Should You Program the Cable Lunge With Single Arm Row?
Place the cable lunge with single arm row second or third in a full-body session, after squats or deadlifts and before isolation work. Train it 1 to 2 times per week for 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sides. Pair it with a push movement such as a cable chest press so the session covers both directions.