Balance · Beginner
Kneeling Single-Arm High Pulley Row
You kneel in front of a cable machine and pull a handle down from above your head to your torso, one arm at a time. This works the large muscles of your back while also challenging your balance and core stability — two things that matter a lot for everyday life. Because you're working one side at a time, it also helps even out any strength differences between your left and right sides. The cable keeps steady tension on the muscle throughout the movement, which makes it effective even at lighter weights.
Category
Balance
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Cable
MET
2.5
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
The movement
Form cues
- 01
Attach a single handle to the high pulley, then kneel directly in front of the cable tower with your knees about hip-width apart.
- 02
Sit your hips back slightly so your weight is balanced — you should feel stable, not tipping forward or backward.
- 03
Reach up and grip the handle with one hand, arm fully extended, palm facing away from you.
- 04
Squeeze your stomach muscles gently to keep your torso from swaying as you pull.
- 05
Pull the handle down toward your chest by bending your elbow and drawing it toward your hip — think of tucking your elbow into your back pocket.
- 06
As you pull, rotate your wrist so your palm faces you by the time the handle reaches your torso.
- 07
Pinch your shoulder blade toward your spine at the bottom of the pull — hold for a count of one.
- 08
Let the handle rise back up slowly, controlling the weight all the way until your arm is fully extended again.
Dosage
How long, how many
Sets
3
Reps
8-12
Rest
60 sec
Watch for
Common mistakes
Leaning back as you pull — if your torso is rocking backward, you're using momentum instead of your back muscles. Stay upright and let the arm do the work.
Shrugging the shoulder up toward your ear — if your shoulder rises during the pull, you're losing the back engagement. Keep that shoulder pressed down away from your ear throughout.
Letting the elbow flare out wide like a chicken wing — your elbow should travel close to your body, not out to the side.
Skipping the wrist rotation — starting with your palm facing away and finishing with it facing you is not optional; it's what keeps the movement natural for your shoulder joint.
Rushing the return — if the handle snaps back up, you're missing half the exercise. Lower it with control over two to three seconds.
Scale it
Easier and harder variations
Easier
Use a very light weight and focus entirely on the motion pattern before adding load. You can also place a folded mat under your knees for comfort.
If kneeling is uncomfortable or you're new to cable machines.
Harder
Kneel on one knee instead of two — the knee opposite your pulling arm is down, the other foot is planted flat. This increases the balance demand significantly.
Once you can complete 3 sets of 12 reps with solid form on both knees.
Note
If kneeling bothers your knees, perform the same movement seated in a sturdy chair positioned in front of the cable tower, keeping both feet flat on the floor.
Knee pain, recent knee replacement, or difficulty getting up and down from the floor.
Sources
Form descriptions and cues are sourced from wger (CC-BY-SA 4.0) and the Free Exercise DB (public domain), edited for the 60+ audience. MET value cites Ainsworth BE, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(8):1575-1581.
- free-exercise-db · Unlicense / Public Domain
- claude