Like any skill, however, a little work can make the experience (and the results) even better. Do you want to be more competitive with yourself or others? Have you been stuck at a pace and wondering how to improve your time? Maybe it’s time to check-in and make sure you can keep up a respectable speed.

The 8-minute mile is a high-performance standard. Sustaining that pace for a marathon would complete the 26.2-mile feat in just under three and a half hours, which puts you in the top 25% to 30% of runners. For non-competitive context, the majority of military and law enforcement organizations require fitness tests which include a one and a half or two-mile run. An 8-minute mile pace would score you squarely in the middle of the pack.

No matter your reason, it’s a significant goal to aim for. Here’s a training plan to help you get there.

• Weekly Plan to Get an 8-Minute Mile
• Improve Your Form, Improve Your Speed
• Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of Distance Running
• Frequently Asked Questions

Weekly Plan to Get an 8-Minute Mile

It takes a detailed program to start running more efficiently and improve your running time. Here’s a plan to start shaving time off your run and keep your body balanced and healthy.

Monday

Strength Training

Even one day of focused weight training can build strength and functional muscle when the total training volume is sufficient. (1) A full-body workout can help runners build their legs, upper body, and core — all essential parts to being a strong runner.

“There is usually an improvement in time when a period of training is devoted to strength training,” says Yusuf Jeffers, a coach with Mile High Run Club. “Compound lifts like barbell back squats and unilateral work like lunges are good for developing muscles in the legs. Not just the quads, but also hamstrings and glutes. Muscles don’t work in isolation.”

“Core strength workouts are also of great utility. The trick is to integrate improvements in leg strength and have it expressed as power. Core strength helps with maintaining posture, all of which ultimately leads to faster times.”

Sample Strength Workout

• Back Squat: 3 x 8-12
• Walking Lunge: 3 x 8-12 (per leg)
• Pull-Up: 3 x 8-12
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 x 8-12 (per arm)
• Shoulder Press: 3 x 8-12
• Dip: 3 x 8-12
• Push-Up: 3 x 8-12
• Cable Woodchopper: 3 x 8-12
• Scissor Kick: 3 x 8-12

Tuesday

Speed Workout

Run 400 meters for four to six sets with two minutes rest between each run.

Use a submaximal stride, meaning you work just below the anaerobic threshold and not at full capacity. Each run should be difficult but you shouldn’t be completely breathless.

Wednesday

Active Recovery

Active recovery is a hybrid between a day of serious training and complete rest. It can be a 30-minute walk, slow jog, or other light cardio activity at a comfortable pace. Also spend time working on flexibility, such as long, deep stretching or a Yin yoga class.

Thursday

Tempo Run

A tempo run is a distance run performed at a tempo, or speed, you can maintain for the entire duration. Start with two or three-miles at a consistent speed. As your running improves, work toward a quicker tempo and eventually increase up to five miles.

To hit the 8-minute mile pace, many runners will need to reach 180 steps per minute, or three steps per second. Consider that as an eventual target.

Tip: To stay on tempo and keep a steady pace, try listening to the Running Tempo Mix playlist on Spotify by Nike Women. You can also search many music streaming services for BPM-specific playlists depending on the speed and pace you need.

Friday

Active Recovery

Take another active recovery day for restorative work. Perform another 30-minutes of light cardio followed by more flexibility work.

Saturday

Endurance Run

This should be your longest run of the week to build overall endurance and push your physical and mental limits. Keep your speed between the “active recovery” speed and the “tempo” speed. You should be able to speak in sentences during this run. Start with three miles and increase your volume each week, eventually up to 20 miles.

Sunday

Rest

No training, no running, and no lifting. Take the day off, eat some nutritious food, and recover for the upcoming week.

Improve Your Form, Improve Your Speed

Achieving an 8-minute mile pace is a respectable achievement for any non-professional runner. It’s a sign that you’re starting to bridge the gap between recreational and specialized performance.

Even if you’re not a dedicated runner, allocating some training time to improve your running will boost your aerobic conditioning base, which can be beneficial for everything from high-rep sets of weight training to running the bases in your local rec-league softball game.

Like any exercise or skill, improving your technique can lead to better results and a lower risk of injury. Most people will invest time and energy learning how to deadlift properly because it’s seen as a relatively complicated exercise that requires coordination between multiple muscles.

However, many of those same people would simply take off on a run with minimal attention to factors that can have a significant effect on how the run feels and, more importantly, how your body responds to all those miles. Here are some of the most important cues to run more efficiently, which will shave down your time and reduce wear and tear on your joints.

Cue 1 — Drive Your Knees Forward

Many people focus on kicking their legs back as they move. Instead, focus on driving your knees forward on each step. This improves stride length and helps to activate the hip flexors and core, which are essential for optimal performance.

Form Tip: Incorporate standing high-knee drills and marching in place during your general warm-up to reinforce this type of knee-forward movement.

Cue 2 — Make Contact with the Balls of Your Feet

When striking the ground during a run, think light and quick. You don’t want to slam your foot into the ground. Most modern running teachers no longer teach a heel strike. Hitting your heels on the ground can be slow and lead to foot and ankle issues.

Instead, they teach runners to strike the ground with the balls of their feet. Have a friend watch you run or set up a camera to record your form. If you are striking back on your heel, take the time to move forward on your foot.

Form Tip: While you’re reviewing your form, check to see if you pronate or supinate your feet. If you’re shifting to the big toe-side of the foot (pronating) or the pinky toe-side of the foot (supinating) instead of remaining in a neutral position, you may be at risk of foot and ankle problems down the road. You can also check the wear patterns on the bottoms of your sneakers as an indicator.

Cue 3 — Run with Your Upper Body

Running doesn’t just happen by moving your legs. Your entire upper body needs to be involved if you want to perform well. As you start your run, think about leaning forward with your hips, chest, and ears in front of your ankles.

Keep your head and chest up by looking 50 to 100-feet ahead of you. Swing your arms like pendulums in sync with your legs. Keep your forearms passing by your sides, not across your body, and keep your arms bent about 90-degrees.

Form Tip: Keep your posture tall. Don’t allow yourself to bend forward at the waist. If your upper body starts to collapse, your overall running form will suffer and speed will slow down.

Cue 4 — Keep Your Core Engaged

Your core is essential for keeping your posture upright, as well as keeping your breath strong. Focus on keeping your core engaged and lifting up out of your pelvis.

Maintain tight enough abs so you don’t wobble side-to-side or over-rotate while you run. If your shoulders are tilting or turning significantly as you run, it’s an indicator that your core may be too relaxed and not fully engaged.

Form Tip: Practice breathing in tempo without losing core tension. Count your steps as you breathe in and breathe out, and work on breath consistency in your pacing. Start slow and determine your individual optimal number of steps per breath.

Running Mistakes to Avoid

Running may seem easy because, technically, anyone can do it anytime. However, to improve your time and become a better runner, you need to follow a structured routine. Running without a plan can lead to pain, injury, slow times, and wasted energy. Here are the most common issues to avoid.

Running Too Much

This isn’t so much a technique issue as it is an enthusiasm issue. When it comes to improving your running, some people think it’s better to just do “more” and somehow any issues will sort themselves out along the way. This isn’t true.

To become a better, faster, and more efficient runner, you need a balanced running program — like you would for any other fitness goal.

Avoid It: Follow a well-planned, structured running schedule (like the sample plan laid out earlier in this article). A comprehensive plan should include training time, varied distances, and cross-training days to build skills, balance training and recovery, and avoid injury.

Skipping Recovery

Trying to get better without rest and recovery can set you backwards in your training. Your body needs recovery days to allow your muscles to repair, your cardiovascular system to adapt, and your nervous system to refresh.

Trying to be “all gas, no brakes” won’t get you to your goals any faster and can potentially put you on the sidelines if you rack up an injury along the way.

Avoid it: Make sure your training schedule includes rest days and recovery methods, including flexibility training which can reduce soreness and improve your range of motion. (2)

Benefits of Running

Running has definite benefits, both physiologically and psychologically. Those benefits become more pronounced when supported by proper recovery and other forms of exercise.

Cardiovascular Health

Running is an aerobic, cardiovascular activity that forces active work on the heart and lungs. This work strengthens the heart and lungs and can lead to a lower resting heart rate and higher blood oxygenation. In all, this leads to better cardiovascular health and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. (3)

Psychological Health

A “runner’s high” is often considered to be a post-run endorphin rush, where your brain releases feel-good chemicals in response to the almost-meditative blood-pumping exercise you just completed. There’s actually an abundance of science that connects running with improved mental health. Some research even suggests that running consistently can be as beneficial as pharmaceutical intervention. (4)

Additional studies have linked a regular running routine with improved sleep, citing that some people have a significant deep sleep improvement and a reduction in insomnia with as little as two short runs per week.

Note: Avoid any interference with your current doctors’ orders. If you are on prescription medication when starting or improving your running routine, let your doctor know and monitor your results.

Fat Loss

Cardiovascular exercise is a reliable method of fat loss. Many times, a simple walk can be an effective starting point. However, running has been shown to contribute more significantly towards fat loss and improved body composition than walking. (5)

A running program not only burns calories during the run, it has also been shown to suppress one’s appetite, making it easier to stick to the type of calorie-restricted diet necessary for fat loss.

FAQs

Why do my feet hurt after running?

It may be due to running too much and/or too quickly for your foot and ankle structures to adapt, or it may be as simple as running on worn-out shoes that offer no protection from repeated impact. Typically, running shoes should be replaced after you’ve put them through 400 to 500 miles of work. Even well-built shoes begin to breakdown at that point and they no longer offer the same level of cushioning and support as intended.

It is really important to pay attention to your feet, especially foot pain. Foot pain can lead to a very painful condition, called plantar fasciitis, which can affect foot function for years to come. Have a professional check your form while you run and help you with any stride corrections. Get a pair of shoes specifically made for running. Many specialized shoe stores can analyze your gait and help you find the right shoe.

What is a side stitch and why do I get them?

There are several possible factors that can cause side stitches including the timing of your previous meal, your breathing pattern, and the tightness of the ligaments around the diaphragm.

In general, stay hydrated before, during, and after a run; work on developing a breathing pattern in sync with your strides while you run; eat a light meal two to three hours before your run; and if you have pain during a run, stop and massage the area until the pain subsides instead of trying to run through the discomfort.

Ready to Run?

Are you inspired? Good. Lace up and get going. Just remember that overdoing it is not going to set you ahead. If you want a goal to really get yourself in gear, find a local 5K and sign up. Then mark it on your calendar, follow the plan, refine your technique, and pick up your pace to start shaving your time down.

References

1. Ralston, G.W., Kilgore, L., Wyatt, F.B. et al. Weekly Training Frequency Effects on Strength Gain: A Meta-Analysis. Sports Med – Open 4, 36 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-018-0149-9
2. Sands, William & Mcneal, Jeni & Murray, Steven & Ramsey, Michael & Sato, Kimitake & Mizuguchi, Satoshi & Stone, Michael. (2013). Stretching and Its Effects on Recovery: A Review. STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING JOURNAL. 35. 30-36. 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000004.
3. Lee, D. C., Pate, R. R., Lavie, C. J., Sui, X., Church, T. S., & Blair, S. N. (2014). Leisure-time running reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 64(5), 472–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2014.04.058
4. Oswald, F., Campbell, J., Williamson, C., Richards, J., & Kelly, P. (2020). A Scoping Review of the Relationship between Running and Mental Health. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), 8059. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218059
5. Williams P. T. (2013). Greater weight loss from running than walking during a 6.2-yr prospective follow-up. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 45(4), 706–713. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31827b0d0a

Special thanks to Yusuf Jeffers at Mile High Run Club. If you’re entering your first (or next) marathon, consider their specialized marathon training program.

Featured Image: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A / Shutterstock

The post How to Run an 8-Minute Mile Pace appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The cable’s pulley system puts tension — and lots of it — right where it belongs. All you need to do is straighten your arms and build some muscle. Okay, there’s a little more to it than that. Here are all the details.

• How to Do the Triceps Cable Pushdown
• Triceps Cable Pushdown Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Triceps Cable Pushdown
• Muscles Worked by the Triceps Cable Pushdown
• Who Should Do the Triceps Cable Pushdown
• How to Program the Triceps Cable Pushdown
• Triceps Cable Pushdown Variations
• Triceps Cable Pushdown Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Triceps Cable Pushdown

The cable pushdown is pretty straightforward. To put maximum tension on the triceps and minimize involvement of other muscles, your elbows should remain pinned to your sides as you extend your arms down. Here’s a more in-depth look at how to get set up and how to get the most out of the exercise.

Step 1 — Set Up At the Pulley Station

Attach a straight bar to a high-cable pulley. Grab the bar with both hands in a palm-down grip. Take a small step back into a staggered stance. This will give you more total-body stability, especially when using heavier weights.

Bend your knees slightly and tighten your core. Pull your elbows toward your ribs to raise the weight from the stack. Your hands should be roughly in line with your chest, ready to perform the first rep.

Form Tip: The farther you move from the weight stack, the more your back and shoulders muscles will be engaged to keep your elbows pinned to your ribs. The cable running from the handle to the pulley should be at a slight angle.

Step 2 — Straighten Your Arms

Squeeze your upper arms into your sides and pretend you are gluing them in place. Push straight down with both hands until your arms are straight but not fully locked. This maintains slight tension on the muscle and increases the muscle-building stimulus. Keep your hands in line with your forearm without bending your wrists.

Form Tip: Keep a strong, tall posture and an engaged core. You should only be moving at the elbows, not at the waist, as you drive the weights down.

Step 3 — Bend Your Arms to Lower the Weight

From the nearly locked out position, bend your arms and slowly return your hands upwards. Keep your elbows stuck to your ribs. When your hands are in the top position, the weights should be hovering barely above the rest of the stack. If the weights rest completely on the stack, adjust your stance and take a very small step backwards.

Form Tip: Don’t allow the weights to pull your elbows forward. Tense your abs, grip the handle hard to engage your grip and control the bar, and pull your shoulder blades back to keep a stable body position.

Triceps Cable Pushdown Mistakes to Avoid

The cable pushdown requires tightness and stability through your entire body. This can be a benefit because keeping your back, shoulders, arms, abs, and legs fully engaged builds muscular coordination.

However, this total-body recruitment also creates multiple opportunities for technique problems to occur. Here are the most significant issues to watch for.

Misaligned Posture

Hunching forward or arching your back when lifting or lowering the weight will prevent you from fully stabilizing your core. You can’t tense your abs effectively without a neutral spine.

Having an unstable or angled upper body reduces your ability to control the movement. When your arms and torso aren’t vertical, you’re working through a different angle of resistance and recruiting different muscles. More importantly, a lack of core stability means you could hurt your back.

Avoid It: Stabilize your posture and alignment before each rep. Pull your core muscles up and in. Staggering your feet can also reinforce a strong upper body position because it increases lower body stability, which is transferred through the upper body.

Moving at the Shoulder

The primary movement should be from your elbows, not from your shoulders. When your shoulders work to move the weight, stress is taken off your triceps and shifted onto your deltoids (shoulders) and upper back.

Don’t allow shoulder rotation to flare your elbows. If your elbows point sideways to the walls instead of behind you, you’ve shifted out of position.

Avoid It: Check your elbow creases. If they turn in, tightness in your shoulders or chest may be pulling your arms forward. Start practicing shoulder and chest flexibility exercises to loosen up the area. Keep the shoulder and upper arms locked into place. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides and be aware of if/when your elbows start to come forward.

Bending Your Wrists

Don’t let your wrists crane back or bend forward. Doing so increases strain on the smaller wrist joint and increases the risk of injury. Keep your hands in line with your forearms, with a straight line from your elbow to your knuckles.

Avoid It: If breaking at the wrist is an issue for you, consider a glove with wrist wraps or wrist wraps. This external support reminds you to keep the joints in line. Gripping the bar hard, instead of passively pressing through your hands, can also reinforce a stable hand position.

Benefits of the Triceps Cable Pushdown

The cable pushdown places the triceps muscle under constant tension for the duration of the set. This long duration of muscular stress is a key factor responsible for muscle growth. (1)

Pushdowns are a foundational triceps exercise, allowing lifters to focus solely on their triceps, which can improve the mind-muscle connection for greater activation and growth. (2)

Upper Body Strength

The triceps play a role in the majority of upper body exercises, either assisting in chest and shoulder pressing movements or as stabilizers during pulling movements. Increasing triceps-specific strength with cable pushdowns can carry over to improved strength in larger upper body exercises.

Aesthetic Muscle-Building

Cable pushdowns works all three heads of the triceps muscle, creating well-balanced muscle growth. The triceps are worked through a full range of motion with constant tension, making the pushdown an efficient way to directly target the tris.

Muscles Worked by Triceps Cable Pushdown

The triceps cable pushdown is primarily for the triceps, though several muscle groups stabilize the upper body and allow correct performance.

If other muscles get fatigued before the triceps during a set of pushdowns, it’s an indicator that your technique is off. Reduce the weight and be more focused on applying proper form.

Triceps Brachii

The triceps is a three-headed muscle responsible for elbow extension, or straightening the arm. It’s made up of the lateral and medial heads, which attach at the upper arm and below the elbow, and the long head which attaches to the shoulder blade and below the elbow. (3) Because the long head runs along the shoulder joint and attaches to the shoulder blade, it is also activated during shoulder movements when the upper arm is raised.

Pectoralis Major

The pectoralis major, or pecs, are the main chest muscle. The pecs are responsible for pulling your arms toward the centerline of your body. While the chest isn’t a primary mover during pushdowns, it is worked statically to provide upper body stability and to keep your elbows by your sides, particularly in the locked out position.

Upper Back

The upper back muscles include the trapezius, rhomboids, teres, and rear deltoids. This collection of muscles work in similar roles to control the shoulder blades, shoulder position, and posture. During cable pushdowns, the upper back is highly activated to stabilize your upper body and maintain a stable upper arm position as the lower arm moves the weight.

Who Should Do the Triceps Cable Pushdown

The pushdown can be used by any lifter looking to emphasize their triceps. The movement can be implemented into strength-building programs, as well as any arm day or muscle-specific routine designed to build size.

Beginners

When you’re first learning how to train various muscles of the body, the triceps cable pushdown is a useful movement to start with because it isolates the muscle group. This targeted work allows new lifters to feel the muscle working throughout the entire range of motion.

Training for Muscle Growth

Whether you’re a physique competitor or training for general aesthetics, this exercise can help to build to triceps. Increased triceps activation without interference from other muscles stimulates greater muscle growth in the target muscle leading, simply, to bigger arms.

How to Program the Triceps Cable Pushdown

The triceps cable pushdown is easy to implement into most routines as long as you have access to a cable machine. The exercise isn’t well-suited to extremely heavy weights and low-rep sets, because strict form becomes unmanageable and additional muscles are recruited. However, light or moderate weights can be highly effective for muscle growth due to the high tension provided by the cables.

Moderate Weight, Moderate Reps

Training the cable pushdown with three to four sets of eight to 12 reps is a classic muscle-building approach. This is a time-tested way to pack on triceps size and build larger arms.

Light Weight, High Reps

Using the pushdown as a finisher or burnout is a very high-intensity way to end any arm workout. One or two sets of 15 to 25 reps, reaching muscular failure at the last rep, is an excellent method for increasing training volume. The lighter weights make this approach is particularly useful for lifters who need to minimize joint strain.

Paired with Biceps Training

Because the cable pushdown requires minimal setup, one extremely effective way to program the exercise is to superset it with any biceps exercise. By alternating between a biceps curl and triceps pushdown, you can quickly and efficiently train your entire arm with high intensity.

Triceps Cable Pushdown Variations

The triceps pushdown is extremely versatile. With a simple adjustment of the handle attachment, you can change things up, add an extra challenge, and work the triceps in slightly different ways.

Rope Pushdown

Using a rope attachment puts your hands in a neutral (thumbs-up) grip, which can be beneficial for lifters dealing with wrist or elbow pain because it places the muscles around those joints in a stronger position, which relieves stress on the joints.

While this variation doesn’t necessarily recruit the triceps muscle differently, it offers a slightly longer range of motion. The hands begin close together in the top position and flare out to the sides in the bottom position. Your elbows should remain stuck to your ribs, only your hands should move.

Reverse-Grip Pushdown

The reverse-grip pushdown isn’t often seen in gyms, but it can be an effective variation to reinforce strict form. With a supinated (palm-up) grip, swinging your torso is less effective since the bar is only held in place with your fingers, compared to a more secure a palm-down grip which covers the bar with your entire hand.

This underhand grip also reinforces proper elbow position because it becomes more difficult to flare your elbows out with this setup.

Single-Arm Pushdown

Performing a single-arm pushdown emphasizes each individual arm during a set. This one-sided attention helps to fight strength and muscular discrepancies that may develop from over-focusing on bilateral (simultaneous two-arm) exercises.

Single-arm pushdowns can be performed with a single-handle, a rope attachment, or no handle at all holding just the attachment anchor.

Triceps Cable Pushdown Alternatives

If you don’t have access to a cable pulley, there are still plenty of effective options to work your triceps. It’s always fun to mix it up, and it’s important to challenge the muscles in different ways.

Diamond Push-Up

The diamond push-up, or close-grip push-up, is a reliable bodyweight exercise to emphasize the triceps. The narrow hand position recruits more triceps and relatively less chest muscles to complete the movement.

This is another extremely efficient exercise to alternate with biceps training to create a quick arm-building workout. Perform any set of curls, drop and perform diamond push-ups, rest briefly, and repeat.

Triceps Kickback

This dumbbell movement is often performed with very light weights for very high reps. However, maintaining good form while moving more challenging weights in the 10-12 rep range can be a serious muscle-building exercise.

The key is to keep your elbows stuck to your ribs and not recruit the back or shoulder muscles to move the weights. You can increase the time under tension and muscle-building stimulus for the triceps by pausing in the top position for a full one or two seconds.

Dumbbell Skull Crusher

This exercise works the triceps in a slightly different plane of motion, with the arms perpendicular to the body instead of alongside the torso. This can slightly change the muscle recruitment of different triceps heads and lead to a new muscle-building stimulus. (4)

Using dumbbells also allows more freedom for the wrist and elbows to move, which can reduce strain on the joints. Keep the dumbbells in line with your shoulders. In the bottom position, the weights should be near your ears.

FAQs

Do I need to work my triceps specifically?

While the triceps are worked actively during most chest and shoulder exercises, as well as serving a supportive role during most back exercises, direct triceps training is essential for maximum muscle growth.

The triceps also play a functional role in many daily activities, from closing a car door to getting up off the ground after falling. Building the triceps specifically, within a comprehensive training program, can play a critical role in improving overall functional strength.

What if my arms can’t stay by my sides?

A physical inability to keep your arms at your sides against resistance may be caused by chest or shoulder immobility. When the chest or shoulders are excessively tight, they want to pull the arms forward and inward.

Performing a simple doorway chest stretch daily is one efficient place to start. In addition, work on  overall posture and alignment to encourage overall strength and stability.

Get Down with Pushdowns

The triceps cable pushdown is such a basic and effective movement in the gym, it is easy to pepper into your workout routine. Using strict form and a full range of motion will add size to your triceps, help to keep your elbows and shoulders healthy, and support all of your big pressing goals.

References

1. Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, et al. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012;590(2):351-362. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
2. Calatayud J, Vinstrup J, Jakobsen MD, Sundstrup E, Brandt M, Jay K, Colado JC, Andersen LL. Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016 Mar;116(3):527-33. doi: 10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7. Epub 2015 Dec 23. PMID: 26700744.
3. Tiwana MS, Sinkler MA, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Triceps Muscle. [Updated 2021 Aug 6]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536996/
4. Kholinne, E., Zulkarnain, R. F., Sun, Y. C., Lim, S., Chun, J. M., & Jeon, I. H. (2018). The different role of each head of the triceps brachii muscle in elbow extension. Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica, 52(3), 201–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aott.2018.02.005

Featured Image: Slatan / Shutterstock

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The single-arm dumbbell row is a unilateral (single-side) exercise that builds the strength and size of the latissimus dorsi (large back muscle) and improves the overall function of the shoulder joint. Here’s what you need to know about one of the most simple and effective back exercises.

• How to Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Muscles Worked by the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Who Should Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• How to Program the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Variations
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

There are several similar variations of the single-arm row, which will be addressed in a separate section of the article, using a variety of arm positions and paths of motion to emphasize different muscles. The most basic single-arm row technique will emphasize the lat muscle.

Step 1 — Support Yourself on a Flat Bench

Put one hand and the same-side knee on a flat bench with a dumbbell resting on the bench between them. Your back should remain flat and your shoulder blades should be pulled down and back, towards the back pocket of your pants. Keep your head and neck neutral, not pointed up to the ceiling or down towards the ground. Your eyes can look at the ground in front of the bench.

Grab the dumbbell with the hand that isn’t on the bench. With your palm facing the bench, allow the weight to reach to the ground without pulling your shoulder joint down. Your elbow should be relatively straight, but not locked, in the stretched position.

Form Tip: The dumbbell will try to pull your body down to one side, but keep your core muscles engaged throughout the exercise to keep your hips level and maintain a straight line from your hips to your neck.

Step 2 — Lift the Weight Towards Your Hip

Bend your elbow to slide the weight towards the hip on the same side. Maintain a neutral hand position, with your palm facing the bench and your body. Keep your elbow close to the body to maximally engage the lat muscle.

Keep your hand in line with your forearm, directly beneath your elbow. In the top position, your forearm should be near your ribs and the weight should almost touch your hip.

Form Tip: As you pull the weight up, don’t over-rotate your shoulders or twist your trunk. Avoid jerking the weight or heaving your upper body to create momentum.

Step 3 — Lower to the Stretched Position

Slowly reverse direction to lower the weight back to the starting point. Be sure the weight moves in a slight arc away from your hip until your arm is nearly straight with the weight directly under your shoulder.

Form Tip: Don’t lose your shoulder placement as you lower the weight. Keep your shoulder locked into your shoulder girdle and pulled away from the ear, not shrugged up towards your ear or towards the ceiling.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Mistakes to Avoid

Most form problems with the single-arm row have to do with losing proper position of the torso, shoulder, or arm. Maintaining focus on body awareness and simple technique cues can help you to avoid these issues.

Sagging Lower Back

Losing core engagement can cause the lower back to start to drop toward the bench. This can cause back pain or injury by increasing strain on the vertebrae.

Avoid It: Imagine lengthening your spine in both directions, from your tailbone to your neck. Keep your abs tense. Don’t allow your hips to rotate, which can encourage your lower back to drop out of position.

Curving the Spine Upward

Just like a sagging spine, the opposite is possible and equally problematic. You want to maintain a neutral torso, neither rounded or curved excessively, in order to keep your joints aligned for optimal power output and muscle recruitment.

Losing a neutral-spine position and curving too far up will prevent the shoulder from achieving a full range of motion. This will make the exercise less effective and can strain the shoulder joint.

Avoid it: Think of keeping your upper body flat with strong abs and steady, stable hips.

Dropping Out of the Shoulder Joint

Especially in the eccentric (lowering) portion of the exercise, the shoulder placement can get lost as the weight “pulls” the arm downward.

If the shoulder drops out of the shoulder girdle and the shoulder blades come forward, you can be exposed to shoulder pain or injury.

Avoid it: Keep your shoulder blade pressed towards your back pocket throughout the exercise, especially while lowering the weight into the stretched position.

Benefits of the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

The single-arm row is one of the most efficient ways to build size and strength in the back, shoulders, and arms.

The movement works a majority of muscles in the upper body and can be used to emphasize muscular size or strength.

Training for a V-Taper Physique

The single-arm row can add muscular size to the shoulders, upper back, and lats to create an ideal v-taper, or inverted triangle, physique. This gives the appearance of an athletic, well-developed body.

Training for Strength

Building strength in the muscles of the back can carry over to improved stability when supporting the weight during heavy bench presses, overhead presses, and countless other exercises.

Improved Shoulder Health

Because the single-arm row activates upper back muscles including the trapezius and rhomboids, it can be beneficial for overall scapular health and shoulder function.

Muscles Worked by Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

The single-arm row is a thorough upper body exercise because it incorporates several muscles in one movement.

Like many multi-joint (compound) exercises, it’s an efficient choice for a variety of workout programs.

Latissimus Dorsi

The largest back muscle, the latissimus dorsi or “lat,” is the primary muscle being recruited during single-arm rows. The lats are found on both sides of your back, running from the shoulder blades to below the ribs. They primarily work to draw the upper arm towards the centerline of your body.

Upper Back

The upper back consists of several relatively more minor muscles running across the shoulder blades, including the rhomboids, rear deltoids (shoulders), and teres major and minor. These muscles share similar roles for scapular (shoulder blade) mobility and stability.

Biceps Brachii

The biceps, found on the front part of the upper arm, work to bend and flex the elbow. They are recruited secondarily, not as primary movers, during the row.

Who Should Do the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

The single-arm row is compatible with most lifters. It’s a useful addition to a beginner’s upper body training and it can be trained long-term as you progress in form and weight as you go along.

Lifters Training for Muscle Size

The single-arm row has been a bodybuilding staple for decades because it focuses the muscle-building stimulus on one side of the body at a time, which allows for more focused training and symmetrical growth and development.

Beginning Lifters

The support of the bench will help to focus on form. It’s an excellent way to train multiple muscles while increasing back strength. The single-arm row is a foundational exercise which helps to build a base of general strength.

Frequent Sitters

If you sit for work, stare at a computer screen for a big part of your day, or find that you are starting to get a forward roll in your upper back, the single-arm row can help to counteract alignment issues and postural problems by strengthening the upper back.

How to Program the Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

The single-arm row is versatile and can be used in a range of programming for all complete back and shoulder development.

Single-Arm Row for Size Gains

If you are working on gaining size in the lats, use the single-arm row on a low-rep, high-weight upper body day. Perform three to four sets of six to eight reps using a weight that makes the last two reps very difficult to complete. Never lose stability in the shoulder or core, even when lifting heavy.

Single-Arm Row for Mobility

The single-arm row can be programmed to improve shoulder and upper back mobility. This approach will focus on good alignment in the spine, stability in the shoulder, and a slow eccentric (lowering) motion. Take one second to raise the weight and three seconds to lower it — think “up, down, down, down.” This type of training uses a moderate weight for two to three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions, with the last two reps being relatively difficult to complete at the slow tempo.

Single-Arm Row for Recovery

If you are recovering from a shoulder overuse injury, consider performing the exercise without weights or with one to five pounds, for one or two sets of 20 to 25 reps. The purpose here is just to keep the joint mobile and increase the flexibility of the muscles around the joint.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Variations

Minor adjustments to hand or body position, or range of motion, can challenge your muscles in a new way and alter muscle recruitment for more variety.

Floor Single-Arm Row

No bench? No problem. Use the floor. Get down on your hands and knees. Mimic the same positioning of your back and shoulders. Place the dumbbell weight under your hand and pull from there. The weight can touch the floor at the bottom of the exercise.

This can be an ideal option for lifters with shoulder issues because the range of motion is reduced and the floor supports the bottom of the exercise, rather than the weight hanging freely by your side.

Self-Supported Single-Arm Row

Stand with slightly bent legs while bent forward at the waist in a hinge position. Support yourself with your non-working hand on your thigh. Perform the row the same way as you would with a bench. Make sure you don’t raise your torso and turn the exercise into a shrug.

If balance is an issue, you can stand in a lunge-type position with your feet staggered while resting your free hand on the forward leg.

Supinated Single-Arm Row

Instead of the palm facing the side of the body, turn your palm towards the front (supinated) and maintain this hand position during the exercise. This significantly recruits the biceps while also involving the lats.

This grip adjustment also allows you to pull the weight higher into your hip, which changes the feel of the peak contraction.

Elbow-Out Single-Arm Row

This variation emphasizes the upper back much more than the lats, making it a more effective exercise for targeting upper back size and/or shoulder health. (1)

Face your palm towards your feet throughout the set and row with your elbow to the side in line with your shoulder, rather than close to your ribs. In the top position, your shoulder, elbow, and hand should form a 90-degree angle from your body.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row Alternatives

Lots of exercises are great for the upper back, and it’s great to change them up or add some to your regular routine.

Seated Row

The seated row can be performed at a cable station or with a resistance band around the feet, sitting on the floor.

Keep a tall upper body posture and stable body position, and work through a full range of motion using a thumbs-up grip for optimal back and shoulder recruitment.

Lat Pulldown

The pulldown is a fundamental vertical pulling exercise for strengthening the lats. Keep your shoulders down and back during the exercise in order to also recruit your upper back.

Keep your core engaged and don’t allow your spine to round. In the bottom position, your elbows should be slightly behind you for a complete muscular contraction.

FAQs

Why do I feel the single-arm dumbbell row mostly in my biceps?

Double-check your form. Make sure you have good spinal alignment and an engaged core. Don’t allow your shoulder to reach out of the shoulder girdle. most importantly, focus on pulling the weight back toward your hip, instead of towards your shoulder, to engage more lat muscle and less biceps.

Why does my neck hurt during the exercise?

You’re likely trying to look forward, which is cranking your neck in an awkward position. Keep your gaze down to the floor slightly in front of the bench, not up towards the wall or mirror and not down towards your hand on the bench.

One Arm, All the Gains

The single-arm dumbbell row is a key player in long-term training. Mastering this fundamental exercise as a beginner can pay off with wider lats, a stronger upper back, and healthier shoulders in the long-run. Grab your bench and start rowing.

References

1. Fennell, J., Phadke, C. P., Mochizuki, G., Ismail, F., & Boulias, C. (2016). Shoulder Retractor Strengthening Exercise to Minimize Rhomboid Muscle Activity and Subacromial Impingement. Physiotherapy Canada. Physiotherapie Canada, 68(1), 24–28. https://doi.org/10.3138/ptc.2014-83

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