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If you want a stronger back, better posture, and more spinal stability, rowing exercises are a necessity. Rows are the most direct way to work your lats, rhomboids, and biceps. The seated cable row (or cable row for short) is the most common and popular rowing variation. It is beginner-friendly, and you can swap between wide, narrow, neutral, and underhand grips to hit the upper back from different angles. 

Unfortunately, not everyone has access to a cable machine or a seated row station (even though the cable machine is a great machine for the back).

Whether you train from home, the cable station is always taken at your gym, or you want some new exercise options, here is our list of the best alternatives to cable rows.

The bent-over barbell row is one of the best barbell pull exercises for building a thick, strong back. It hits nearly the whole posterior chain in one shot: lats, rhomboids, traps, teres major and minor, erectors, even your hamstrings and glutes, plus your biceps, forearms, and core along the way.

As much as I like the barbell row, it isn’t the right pick for everyone. The big drawback is lower-back stress. The heavier you go, the harder it is to hold position, and a rounded back under load is how people get hurt. It’s also a bilateral barbell lift, so if one side is stronger than the other or you don’t own a barbell, you’re stuck.

That’s where this list comes in. Whether you want a dumbbell bent over row alternative you can do at home, a bent over row machine alternative that takes your lower back out of it, or just a barbell row alternative that fits the equipment you’ve got, there’s something here for you. If cable setups are more your thing, our cable row alternatives cover those too.

I picked these 10 on how well they build the back, how much they spare your lower back, what equipment they need, and whether you can keep loading them over time. Here’s the full list, then I’ll break down each one: why it made the cut, how to do it, and a few cues to get it right.

Few exercises demonstrate brute strength better than the deadlift. The deadlift earned its title as the king of all lifts due to its potential for moving incredibly heavy weights and capacity to challenge your entire body.

However, this deceptively simple-looking exercise is a cause of frustration and discomfort for many lifters. Without precise technique, deadlifts can cause back pain or injuries. Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives that offer many of the same benefits of the deadlift while being more protective of your spine. Here is our list of the 7 best deadlift alternatives and why you should consider incorporating them into your program.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “you’ve gotta row to grow.” Rowing exercises are one of the best ways to target your upper posterior chain and build a broader, stronger back. Barbell rows are among the most popular rowing variations. 

Barbell rows load your lats and back muscles with heavy weights while strengthening your core and hamstrings. However, they may not be an appropriate choice for everyone. Bent-over barbell rows cause some lifters to experience lower back pain. Others lack the core stability or grip strength to get the most out of this exercise. 

If you are looking for an alternative to the bent-over row to avoid pain, manage an injury, make do with minimal equipment, or simply change things up, we have you covered. Here is our list of the best barbell row alternatives to help you build a strong, broad back.

Do you want to build strong, powerful back muscles to improve your posture and gym performance? The T-bar row is one of the most popular horizontal pulling exercises, thanks to its impressive ability to fire up multiple muscle groups within your posterior chain. 

If you don’t have access to the equipment for a T-bar row or are looking to switch up your exercise selection, there are plenty of equally effective alternatives. 

Here is our list of the 9 best alternatives to the T-bar row.