Home / Exercises / Lever Single Arm Neutral Grip Seated Row (Plate Loaded)
Lever Single Arm Neutral Grip Seated Row (Plate Loaded) animation

How to do the Lever Single Arm Neutral Grip Seated Row (Plate Loaded)

BackBack & LatsMachineBeginner

The lever single arm neutral grip seated row isolates each side of your back independently, making it one of the smartest tools for building balanced lat and mid-back thickness. Mastering this plate-loaded machine as a beginner sets the foundation for serious pulling strength down the road.

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Muscles worked

Primary
LatsMid-back
Secondary
BicepsRear deltsForearms

Step-by-step

  1. Sit tall, brace your core, and plant your feet firmly on the footpad while gripping the single handle with a neutral palm-facing-in position.
  2. Initiate the pull by driving your elbow back and down, not by yanking with your bicep, feeling your lat engage first.
  3. Draw the handle toward your lower ribcage and squeeze your shoulder blade toward your spine at the peak of the contraction.
  4. Return the handle in a slow, controlled path until your arm is fully extended and your lat is fully stretched before the next rep.

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging the shoulder toward the ear during the pull, which shifts stress off the lat and onto the trap, fix this by actively depressing your shoulder at the start of every rep.
  • Twisting the torso to generate momentum, which reduces back activation and stresses the spine, fix this by keeping your chest square to the machine throughout the entire set.
  • Letting the weight stack crash back between reps, which eliminates time under tension, fix this by controlling the return over two to three full seconds on every repetition.

Pro tip — At the top of each rep, hold the contraction for a one-second pause and think about pulling your shoulder blade into your back pocket, this brief isometric dramatically increases lat recruitment that most lifters skip entirely.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps

Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).

More Back exercises

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