Alternating Kettlebell Row

Also known as: kettlebell alternating row, alternating bent over kettlebell row, double kettlebell alternating row, alternating kb row

In SetGrip: Kettlebell Row (Alternating)

Secondary muscles
Biceps, Forearms
Body part
Back
Laterality
Alternating sides
Category
Strength

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Holding two kettlebells in a hinge and rowing them one at a time keeps constant load in your hands while each side works alone, roughly doubling your time under the hinge compared with the standard Kettlebell Row. The offset handles sit the mass below your grip, so each bell settles into a natural arc toward your hip.

How to do the Alternating Kettlebell Row

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold a kettlebell in each hand with your palms facing your body.
  2. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
  3. Pull one kettlebell up towards your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  4. Lower the kettlebell back down to the starting position and repeat with the other arm.
  5. Continue alternating arms for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Pause for a full count with the handle at your torso before letting it go back.

Muscles worked

Primary

Upper Back · Back

The rhomboids and mid traps squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of each rep, which is where you should feel the strongest contraction.

Secondary

  • Biceps — The biceps bend the elbow on every row but should never be the muscle that fails first.
  • Forearms — Grip and forearm endurance often limit heavy rows, so use straps or a thicker grip if the hands give out before the back.

Common mistakes

  • Yanking with the arms — the rep should start with the shoulder blades pulling back, then the elbows follow; if the biceps give out first, you are curling the weight.
  • Torso heaving up — on bent-over rows the back angle should not change between reps; if it does, drop the weight.
  • Shrugging the shoulders up — pull the elbows back and down and keep the shoulders away from the ears, especially on face pulls.
  • Skipping the stretch — let the arms straighten fully and the shoulder blades slide forward at the start of each rep, then pull from there.

Where it fits in a workout

Rows are a main movement in any pull or back session and go before pulldowns and arm work. They pair well with a chest press or a push-up as a push and pull superset.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without kettlebell

Easier and harder

When to talk to someone

  • Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
  • Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
  • Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

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More exercises

Sources

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.

Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.