Ring Single-Arm Rear Delt Row
What Is the Ring Single-Arm Rear Delt Row?
Ring Single-Arm Rear Delt Row is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, especially the rear deltoids, and also engages the rotator cuff, rhomboids and trapezius. It is a beginner-level movement done with one gymnastic ring and your own body weight, and the angle you lean back at sets how hard it is.
The rear deltoids and the muscles between the shoulder blades are easy to undertrain in programs built around pressing, and this row is a simple way to add work for them. What sets it apart from an ordinary row is the elbow path: the elbow travels out to the side and back at about shoulder height instead of tucking toward the ribs. A lab study of two-arm TRX rows found that finishing with the upper arms out at shoulder height and the elbows bent to 90 degrees drove posterior deltoid and middle and lower trapezius activity above 60% of a maximal contraction, while latissimus dorsi activity fell to about 12%, far below the 48% of the study's low row.
Working one arm at a time adds two things. Each side has to do its own share, so a weaker or less mobile shoulder cannot hide behind the stronger one, and the trunk has to stop the body from twisting toward the anchor while only one hand holds on. The two-arm Ring High Row uses the same elbow path with both hands, the Ring Reverse Fly keeps the arms nearly straight for a longer and harder lever, and the Ring Face Pull brings both hands up beside the head.
It suits beginners, lifters who want more upper back and rear shoulder volume, and anyone who trains at home with a set of rings. It usually sits near the end of an upper body or pull session as accessory work, or in a warm-up with the body close to upright. Because the arm can easily turn the rep into a biceps pull, feeling the back of the shoulder and the shoulder blade do the work genuinely matters here. If even an upright stance is too hard to control, start with the Band Pull-Apart or the Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly and come back to the rings once the elbow path feels natural.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- Primary
- Infraspinatus
- High
- Lower Trapezius
- High
- Rhomboid Major
- High
- Teres Minor
- High
- Biceps Brachii
- Medium
- External Oblique
- Medium
- Upper Trapezius
- Medium
Instructions
- Hang one ring on a strap anchored high in front of you.
- Stand facing the anchor and grip the ring with one hand, palm facing down.
- Place your free hand behind your lower back.
- Walk your feet forward with the feet close together and lean back until your working arm is straight, reaching toward the anchor.
- Brace your core and glutes so your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Set the working shoulder down and away from your ear.
- Pull the elbow out to the side and back until it is at about shoulder height and your hand is just in front of your shoulder.
- Squeeze your shoulder blade toward your spine at the top and keep your chest facing the anchor.
- Lower slowly until the arm is straight again, keeping your body rigid.
- Finish all reps on one side, then switch arms.
Common Mistakes
Tucking the elbow
Pulling the elbow down toward the ribs turns the movement into an ordinary row for the lats and takes the work off the rear deltoid.
Shrugging the shoulder
Letting the working shoulder ride up toward the ear shifts the effort into the upper trapezius and neck.
Twisting to finish the rep
Turning the chest open toward the free side makes the rep look longer while the trunk, not the shoulder, does the last part of the work.
Sagging hips
Letting the hips drop breaks the straight line from head to heels and moves strain into the lower back.
Dropping into the bottom
Falling back to the start lets the strap snap the arm straight and skips the lowering half of the rep.
Pulling with the biceps
Curling the hand toward the face bends the elbow more than the shoulder moves, so the arm works harder than the rear deltoid.
Injuries
Ring Single-Arm Rear Delt Row is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is a share of your own body weight, and you can make it lighter at any moment by standing more upright.
The most common strain point is the front or top of the shoulder, which can feel pinched if the elbow climbs well above shoulder height with the upper arm rolled forward. Keep the elbow at or just below shoulder height and the shoulder blade drawn back and down. Shrugging toward the ear loads the neck and upper trapezius, yanking the ring with a bent wrist irritates the wrist and elbow, and letting the hips sag puts the strain into the lower back. Stand on a floor where your heels will not slide, since a foot that slips drops you into the strap on one arm.
To regress, walk your feet back so you stand more upright, switch to the two-arm Ring High Row, or use the Band Pull-Apart. To progress, walk your feet forward toward the anchor, pause for a second at the top of each rep, lower more slowly, or move on to the Ring Reverse Fly.
Stop if you feel a sharp or pinching pain in the shoulder, numbness or tingling down the arm, or pain that stays after the set. Shoulder pain that returns every session is a reason to see a physical therapist or physician before loading the movement again.
- Primary Focus
- Shoulders
- Equipment
- Rings and body weight
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How do I make it easier or harder?
Change your body angle. Walking your feet toward the anchor so you lean back further makes it harder, and stepping back so you stand more upright makes it easier, without changing the ring height or adding weight.
- Q: What should I do with my free hand?
Rest it behind your lower back or on your hip. It gives you a reference for keeping the chest square, and it stops you from grabbing the strap or the other ring for help.
- Q: Should my elbow go above my shoulder?
No. Finish with the elbow at about shoulder height or just below. Driving it much higher with the upper arm rolled forward can pinch the front of the shoulder.
- Q: Is this the same as a ring face pull?
No. The Ring Face Pull uses both hands and brings them up beside the head with the forearms turning up, while this row pulls one hand to the front of the shoulder with the elbow out wide. Both train the rear shoulder, so many programs use one or the other in a given block.
- Q: How many reps should I do?
As accessory work, 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 controlled reps per arm suit most people. Set your foot position so the last few reps are hard but the elbow path does not change.