An expert trainer says this dumbbell move should be a staple in everyone's workout routine—here's why

A woman performs a bent-over row with a dumbbell at home on a wide chair. Her right arm and right knee are on the chair, her left leg on the floor, and her torso is bent forward so her back is flat. In her left hand she holds a dumbbell, which she is rowing up to her ribcage. There's a chest of drawers and plant behind her. .

You don't need an expensive gym membership to build strength—you can do it at home with just a pair of dumbbells.

While you might not have access to the same machines, you can still target the same muscle groups and movement patterns with the right combination of exercises.

Monty Simmons is a personal trainer who specializes in strength training and he says that if you're working out at home, there's one move that you should definitely be doing: the single-arm dumbbell row.

Why you should do dumbbell rows if you work out at home

Strength exercises are often categorized as pull or push.

Both types of movements are essential in a well-rounded routine, but it’s hard to find appropriate pull exercises to do at home, where you might not have access to things like assisted pull-up machines.

That’s where the dumbbell row comes in handy.

“It's a great pulling exercise and we often don't do pulling exercises unless we're in a gym. So if you are at home, this is one of the staple exercises that you need,” says Simmons.

How to do the single-arm dumbbell row

All you need to do this move is a fairly heavy dumbbell and a stable surface that's about knee height. A sofa or the edge of your bed will work.

If you only have light dumbbells, do a high number of repetitions to get the most out of this exercise.

“You have to push close to tiring out your body,” Simmons explains.

How to do it:

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each side

• Stand on your right leg and rest your left knee on a stable raised surface, while holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
• Bend forward and bring your left hand to the raised surface, so your back is flat.
• Allow your right hand to hang down, in line with your shoulder.
• Pull the dumbbell straight up to your hip, drawing your elbow up past your torso.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then slowly lower to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.

The benefits of the single-arm dumbbell row

This is a really helpful move if you want to develop muscle in your upper body.

“It trains the back of your shoulder, it trains the middle of your back, and it trains your arm muscles to be strong as well,” says Simmons.

He explains that the move builds dynamic strength in the side of the body that’s performing the action, but it also builds stability in the side of the body that’s static during the move, because it takes some effort to keep your arm and leg stable.

It's also an exercise that replicates real-life movements.

“If you’ve ever tried to reach down the back of the sofa to grab something and lift it, or you’re reaching into the boot of your car to pull something out that's far away from you–it’s that movement that you’re training,” says Simmons.

Try doing this move regularly, at least once or twice a week, gradually increasing the weight over time to feel the benefits.