For lat growth
For lat growth, the two are close. Pullover machine rates slightly higher: more stretch.
Single-arm cable row is easier to progress.
Both are good choices, and they train the lats differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Pullover Machine. Trains the lats through a big stretch with the arms nearly straight, so the biceps can’t take over.
Single-Arm Cable Row. One arm at a time lets the shoulder blade reach further forward for a bigger stretch, under steady cable tension.
For lat growth, the two are close. Pullover machine rates slightly higher: more stretch. Single-arm cable row is easier to progress. Both are good choices, and they train the lats differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Pullover machine needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Single-arm cable row needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.