One arm at a time on the iso plate, no weak side hiding.
Keep your chest pinned to the pad so you cannot cheat with body english.
The iso row loads one side at a time on independent plate-loaded arms, with your chest braced against the pad so body english is off the menu. Each pull drives the elbow straight back through a long range, hitting the lats and mid-back with the biceps assisting, while the resting arm waits its turn. Training sides separately is the whole point, the strong arm cannot bail out the weak one, and imbalances get fixed instead of hidden.
Unilateral rowing exposes and fixes strength gaps that two-arm rows hide, and it lets each side pull through its own fullest range. It also doubles the time under tension per set, so expect it to feel harder than the load suggests.
It removes cheating. With your chest pinned, you cannot lurch backward to yank the weight, so every kilo is moved by your back and arm. If your chest leaves the pad mid-set, the weight is too heavy.
Most iso row machines offer neutral and overhand handles. Neutral tends to feel strongest and hits the lats well, overhand biases the upper back a little more. Pick one, progress it, and rotate grips across training blocks.
