One kettlebell, one side of your back, full focus.
Pull to your hip, not your chest, and keep your torso still through the whole set.
Rowing one kettlebell at a time lets the working side sink into a genuine stretch at the bottom, the bell's hanging weight pulling the shoulder long before the lat drags the elbow up and back to the hip. The biceps assist the pull while the rest of the body holds the hinge dead still, resisting the twist the offset load tries to create. It earns its place because each side of the back earns its own reps, exposing imbalances a two-handed row would bury.
Pulling the bell to your hip keeps the elbow tracking close to the body, which is the lat's line of pull. Rowing high to the chest flares the elbow and shifts the work to the rear delts and traps, a different exercise entirely.
No. The offset load will try to twist you, resisting that pull is half the value of the exercise. Keep your shoulders square to the floor and rock-still, and let the arm and lat do all the moving.
No, the hinge position with a flat back is the support. If holding the hinge tires your lower back before your lat, stagger your stance and brace your free hand on your thigh or a bench for support.
