The upright row pulls a bar or dumbbells straight up the front of your body with the elbows leading, training the side delts and traps together. It is the one movement in this group with a genuine setup caveat: pulled high with a narrow grip it forces the shoulder into a position a lot of people cannot do comfortably.
How to do it
- Grip wider than shoulder width and stop when the elbows reach shoulder height.
- If it pinches at any point, swap it for a lateral raise. Not every shoulder tolerates this.
Common mistakes
- A narrow grip pulled to the chin — the position most likely to impinge the shoulder.
What it trains
- Side delts
- drive the elbows up and out — the main target if you keep the pull low
- Traps
- take over above chest height, which is why a high pull is a trap exercise
- Biceps and forearms
- assist at the elbow and hold the bar in
Variations and alternatives
Common questions
Is the upright row bad for your shoulders?
It depends entirely on grip width and how high you pull. A narrow grip pulled to the chin puts the shoulder into internal rotation at the top of its range under load, which many people find uncomfortable; a wider grip stopped at chest height largely avoids it. If it pinches, it is not worth persisting with — lateral raises train the same muscle.
How wide should my grip be?
Roughly shoulder width or a little wider. Narrow grips are traditional but they force the elbows higher relative to the shoulder and are the version people run into trouble with.
How high should I pull the bar?
To around chest height, with the elbows at shoulder level. Pulling to the chin adds trap work and not much delt, and it is exactly where the shoulder position gets awkward.
Barbell, EZ bar or cable?
An EZ bar or a cable rope is easier on the wrists than a straight bar, because they let the hands angle slightly rather than pinning them flat. A cable also keeps the pull constant through the range, which a bar does not.
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Shoulders
