Upright Row

Stand holding a barbell with an overhand grip, hands about hip-width apart. Let the bar hang at arm’s length in front of your thighs. Pull the bar straight up toward your chin, leading with your elbows — they should flare out and rise above the bar at the top. Lower with control back to the starting position.

Pro Tips

• Lead with your elbows, not your hands — they drive the movement
• Avoid a grip that is too close; shoulder-width is safer than very narrow
• Stop when the bar reaches upper-chest height — pulling too high internally rotates the shoulder

Muscles worked

Primary: Upper trapezius (elevation of the shoulder girdle) and lateral deltoid (shoulder abduction as the elbows rise out and upward). The upright row is one of the few exercises that loads both the upper trap and the lateral delt simultaneously through the same movement.

Supporting: Biceps brachii and brachialis (elbow flexion as the bar rises), anterior deltoid (minor contribution), rhomboids and middle trap (stabilisation at the top of the pull).

Common mistakes

Pulling too high: Pulling the bar above chest height forces the shoulder into full abduction and internal rotation simultaneously — the position most associated with shoulder impingement (supraspinatus tendon compression between the humerus and acromion). Stop when the bar is at upper-chest or clavicle level.

Grip too narrow: A very narrow grip (hands close together) increases internal rotation throughout the pull and significantly elevates impingement risk. A shoulder-width grip is the minimum safe width — some lifters use slightly wider than shoulder width.

Letting the bar swing away: The bar should remain close to the body and travel in a near-vertical path as it rises. Swinging the bar forward away from the torso reduces the trap and delt loading and changes the mechanics.

Shoulder history not considered: Lifters with existing shoulder impingement or rotator cuff pathology often find the upright row aggravates symptoms. Face pulls, lateral raises, and cable work can replicate the trap and lateral delt loading with less shoulder-joint stress for those with shoulder concerns.

Programming notes

The upright row is a compound upper-body pulling movement that targets the traps and lateral delts together in a way that individual isolation exercises cannot. It appears in hypertrophy programmes as a shoulder accessory and in olympic weightlifting preparation as a foundational upper back and shoulder pull pattern.

Typical programming: 3–4 sets of 10–15 repetitions. Because of the shoulder impingement concern at high pulls, technique adherence (stopping at clavicle height, appropriate grip width) is more important in the upright row than in most exercises. Lifters with any anterior shoulder pain should substitute face pulls or cable lateral raises.

Frequently asked questions

Is the upright row bad for your shoulders?

The upright row gets a bad reputation, but the risk is mostly technique-dependent rather than inherent to the exercise. Pulling the bar above clavicle height forces your shoulder into combined abduction and internal rotation — the position where supraspinatus impingement is most likely. Keep the bar at upper-chest level, use a shoulder-width or slightly wider grip, and the shoulder-joint stress is manageable for most healthy lifters. If you have an existing impingement, rotator cuff issue, or anterior shoulder pain, substitute face pulls or cable lateral raises until the shoulder is resolved.

What grip width should you use for the upright row?

Shoulder-width is the starting point and the minimum safe option for most people. A grip narrower than shoulder width increases internal rotation throughout the pull and compounds the impingement risk at the top. Some lifters find a slightly wider grip — a few centimetres outside shoulder width — more comfortable and still effective for trap and lateral delt loading. Experiment within that range and pick the width that lets you reach clavicle height without pain or clicking in the shoulder joint.

Can you build lateral delts with the upright row, or do you still need lateral raises?

The upright row does load the lateral deltoid through shoulder abduction as the elbows flare up and out, so it contributes to shoulder width. However, it hits the upper trap and biceps heavily at the same time, meaning the delt is rarely the limiting factor — you will often fatigue the traps or grip before the lateral delt is fully worked. Lateral raises isolate the delt and allow you to run higher rep ranges with direct feedback on the muscle. Most well-designed programmes use both: upright rows for compound upper back and shoulder volume, lateral raises for direct delt isolation and finishing work.