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Cable upright row

Variation of Upright row

Also called upright cable row, low-cable upright row.

What is a cable upright row?

A cable upright row is a standing pull from a low pulley. Hold the attachment in front of your thighs, lead with the elbows and pull it close to the body toward the lower chest or shoulders. It trains the lateral deltoids and trapezius, with the front deltoids and elbow flexors assisting.

Two rear three-quarter anatomical frames of a man performing an upright row at a low cable station with a curved bar, from straight arms at the thighs to elbows raised near shoulder height, with the shoulders and upper back highlighted.

How do you perform a cable upright row?

Set up

  1. Attach a straight or gently curved bar to a low pulley and stand tall facing the machine with the cable taut.
  2. Hold the bar overhand around shoulder width in front of your thighs, brace your torso and keep the wrists straight.

Execution

  1. Lead with the elbows and pull the bar upward close to your body while the elbows move out to the sides.
  2. Stop around lower-chest to shoulder height, or sooner if the shoulders feel pinched or painful.
  3. Lower the bar under control until the arms are straight, then reset without letting the weight stack crash.

Common mistakes

  • Forcing the bar toward the chin

    The top is not a required height. Stop where the shoulders remain comfortable and the torso stays still.

  • Leaning back to move the stack

    Use less load so the shoulders and elbows create the pull instead of the hips and torso.

  • Folding the wrists

    Keep the knuckles over the forearms and let the elbows guide the attachment.

Where it fits in a session

Use after heavier pressing or pulling work, or with other shoulder accessories.

Choose a load that keeps the torso still and lets you use a comfortable shoulder range.

Muscles worked

Front
Front — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.
Back
Back — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Primary

Secondary

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

The lateral deltoid raises the upper arm while the trapezius moves and supports the shoulder blade. The elbow flexors assist as the elbows bend.

Variations

  • Two front-view anatomical illustrations of a woman performing a barbell upright row on a white background. In the left frame she stands upright with straight arms and an overhand shoulder-width grip, holding a short fixed-weight barbell against her thighs. In the right frame the bar is at her upper chest, her elbows point out to the sides near shoulder height, and her wrists bend as the hands remain below the elbows. The shoulders and front of the upper arms are highlighted red; the trapezius and the rest of the body are not highlighted.
    Barbell upright rowUses a free bar instead of cable resistance.
  • Dumbbell upright row — Lets each hand follow an independent path.
  • Rope upright row — Uses a rope attachment so the hands can separate near the top.

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the cable upright row work?

The lateral deltoid and trapezius are the main targets. The anterior deltoid and the elbow flexors assist.

How high should you pull?

Lower-chest to shoulder height is enough. Stop sooner if the shoulder feels pinched or painful rather than forcing the attachment toward the chin.

Is it different from a barbell upright row?

The joint action is the same, but the cable keeps pulling through the whole range and fixes the line of resistance to the pulley.

Can you use a rope?

Yes. A rope lets the hands separate near the top; keep the elbows leading and use the same comfortable stopping point.

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