Upright row
Also called barbell upright row, standing upright row.
What is an upright row?
An upright row is a standing pull in which you raise a barbell close to your body with your elbows moving out to the sides. It trains the lateral deltoids and trapezius, with the front deltoids and elbow flexors assisting. The top position is not a fixed height: stop where the movement remains comfortable rather than forcing the bar toward your chin.
Muscles worked
Primary
Secondary
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, but the exercise is normally used for the shoulders and upper back rather than as a curl.
Scientific studies on upright rows
The studies below concern grip-related muscle activity and an observed association with shoulder symptoms. They do not establish the best grip for muscle growth or a universally safe pulling height.
A wider grip increased activity in some shoulder and trapezius muscles in one barbell experiment, with effects depending on the phase of the lift. A separate shoulder study found an association with high upright rows, but could not establish cause and effect.
Does grip width change muscle activity?
Sixteen experienced male lifters performed barbell upright rows with narrow, shoulder-width and wide grips, using the same weight in each condition. The widest grip produced greater lateral and posterior deltoid activity while lifting than the two narrower grips. During lowering, lateral deltoid and upper trapezius activity increased with grip width. The trapezius finding did not carry over clearly to the lifting phase.
The bar was limited to the lower end of the breastbone, aiming to keep the upper arms from rising above horizontal. Because the weight was based on the shoulder-width maximum, relative effort may have differed between grips. These acute measurements do not prove that the widest grip produces the most growth or the lowest injury risk.
Sources
What does research say about shoulder symptoms?
An observational study examined seventy-seven men, including forty-six who lifted weights. It used training questionnaires and two clinical shoulder tests. Performing upright rows with the upper arms above shoulder height was associated with positive clinical signs described as subacromial impingement.
Participants were not assigned to different pulling heights and followed for new injuries. The association therefore does not show that high upright rows caused the findings, or that stopping below shoulder height prevents injury. It supports caution about drawing universal safety conclusions from a small observational sample.
Sources
Variations
- Dumbbell upright row — Each hand can find its own path instead of being fixed to one bar.
- EZ-bar upright row — The angled bar changes the wrist position while the movement stays the same.
- Wide-grip upright row — Moves the hands farther apart and usually shortens how high the bar travels.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the upright row work?
The main muscles are the lateral deltoid and trapezius. The anterior deltoid assists at the shoulder, while biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis help bend the elbows as the bar rises.
How high should I pull an upright row?
There is no height you must reach. Around lower-chest to shoulder height is enough for a recognisable rep, and stopping sooner is sensible if the shoulder feels pinched or painful. Do not force the bar toward your chin merely to make the rep look complete.
Are upright rows bad for your shoulders?
Not automatically, but they are uncomfortable for some people. A small observational study found an association between signs of shoulder impingement and performing upright rows above shoulder height; it did not show that the exercise caused those signs. Use a comfortable range and choose another movement if changing the load, grip and stopping point does not help.
What grip should I use for an upright row?
Start around shoulder width. A narrower or wider grip changes the path and how high the bar can travel, so small adjustments are reasonable if they make the movement feel smoother. Keep both wrists in a position you can hold without bending them sharply.
Can I do upright rows with dumbbells?
Yes. Dumbbells let each hand move independently, which may feel more natural than fixing both hands to one bar. The same basic action applies: elbows move out and up, the weights stay close, and the rep stops at a comfortable height.
Sources
- Elzanie A, Varacallo MA. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Deltoid Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537056/
- Ourieff J, Scheckel B, Agarwal A. Anatomy, Back, Trapezius. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK518994/
- Kolber MJ, Cheatham SW, Salamh PA, Hanney WJ. Characteristics of shoulder impingement in the recreational weight-training population. J Strength Cond Res. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24077379/
- McAllister MJ, Schilling BK, Hammond KG, Weiss LW, Farney TM.. Effect of grip width on electromyographic activity during the upright row.. 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22362088/
- Kolber MJ, Cheatham SW, Salamh PA, Hanney WJ. Characteristics of shoulder impingement in the recreational weight-training population. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24077379/