Description
In this exercise, hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of your body, and then lift the weights while keeping them close to your body, leading with your elbows.
How to Do Barbell Upright Row
- 1Setup
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly narrower than shoulder-width. The barbell should rest against your thighs.
- 2Setup
Ensure your back is straight, chest up, and core engaged. Let the barbell hang naturally with your arms fully extended.
- 3
Exhale and initiate the pull by leading with your elbows, drawing the barbell straight up towards your chin. Keep the bar very close to your body throughout the movement.
- 4
Continue lifting until your elbows are higher than your wrists, and the bar is roughly at collarbone height.
- 5
Inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down along the same controlled path, maintaining tension until your arms are fully extended.
Tips
- Maintain a grip slightly narrower than shoulder-width to emphasize the lateral deltoids and minimize excessive bicep involvement.
- Focus on driving your elbows up towards the ceiling, rather than just pulling the bar with your hands, to better activate the shoulder muscles.
- Keep the movement controlled and avoid using momentum to swing the weight up, which can reduce muscle engagement and increase injury risk.
- Engage your core throughout the exercise to maintain a stable torso and prevent excessive sway or arching of the lower back.
Common Mistakes
- ×Using too wide a grip can place unnecessary stress on the shoulder joint and rotator cuffs; adjust your grip to be slightly narrower than shoulder-width for optimal activation and safety.
- ×Shrugging your shoulders excessively shifts the emphasis from the deltoids to the trapezius; focus on lifting with your elbows and keeping your shoulders depressed.
- ×Allowing the barbell to drift away from your body during the lift reduces tension on the deltoids; keep the bar as close to your torso as possible throughout the entire range of motion.
Variations
Barbell Rear Delt Row
Strengthen your posterior deltoids and upper back with the Barbell Rear Delt Row. Learn proper form to build broad, balanced shoulders and improve posture.
Barbell Front Raise
Strengthen your anterior deltoids with the Barbell Front Raise. Lift a barbell straight up to shoulder height, focusing on controlled movement for
Barbell Shoulder Grip Upright Row
Strengthen your shoulders and traps with the Barbell Shoulder Grip Upright Row. This exercise effectively builds lateral deltoid size and strength.
Dumbbell One Arm Upright Row
Perform the Dumbbell One Arm Upright Row to effectively build lateral deltoid strength and shoulder width.
Related Exercises
Band Upright Row (Under two feet)
Perform the Band Upright Row to sculpt strong, rounded shoulders and improve upper body strength.
Kettlebell Upright Row
Sculpt strong, defined shoulders and upper traps with the Kettlebell Upright Row. Lift the kettlebell vertically to chest height, driving with your elbows.
Dumbbell Upright Row
Strengthen your shoulders with the dumbbell upright row! This exercise targets your lateral deltoids, building broader, stronger shoulders.
Dumbbell Raise
Sculpt wider, stronger shoulders with the Dumbbell Lateral Raise. This isolation exercise targets your lateral deltoids by lifting weights to shoulder
Assisted Standing Triceps Dip
Build triceps strength with machine assistance that lets you focus on proper dip form at a manageable load.
Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
The ultimate full-body dumbbell complex combining a push-up, row, clean, and overhead press in one flow.
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