Upright row
- Muscle group
- Shoulders
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Primary muscles
- Side delts, Upper back
- Secondary muscles
- Biceps, Forearms
- Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly closer than shoulder-width apart.
- Pull the bar straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows. Keep the bar close to your body.
- Slowly lower the bar with control back to the starting position.
Tips
- Lead the movement with your elbows so they rise above the bar and stay higher than your wrists throughout the pull.
- Keep the bar close to your torso as it travels upward, grazing your body from your hips to your chest.
- Lower the bar with the same deliberate control you use on the way up, rather than letting it drop.
Common mistakes
- Letting the wrists rise above the elbows during the pull, which reverses the intended elbow-led movement.
- Pulling the bar away from the body so it swings outward in an arc instead of traveling straight up.
- Using momentum by leaning the torso back and then swinging forward to initiate the pull, rather than lifting with the arms and shoulders.
Make Every Set Count.
Plan your workouts, track every session, and see your progress over time.
