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Exercise library · Shoulders

Upright row

Lateral raise for the shoulders with a barbell.

How to do it

1 of 3

Bar in front of your thighs

  1. Starting position

    Stand hip-width apart and hold the bar in front of your thighs with an overhand grip about shoulder-width apart.

  2. The movement

    Pull the bar close to your body until your elbows reach shoulder height, then lower it to your thighs with control.

Most common mistake

Don't pull your elbows above shoulder height, stop at shoulder height and keep the bar close to your body.

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Muscle group
Shoulders
Equipment
Barbell
Where
Gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The upright row mainly trains the sides of your shoulders and your trapezius, the large muscle that runs from your neck out towards your shoulders and down over your upper back. The front of your shoulders helps, while your biceps and forearms bend your elbows and hold the grip. Grip width affects both how the work is shared and how the lift feels. Many people find a narrow grip cramped in the shoulders and prefer to hold the bar around shoulder-width or slightly wider, which also tends to give the shoulders more of the work.

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the bar up. Momentum from your knees and hips takes work away from your shoulders. Stand still with soft knees and braced abs, and lower the weight if you have to swing.
  • Hands leading the elbows. If your elbows drop below your hands, your wrists bend and your arms do the work instead of your shoulders. Lift with your elbows and keep them higher than your hands all the way.
  • Poking your chin forward. At the top, many people push their head forward to meet the bar. Keep your head in line with your spine and look straight ahead.

Variations and alternatives

  • The dumbbell lateral raise trains the sides of your shoulders with almost straight arms, a good choice if the upright row feels uncomfortable.
  • The cable lateral raise does the same job with more even resistance through the whole movement.
  • Barbell shrugs train your traps directly and with heavier weights.
  • The band upright row is the same movement with a resistance band, for training at home.

Sets and reps

The upright row works best with moderate weights. To build muscle, 8 to 12 reps over 2 to 4 sets works well, and 12 to 20 for endurance. Heavy sets of 3 to 6 reps rarely pay off, as swinging takes over. The guide to sets and reps explains how to choose.

The exercise is debated, as some people feel discomfort in their shoulders. That is why many choose a grip around shoulder-width and stop with their elbows at shoulder height, rather than pulling the bar as high as possible. If it still feels wrong, switch to lateral raises. If it hurts, stop the exercise and have it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.

Add reps first and weight second, in steps as small as your gym allows, and end each set with 1 to 3 reps in reserve. That is progressive overload in practice.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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