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Barbell Upright Row animation

How to do the Barbell Upright Row

ShouldersDeltsBarbellIntermediate

The barbell upright row is one of the most effective compound movements for building thick, rounded deltoids and upper traps simultaneously. Master the mechanics and you will develop the kind of shoulder width that makes every shirt fit differently.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Deltoids
Secondary
TrapeziusTriceps

Step-by-step

  1. Grip the barbell slightly narrower than shoulder width with an overhand grip and stand tall with the bar resting against your upper thighs.
  2. Initiate the pull by driving your elbows upward and outward, leading the movement with your elbows staying above your wrists throughout.
  3. Pull the bar vertically close to your body until your elbows reach roughly chin height and your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
  4. Lower the bar under full control back to the starting position, resisting gravity on the way down to maximize time under tension.

Common mistakes

  • Gripping too wide shifts stress onto the biceps and away from the delts, so keep your grip inside shoulder width to properly target the intended muscles.
  • Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides rather than slightly forward places the shoulder joint in a compromised internal rotation position, so angle your elbows about 30 degrees forward of the frontal plane.
  • Pulling the bar too high past chin level forces extreme internal rotation of the shoulder and increases impingement risk, so treat chin height as your hard stop.

Pro tip — Think of the barbell as a counterweight and consciously spread the bar apart with your hands as you pull, this external rotational intent keeps the shoulder joint safer and dramatically improves delt activation through the entire range of motion.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps

Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.

More Shoulders exercises

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