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shoulders

Barbell Upright Row

Standing with a barbell at your thighs, you pull it up your body to chest height, elbows leading. Works the shoulders and the muscles on top of them.

intermediatebarbellplates

Barbell Upright Row, start position
START
Barbell Upright Row, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START1
  1. Use a light bar to start; this lift is hard on the shoulders if the weight is heavy.
HOW TO DO IT

Get into position

  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Hold the bar in front of your thighs with your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing your legs.

Check: You are standing tall with the bar resting against your thighs and your arms straight.

Pull up

  1. Pull the bar straight up along your body, leading with your elbows.
  2. Stop when the bar reaches the top of your chest. Your elbows should be level with or just above your hands.

Check: The bar is at the top of your chest, your elbows point out to the sides, and your trunk is still.

Lower slowly

  1. Lower the bar slowly back to your thighs.

Check: The bar is back against your thighs with straight arms.

That is one rep. Repeat for your set.

Breathe out as you pull up in about 1 second; breathe in as you lower over 2 seconds.

MUSCLES WORKED
Barbell Upright Row: muscles worked, front view
Barbell Upright Row: muscles worked, back view

deltstrapsbicepsforearms

Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.

COMMON MISTAKES3
  • Pulling the bar up to the chin with the elbows high above the hands. Pinches the shoulder joint. Fix: Stop at the top of the chest with the elbows level with the hands.
  • Swinging the body to lift the bar. Fix: Stand still; use a lighter bar.
  • Hands very close together. Fix: Keep them shoulder-width apart; a narrow grip pinches the shoulders.
SAFETY1
  • Stop if you feel pinching in the front of the shoulder; use dumbbells or lateral raises instead.
EQUIPMENT SETTINGS
  • plates Same weight on both sides, clipped on.
RELATED EXERCISES

easier: dumbbell lateral raise

variants: barbell shrug

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