What muscles does the upright row work?

Lats, mid traps and rhomboids pull the load, rear delts and biceps assist, erectors hold the torso angle. It is classed as a horizontal pull movement and trains the shoulders primarily.

How many sets and reps of upright row should I do?

3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12, resting 90 sec between sets. Match or beat your pressing volume with pulling. Shoulders like the balance.

Is the upright row good for beginners?

With coaching or a lighter load, yes. Learn the position at low weight for a few weeks before adding anything meaningful.

Shoulders · Horizontal pull

Upright Row

The upright row is a barbell horizontal pull movement for the shoulders. Here is the setup, the execution, the mistakes worth avoiding, and how to program it.

Equipment

Barbell

Trains

Shoulders

Level

Intermediate

ELBOWS LEADPULL TO UPPER CHEST

Muscles worked

Lats, mid traps and rhomboids pull the load, rear delts and biceps assist, erectors hold the torso angle.

Set up

1
Set the torso angle first and commit to it. Changing the angle mid set is how the weight starts moving you.
2
Hips back, chest proud, lats engaged before the first rep.
3
Take a full grip and keep the wrist straight so the pull travels through the elbow.

How to do it

1
Pull with the elbow, not the hand, and drive it back past the ribs.
2
Squeeze for a beat at the top. ELBOWS LEAD
3
Lower under control and let the shoulder blade travel forward for a full stretch.
4
Do not let the torso rise up to help. The angle stays fixed.

Common mistakes

Yanking with the arms
Fix: Lead with the elbow and think about the back doing the pulling.
Torso rising each rep
Fix: Fix the angle. If it changes, the weight is running the set.
No stretch at the bottom
Fix: Let the shoulder blade travel forward before pulling again.