Exercise · Back
Barbell upright row with fixed-weight bar
The barbell upright row is a standing exercise with a fixed-weight bar to work mainly your shoulders and traps, with help from your biceps and forearms. It looks simple, but it needs good control to keep your shoulders comfortable.
Doable at all 76 gyms GoSet follows
The essentials
- Hands slightly wider than your hips.
- Raise your elbows to shoulder height.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Shoulders · Traps
- Secondary
- Biceps · Forearms
How to do it
- Grab a fixed-weight bar with your hands slightly wider than hip-width, palms facing you, and hold it in front of your thighs with your arms almost straight.
- Set your feet under your hips, keep your chest open, and bring your shoulders slightly back without over-arching.
- Inhale, then start lifting the bar by driving your elbows up close to your body until your elbows reach about shoulder height.
- Keep the bar close to your body on the way up without swinging it, and keep your wrists in line with your forearms without bending them forward.
- Pause briefly at the top when your elbows reach shoulder height, without shrugging your shoulders up to your ears.
- Lower the bar back toward your thighs in control over 2 to 3 seconds as you exhale, then repeat for the next reps.
Common mistakes
Lifting the hands higher than the elbows
Instead : Lead the movement with your elbows, not your hands. Stop the lift when your elbows are at shoulder height and keep the bar a bit lower.
Grip too narrow and bent wrists
Instead : Soften your grip a bit and keep your hands just a bit wider than your hips. Keep your wrists in line with your forearms to reduce stress on them.
Using hip or body momentum to pull
Instead : Slow it down and keep your torso stable. Use a weight you can lift without bouncing, and focus on controlling the start of the lift and the way down.
Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears
Instead : Think about keeping space between your shoulders and your ears. Drive the elbows out and up instead of just pulling your shoulders straight up.
Coach tips
- Start light so you can feel your shoulders and traps doing the work, not just fighting the bar.
- Use a controlled tempo: about 1 second up, a short 1‑second pause at the top, then 2 to 3 seconds down.
- Breathe steadily: inhale before you pull, hold if that feels natural, then exhale as you lower the bar.
- If your shoulders feel tight with a narrow grip, move your hands a bit wider than hip-width to see if that feels better.
Variations
- Smith upright row: the fixed path can help you focus on your shoulders and traps without worrying about balancing the bar.
- Face pull: a shoulder-friendly option that also puts a lot of work on your upper traps and rear shoulders.
- Cable lateral raise: a good alternative if you want shoulder work without the straight-up pulling of the upright row.
Sets and reps
Barbell upright rows are often done for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps, with a moderate weight that lets you keep the movement smooth and controlled.
Equipment
Alternatives for the same muscles
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Common questions
Where should I feel the barbell upright row?
You should mainly feel it in your shoulders and traps, with some work in your biceps and forearms because they help hold and lift the bar.
What if my shoulders feel uncomfortable during upright rows?
Stop the movement if you feel pain and talk to a professional. You can try alternatives like the face pull or cable lateral raise, which are often more comfortable.
Should the bar touch my chin?
No. You can stop when your elbows reach shoulder height and you feel your shoulders and traps working well. Forcing the bar higher doesn’t add much and can make it less comfortable.
How wide should my grip be on upright rows?
As a simple guide, keep your hands just wider than your hips. If it feels too tight, try a slightly wider grip and see what feels best for your shoulders.