Written by Shane Mclean | ACE CPT
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
The upright row is a vertical pulling exercise and a foundational movement pattern that is the basis of a lot of Olympic lifting and other vertical pulling variations. Upright rows can be performed with a variety of tools including a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, EZ bar, cable machine, and resistance bands. But the granddaddy and most performed variation is the barbell upright row. It’s the variation that allows you to build the most strength and power...but it’s not for everyone. With the shoulders being internally rotated and abducted from your body it is a vulnerable place for your shoulder joint for those who lack good shoulder mobility.
If the upright row is uncomfortable for you, no worries, there are plenty of good alternatives. Here we will go into the upright row, how to do it, movements and muscles trained, and 9 exercises that can replace the upright row.
Ready to get a bigger yoke and upper back? Let’s get into it.
WHAT IS THE UPRIGHT ROW AND HOW TO DO IT?
The upright barbell row is a vertical pulling exercise where the bar is at a dead hang at arm’s length and only using your upper body, you row the barbell up towards your collarbone. It forms the basis of Olympic lifting exercises, such as the clean and snatch.
The upright row is usually performed with a shoulder-width grip, but you can adjust your grip slightly to emphasize certain muscles over others. For example, a close grip focuses on the shoulders and a wide grip focuses on the traps
Stand up straight with that barbell held at arm’s length by your waist. With your arms relaxed, your shoulders down and back and your knuckles pointed towards the ground. Engage your quads and glutes to keep the back neutral. Then bend your elbows and pull them straight up and out while keeping the barbell close to your body until it reaches chest height. Control the movement on the way down and rest and repeat.
MUSCLES AND MOVEMENTS TRAINED BY THE UPRIGHT ROW
The upright core is mainly an upper body exercise with the core area giving support to allow the upper body muscles to do their job.
Here are the muscles trained by the upright row...
Trapezius & Other Upper Back Muscles: The traps are involved in pulling or shrugging the barbell up. The scapula outwardly rotates and adducts to pull the barbell up powerfully and this is in the trap's wheelhouse. The vertical pulling motion of this exercise allows the traps to take over in pulling the barbell up.
The upper back has a few roles with the upright row. First, upward rotation of the shoulder blades to initiate the pull. Plus, because the weight is anterior you engage your upper back to remain in an upright posture and to keep the bar close to your body.
Deltoids: All three heads of the delts (anterior, middle, and posterior) are involved in driving shoulder abduction and to the upward motion of the upright row. The delts are the driving force for pulling the barbell up to your chest.
Biceps: The fast-bending motion of your during the upright row is where elbow flexion comes in. The biceps work in concert with the deltoids and upper back to pull the barbell close to your body.
Anterior and Posterior Core: The muscles surrounding the spine contract isometrically to remain in good posture and for the larger muscles above to do their job.
WHY THE UPRIGHT ROW CAN HURT YOUR SHOULDERS
The upright row is a great exercise to develop the shoulders and traps. But on the other hand, it’s not the greatest exercise for your shoulder joint. This is particularly true with close-grip upright rows or when pulling too high.
With the internal rotation of the shoulder joint at the start combined with shoulder abduction during the pull, some tendons in the shoulder can get pinched by the bones in your shoulder.
This is known as impingement. And this may not hurt you immediately but when the tendon gets worn down over time, it becomes a problem. This is why you need to pay attention to your pain levels, modify your form, and reduce volume if your shoulders begin to hurt. OR just do an alternative exercise to the upright row.
Those with existing shoulder issues or mobility issues are better to work on horizontal rows and some of the alternatives below while also working on their shoulder mobility.
Related: How To Do Upright Rows Without Shoulder Pain
WHAT MAKES A GOOD UPRIGHT ROW ALTERNATIVE?
The prime movers with the upright row are the:
- Lateral delts
- Upper traps
- Rhomboids
- Biceps
The upright row requires shoulder abduction and scapular upward rotation and the prime moves for these are the upper traps and lateral deltoids. So, when considering an alternative, it is a must to include these muscles and movements.
Although the upper back and biceps are trained, they are involved to a lesser extent and are trained with many other exercises. Better to focus on modifications, performing shoulder abduction and upward rotation with other tools.
9 UPRIGHT ROW ALTERNATIVES
If the upright row bothers your shoulders or you’re looking for variety, take these 9 upright row alternatives out for a spin.
1. UNILATERAL DUMBBELL UPRIGHT ROW
The dumbbell upright row can be performed with one or two dumbbells. When holding one dumbbell, you can explore more comfortable ranges of motion due to the freedom of movement. It's better to work unilaterally to strengthen imbalances between sides and to put the shoulder joint at less risk while still training the same movement pattern.
How to:
- Grip the middle of the dumbbell handle with an upright posture, shoulders down and back with glutes and quads engaged.
- Pull the dumbbell up while taking the elbow up and out away from the body.
- Keep a firm grip on the dumbbell.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
- Do all your reps on one side and then repeat on the other.
2. TRX INVERTED ROW
The barbell inverted row is an upper back and bicep back staple. But it locks your grip into an over or under position which may be problematic if you have any joint issues. Enter the TRX Inverted row and your ability to change grip, positions and the instability of the suspension straps improves core stability. This is all helpful if you have any wrist, elbow, or shoulder issues.
How to:
- Grip the TRX handles with your preferred grip and hang down directly under the TRX.
- Engage your glutes and upper back to form a straight line with your torso and to keep your spine neutral.
- Pull your body up to the handles just below your chest.
- Slowly back down to your arms are straight. Reset and repeat for reps.
3. SNATCH PULL
The snatch pull trains lower and upper body power because the lower body is involved in pulling the barbell up. This exercise mimics the snatch deadlift (set-up) and the pulling part of the upright row but with a snatch grip to row the barbell up. Because you’re using the lower body, you’re able to use more weight than the strict upright row. The wide grip is a little easier on your shoulder joint but tougher on your upper back.
How to:
- Position your shoelaces under the bar with your feet hip-width apart hinge down and grip with a wide snatch grip.
- Keep your head up and your shoulder blades pulled together and back.
- Get tight and push through your legs with your chest up to lift the bar off the floor. Your chest and hips should rise together while keeping the bar close to your body.
- After the bar clears your knee, accelerate the barbell with your legs towards a standing position.
- As the bar reaches your hip, make strong contact and powerfully extend your hips and legs.
- Then powerfully pull your elbows up and back as your ankles making sure your knuckles down at the ground for the entire pull.
- Return to the starting position and rest and repeat.
4. BARBELL HIGH PULL
The barbell high pull is a great alternative for the upright row, as it mimics the upright row and uses similar muscle groups. The difference between the two is the lower body drive provided by the hip hinge. This momentum helps with the pull and allows you to use more weight the strict upright row. There's no need to row too high (elbows to shoulder height is fine if your mobility is limited).
How to:
- Grip the bar with your regular upright row grip or a bit wider if this bothers your shoulders.
- Then hinge your hips back and let the bar slide down your thighs.
- Once it reaches the top of your knees, powerfully drive your hips forward and pull the barbell up.
- As the bar travels up past your hips, pull your elbows up and back
- Slowly return to the starting position and reset and repeat.
5. UNILATERAL DUMBBELL SNATCH
The unilateral dumbbell snatch is a powerful unilateral exercise where the middle part of the movement closely resembles the upright row, making it a good alternative. Like with the snatch pull and barbell high pull, the lower body drive is trained here so you’ll train more muscle and total body power.
How to:
- Grip a dumbbell and set it on the floor horizontally.
- Place your feet on either side of the dumbbell about shoulder-width apart or in your preferred squat stance.
- Squat down, keep your chest up, and grip the dumbbell.
- Squat back up and as the dumbbell gets to hip height pull your elbow up and back. As the dumbbell gets to hip height, pull your elbow up and back.
- Get your arm under the dumbbell as it travels up to shoulder height. Imagine your punching the ceiling.
- Reset and repeat.
- Then perform the same amount of reps on the other side.
6. DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE
When you want to train your lateral delts, look no further than the dumbbell lateral raise. This is a great alternative if the upright row bothers your shoulders. The lateral raise mostly trains the lateral deltoid but if you take it above shoulder height, you’ll get some upper trap engagement also.
How to:
- Stand upright gripping a dumbbell in each hand at the side of your thighs.
- Keeping your elbows straight, lift the dumbbells directly out to your side.
- Stop when the dumbbells are slightly higher than shoulder height and pause for a second.
- Slowly lower down and reset and repeat for reps.
7. CABLE (OR BAND) FACE PULL
The cable or band face pull trains the upper back, deltoids, and biceps making it a solid substitute to the upright row. The external rotation at the end of the face pull will help pull the shoulders down and back, activating the traps and rhomboids, No need to go heavy here because you want to ‘feel’ those muscles working and not let your biceps take over too much.
How to:
- Raise the cable machine to chest height and attach a rope and grip with a neutral grip with your arms straight
- Keep your chest up, shoulders down, and look straight ahead.
- Then pull the rope towards your ears.
- At the end of the movement squeeze your shoulder blades together and bring your arms into external rotation.
- Slowly return to the starting position and reset and repeat.
Related: Face Pull Alternatives
8. TRX YTW
The TRX YTW is almost three exercises in one and strengthens the upper back and traps from different angles without aggravating the shoulder joint. This is a great upright row alternative, correcting poor posture and strengthening the muscles surrounding the shoulder. As an extra bonus, the W part of the move strengthens the rear deltoids and the rotator cuff to help improve the mobility and health of your shoulders.
How to:
- Take a firm grip on the handles below shoulder height and walk your feet in to your desired intensity.
- Keep your shoulders down and chest up throughout this exercise.
- Then pull your arms into a Y shape overhead and slowly lower down.
- Pull into a T shape with your palms facing away and then slowly return to the starting position.
- Finally do a face pull and then extremally rotate the shoulders into the W position.
- This is one round and reset and repeat.
9. BARBELL OVERHEAD CARRY
Overhead carries puts your whole body under tension and every step is a test of your single-leg balance. This means it’s better to start on the lighter side somewhere between 60-80% of your overhead press 1RM. Overhead carries give your deltoids, upper back, and upper traps significant time under tension making it a great alternative to the upright row even though there is no pulling involved.
Note: There are many other overhead carry variations (such as with dumbbells or kettlebells - both unilateral and double) all with similar benefits.
How to:
- Load the barbell with between 60 to 80 percent of your overhead press one-rep max.
- Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width and press the barbell overhead from the squat rack.
- Keep your biceps behind your ears and keep your chest up and shoulders down.
- Then take slow, deliberate steps paying attention to your gait and balance.
- Walk for 20 to 40 yards.
- Then re-rack the barbell in the squat rack.
- Rest and repeat.
PROGRAMMING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE UPRIGHT ROW ALTERNATIVES
Except for the overhead carry, here are a few programming suggestions for the eight other upright row alternatives.
The power full-body variations, the high pull, dumbbell snatch, and the snatch pull are best trained explosively for lower reps and a weight you can move quickly. Lower reps of around four to eight and three to five sets work well. These are best trained when you’re fresh and have the most energy.
The other upright row alternatives are best trained for muscular endurance, hypertrophy, and shoring-up weakness. Two to four sets of between 12-15 reps is a good start. Train these movements after your big strength movement for the day as part of your accessory exercise routine.
WRAPPING UP
The barbell upright row is an exercise that builds size and strength in your upper traps and shoulders, but it is not for everybody. It’s a move that’s tough on the shoulder joint. But rather than scrap it completely, these 9 upright row alternatives will train the movement and the muscles of the upright row. Happy training.
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Shane Mclean
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