The upright row is a

weight training Strength training, also known as weight training or resistance training, is exercise designed to improve physical strength. It is often associated with the lifting of weights. It can also incorporate techniques such as bodyweight exercises ( ...

exercise Exercise or workout is physical activity that enhances or maintains fitness and overall health. It is performed for various reasons, including weight loss or maintenance, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardio ...

performed by holding a weight with an overhand grip and lifting it straight up to the

collarbone The clavicle, collarbone, or keybone is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on each side of the body. The clavicle is the ...

. This is a compound exercise that involves the

trapezius The trapezius is a large paired trapezoid-shaped surface muscle that extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the human spine, spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. It moves the scapula and ...

, the

deltoid Deltoid (delta-shaped) can refer to: * The deltoid muscle, a muscle in the shoulder * Kite (geometry), also known as a deltoid, a type of quadrilateral * A deltoid curve, a three-cusped hypocycloid * A leaf shape * The deltoid tuberosity, a part o ...

s and the

biceps The biceps or biceps brachii (, "two-headed muscle of the arm") is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle bel ...

. The narrower the grip the more the trapezius muscles are exercised, as opposed to the deltoids.

Barbell A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, consisting of a long bar, usually with weights attached at each end. Barbells range in length ...

dumbbell The dumbbell, a type of free weight, is a piece of equipment used in weight training. It is usually used individually and/or in pairs, with one in each hand. History The forerunner of the dumbbell, halteres, were used in ancient Greece as li ...

s, kettlebells or a cable machine can be used. Due to the amount of

internal rotation Motion, the process of movement, is described using specific anatomical terms. Motion includes movement of organs, joints, limbs, and specific sections of the body. The terminology used describes this motion according to its direction relativ ...

of the

humerus The humerus (; : humeri) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius (bone), radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extrem ...

during this movement, this exercise may worsen shoulder impingement syndrome.

Etymology

In the 1970s there are examples of this exercise being referred to as pullups.

MuscleMag International ''MuscleMag International'' or ''Musclemag'' was a Canadian bodybuilding, fitness and men's magazine, considered one of the top magazines in its field. It was established in Canada in 1974 by Robert Kennedy, an immigrant to Canada and leading e ...

70s insert:
How to Increase Your Muscular Bulk and Strength
" page 8/9 This is no longer common, and this term is now mostly used to refer to the exercise involving pulling the body up to a bar.

Gallery

Barbell-upright-rows-2.png, Barbell start Barbell-upright-rows-1.png, Barbell end Cable-upright-rows-2.png, Cable start Cable-upright-rows-1.png, Cable end CableMachineUprightRow.JPG, Cable movement demonstrated by live model Dumbbell-upright-row-2.png, Dumbbell start Dumbbell-upright-row-1.png, Dumbbell end Smith-machine-upright-row-2.png, Smith machine start Smith-machine-upright-row-1.png, Smith machine end

Contraindication

Due to the amount of

of the

during this movement, many trainers and organizations (such as the ACSM and NFPT) consider this a

contraindicated In medicine, a contraindication is a condition (a situation or factor) that serves as a reason not to take a certain medical treatment due to the harm that it would cause the patient. Contraindication is the opposite of indication, which is a rea ...

exercise for all trainees. Most will at least advise those with shoulder impingement issues to avoid it. Abstaining from raising the bar above the chest line will help in avoiding injury or symptoms related to rotator cuff impingement. If pain arises, stop this exercise immediately, as it may be an indicator of a

rotator cuff The rotator cuff (SITS muscles) is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles a ...

disorder. Substitutes include

shoulder shrug In weight training, the shoulder shrug (usually called simply the shrug) is an exercise used to develop the upper trapezius muscle. Form and execution The lifter stands erect, hands about shoulder width apart, and slowly raises the shoulders as ...

s for upper trapezius development and lateral raises for lateral deltoids.

References

Weight training exercises {{sports-stub