Upright row: how to do it
Main muscles: Side delts (lateral deltoid), Upper traps. Helpers: Biceps, Brachioradialis. Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Barbell
Reps
6–10
Rest
150 s
Muscle group
Shoulders
How to do it
- Grip slightly wider than the shoulders — a narrow one loads the traps and pinches the shoulder.
- Pull the bar along the torso leading with the elbows up and out, to chest level.
- Do not raise the elbows above the shoulders.
Common mistakes
Grip too narrow, elbows above the shoulders, swinging.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Side delts (lateral deltoid), Upper traps
- Secondary
- Biceps, Brachioradialis
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Alternatives: similar exercises
Overhead press
Barbell · Front delts (anterior deltoid), Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Barbell shrugs
Barbell · Upper traps
Seated dumbbell press
Dumbbells · Front delts (anterior deltoid), Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Dumbbell lateral raise
Dumbbells · Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Shrugs
Dumbbells · Upper traps
Arnold press
Dumbbells · Front delts (anterior deltoid), Side delts (lateral deltoid)
Log your sets — the app suggests the next weight
GymAssist tracks the load on each of 40 muscles, paints it on a body map and uses double progression to tell you when to add weight.
Free forever for the first 500