Barbell upright row
The bar pulled straight up the front of your body to chest height, elbows leading high and wide. The heaviest way to load a vertical pull for the shoulders and traps.
TrainsShouldersUpper back
NeedsBarbell
The movement
2 stages
Arms long
01 Arms long
Stand tall with the bar hanging at your thighs, arms straight.
02 Elbows high
Drive your elbows up and out, and stop when they reach shoulder height.
How to do it
Setup
- Stand tall holding the bar against your thighs with an overhand grip a little wider than your shoulders.
- Set your feet hip-width apart and let the bar hang at arm's length.
Execution
- Pull the bar straight up the front of your body by driving your elbows up and out to the sides.
- Stop when your upper arms reach shoulder height and the bar sits near the top of your chest.
- Lower under control until your arms hang straight again.
BreathingExhale as you pull up, inhale as you lower.
Getting it right
Form cues
- Lead with your elbows, and keep them above your hands the whole way up.
- Stop the pull when your upper arms reach shoulder height, no higher.
Common mistakes
- Pulling above shoulder height with a narrow grip, which pinches the shoulder hardest.
- Swinging your hips to heave the bar past the hard middle of the pull.
- Letting your wrists bend back under the bar instead of staying straight.
Worth knowing
- A narrow grip pulled high is the position that hurts shoulders. Take a grip a little wider than your shoulders, keep the top at chest height, and stop the set if you feel any pinch.
General guidance, not medical advice. See how Setkit works.
Notes
The barbell upright row loads a vertical pull heavier than any dumbbell or kettlebell version can. Both hands drive one bar, nothing has to be balanced, and the weight can climb in small steps. On a barbell pull day that already has rows and curls, this is the movement that adds a vertical pull for the shoulders and traps.
Elbow height is the whole exercise. The elbows have to lead and stay above the bar for the shoulders and traps to do the work. Let the bar rise first and the elbows trail low, and the pull becomes an awkward front raise for the shoulders. Watch the elbows, not the bar.
Grip width is the safety valve here, more than on the dumbbell version. A narrow grip forces the elbows to climb high and the wrists to bend, which is the exact position that pinches the shoulder. A grip a little wider than your shoulders lets the elbows travel out to the sides instead of straight up, and keeps the bar path honest. Stop at chest height. If the shoulders still ache, move the load to a lateral raise and a rear-delt fly, which train the same muscles without the pinch.