How to Do a Barbell Upright Row | Benefits & Technique

If you're looking to sculpt stronger shoulders and improve your overall physique, you should look at adding upright rows into your training.

Barbell upright rows are great upper body exercise that can fit perfectly into your existing training plans. From shoulder and arm workouts to full-body routines, upright rows should be an essential addition to your training. Here's why...

What is a barbell upright row?

Barbell upright rows are considered to be one of the best muscle-building exercises for the back and shoulders, which can help to tone and shape your upper arms.

You will need to take a barbell, grab it with your hands around shoulder-width apart, and without swinging your hips, lift the barbell to your upper chest, and then lower the weight back down.

Upright rows are a free-weight exercise, usually performed using dumbbells or a barbell. It's a simple exercise but requires the perfect form to achieve the best results and avoid injury. Follow our tips on how to master this exercise.

How to perform the Barbell upright row

1. With the barbell at your feet, grip the bar with slightly narrower than shoulder-width. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes, this will reduce the amount of swinging that occurs and will help stop your lower back aching.

2. Raise your elbows and lift the barbell until your elbows are level with your shoulders. During the movement, it's important to keep the barbell under control. Don't let it swing forward, keep it close to your body,

3. Pause at the top, to ensure you feel your deltoids lifting the weight, before lowering the weight back to the starting position.

4. Repeat for the desired amount of reps.