If you asked a trainer to name-drop the most important fitness moves, rows would easily make the cut. This beloved workout exercise has been endlessly modified to engage the muscles of your back, shoulders, and arms. And upright rows stand apart from the pack by allowing you to hit the deltoids and trapezius simultaneously—and even engage in some sneaky core work along the way. 

While other row variations involve bending at the waist and pulling the weight toward your body, upright rows mix up the formula. So instead of leaning forward, you’ll take an upright stance and row the weight up the plane of the torso until your elbows form a T-shape. This tweak forces you to engage the muscles of the upper back that don’t have to work as hard in other variations, making them a great way to add variety to your usual fitness rotation. 

That said, it’s a complex move and may not be suitable for everyone. Ahead, Peloton instructor Andy Speer shares all the details about upright rows, from how to perform them safely to the common mistakes he sees in class and how to realistically include the move in your routine. 

What Are Upright Rows?

Upright rows involve standing tall, holding a weight (or weights) at hip level, then lifting the load, elbows first, to about the height of your collarbones. When doing so, you’ll engage the muscles of your shoulders, back, and triceps. You can do upright rows with dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, or even resistance bands. 

Just like squats, deadlifts, or bicep curls, rows, in general, are a staple in the world of strength training. They’re an upper-body “pull” exercise that can be performed with various types of equipment. Rows are foundational for many exercise routines—there’s a reason you’ll see them on repeat in Peloton strength classes. While you can perform rows in all different ways, upright rows are uniquely challenging because they fire up your whole body and work the tops (not just the sides) of your shoulders.

Muscles Worked by Upright Rows

Upright rows primarily target your upper back and upper arms—namely, the biceps, triceps, trapezius, and deltoids, Andy says. Your biceps and triceps lie on the front and back of your upper arm, respectively. The trapezius is a triangle-shaped muscle that sits between the upper back and neck. It stabilizes the neck, allowing you to nod, turn, or shake your head. And, finally, the deltoids (aka your shoulder muscles), which help you move your arms in different directions, are comprised of three sections: the front, lateral (side), and rear deltoids.

As you’ve probably gathered by now, these muscles do a lot to support your everyday movements, so rows are key to building overall strength and for developing functional movement patterns. “That’s generally why you would perform rows,” says Andy. “To build muscles in your traps, deltoids, a little upper back, and possibly set them up for progression for something else later on.”

The Benefits of Doing Upright Rows

In addition to strengthening the muscles mentioned above, upright rows will help you develop functional strength, or strength to perform everyday activities. 

“I know not all of us want enormous trap muscles like a big linebacker, but working them in at some level can be helpful, and it can add to a lot of the muscles that are responsible for us lifting and carrying heavy things,” Andy says. Specifically, the rows you log during your workout may improve your stamina when it comes to tasks like lifting groceries, carrying a suitcase, or lifting your arm overhead with ease. 

For the strength training superfans, upright rows are also a great progression exercise to introduce your body to more complex, dynamic movements that you might see in advanced dumbbell, kettlebell, or barbell work. “When done well, it’s a great movement for patterning things like high pulls and snatches, when you start getting the hips involved in that upright pulling motion,” Andy says. Of course, before you start exploring more complicated patterns, you’ll need to nail your upright row. 

How to Do an Upright Row

All warmed up and ready to row? Spend some time thinking about which weight makes sense for you right now. “Generally speaking, the upright row shouldn’t be something where you’re going to fatigue,” Andy says. “So if you’re doing something for 30 seconds, find a weight where you can perform the exercise very cleanly with good posture for that amount of time or that amount of reps.” Going too heavy will likely cause your form to break down. 

As far as equipment is concerned, Andy considers the dumbbell upright row to be the best starting point. “For somebody who just wants to bring them into their exercise routine and is not training for Olympic weightlifting or anything super specific or performance-oriented, a dumbbell is probably the easiest because you have a little more freedom of grip and it’s a little easier to manage the weight,” he says. 

Here’s how to do a dumbbell upright row with proper form, according to Andy.

Upright Row Variations

As mentioned above, there are several ways to do upright rows depending on what equipment you have available and what your training goals are. Regardless of which one you choose, Andy advises engaging your core, keeping your elbows close to your body, and maintaining a straight back. 

Single Arm Upright Row

Working unilaterally (i.e., one side at a time) can help you make sure you’re developing your strength equally in both arms and prompts extra activation in your core as it works to keep your body even with resistance pulling on one side. Here’s how to do a single-arm upright row with proper form:

Barbell Upright Row

“The barbell upright row is nice because it’s a fixed grip and you can really keep the bar nice and close to your chest,” Andy says. “The disadvantages are that you don’t have any flexibility with the position; as with all barbell exercises, you’re kind of locked into a fixed wrist position. If you don’t have the best wrist mobility or internal rotation of the shoulder, that can make it really easy to roll the shoulders forward,” he says—one of the biggest mistakes people make when doing upright rows. But if you’re training to do barbell cleans, snatches, or other moves where you’re using the hips explosively, barbell upright rows are a good progressive move, he notes. Here’s how to do barbell upright rows with proper form:

Kettlebell Upright Row

“You can definitely do upright rows with kettlebells, but this particular move is one that I prefer dumbbells over kettlebells,” Andy says. “The kettlebell just hangs vertically so much that, unless you’re doing it in the context of a snatch where you’re moving it quickly, you don’t have as much ability to kind of direct the weight position.” If you’re doing upright rows with a kettlebell, here’s how to do them with proper form: 

Resistance Band Upright Row

Unlike weights, resistance bands provide tension through more of a movement, and come in handy if you don’t have much space for workout equipment. For this move, you’ll need a resistance band with a handle on each end. Here’s how to do resistance band upright rows with proper form:

Mistakes to Avoid When Doing Upright Rows

While upright rows may seem simple, Andy says the details count. Ahead, he shares the most common mistakes he sees in class—and how to correct them. 

1. Rounding Your Shoulders Forward

“The big thing is, when you’re performing the upright row, you want to keep a nice upright posture, keep the elbows moving up and the shoulders positioned over your torso or hips,” Andy says. If you start to shrug your shoulders or allow them to roll forward, it can take the focus out of the right muscles and put you at risk of injury. 

“Once you start to round forward, that’s really when we can see impingement in the shoulder,” Andy says. Impingement is when tissue in the shoulder (such as a tendon) becomes pinched or compressed, according to the Hospital for Special Surgery. “If you already have pre-existing shoulder issues, it probably won’t feel too good. And it could lead to impingement later on if you continue to do that,” Andy says. 

2. Lifting Your Elbows Higher Than Your Shoulders 

“As you lift the elbows, you want to keep them in line with the side of your body, and you don’t need them to go too much higher than your shoulder,” Andy says. Bringing them up too high, too far forward, or too far backward could strain your neck and shoulders. Check out your form in the mirror to make sure you’re keeping them in check. 

3. Moving Too Quickly

Upright rows should generally be performed slowly with a close eye on form and posture. Performing the move too quickly without proper training could lead to injury, so keep it cool unless an instructor tells you otherwise. 

4. Allowing the Weights to Drift Too Far from Your Body

Throughout the upright row, the weight should stay relatively close to your body. Otherwise, you may lean or roll your shoulders forward to overcorrect, compromising your form in the process. 

What to Know Before Adding Upright Rows to Your Routine

Before you give upright rows a try, it’s worth noting that they aren’t a great choice for every exerciser. “If you lack the necessary mobility, or already have shoulder or rotator cuff issues, the upright row is not going to be the best thing for you,” Andy says. Instead, opt for other upper-back and shoulder exercises such as lateral raises and carries. “If you already have a pre-existing shoulder issue or even if your shoulder is a little cranky, this is probably not the best exercise to push on,” he says. When in doubt, check with a doctor or physical therapist before adding upright rows to your routine.

If you have the go-ahead or no existing shoulder issues, Andy recommends cycling upright rows through your training cycle just as you would any other accessory move. “It’s not one of my staple strength moves where I’d say, for example, you want some type of overhead press, some type of push, always in your routine,” Andy says. “It’s an accessory move. So rotate your accessory moves to support your big lifts and, if you love them and they don’t bother you, then that’s fine.”

Just make sure you’re balancing push and pull movements, and incorporating essential upper body moves such as pull-ups, push-ups, overhead presses, dips, and farmer’s carries.

If you find a Peloton workout you like that incorporates this move, try repeating that entire session once a week for a month before switching things up. You can then throw in other types of rows, such as renegade, wide-grip, or reverse-grip rows.