Exercise Breakdown: The Upright Row

Barn door width is all about working those side deltoids hard. Not to mention, many deltoid exercises also hit the traps. What’s more impressive than huge traps and ultra-wide delts? Rich had ‘em, and the Upright Row is one of the exercises that got him there. In this edition of Exercise Breakdown, we’ll look at this impressive exercise, show a Rich variation, provide a sample routine, and give you 5% Nutrition supplement suggestions. 

What Is The Upright Row

The Upright Row is a compound exercise that’s performed by pulling a bar from your thighs up to your shoulders. Typically, you will use a narrow grip. 

Muscles Worked

The primary muscle worked by the upright row is the lateral (side) deltoid. Even so, a lot of guys, Rich included, do these for their effect on the traps. In fact, the lower and middle traps act as synergists, along with rear delts, brachioradialis, and biceps. Stabilizers include the upper traps.⁽¹⁾

Variations

Generally, lifters think of the Upright Row as a barbell exercise. A popular variation, and Rich’s preferred version, are dumbbell upright rows. He preferred this variation because at the top of the movement, he would bring the ‘bells slightly out to his sides. Other variations include a low cable, the Smith machine, EZ curl bar, kettlebell, and resistance bands. Also, there are grip variations. While not common, a wide grip version of this exercise hits the lateral delts a little harder. ^(2,3,4,5)

A Sample Routine

To be clear, the shoulder muscles" are the entire group of muscles surrounding the shoulder joint, including the deltoid, and there are 3 deltoid muscles: front (anterior), side (lateral), and rear (anterior).⁽⁶⁾

With that said, here’s a sample shoulder routine in the style of Rich Piana. This is a balanced routine, and since he liked the Upright Row for traps, there’s 5 sets of shrugs for the last exercise. 

Front Press - 4 sets - 20, 15, 12, 10 reps

Rich liked to use the Smith machine. Feel free to use an Olympic bar, EZ bar, or dumbbells.

Upright Rows - 5 sets - 15 reps each set

Rich used dumbbells for these. Remember his trick of going slightly out to the side at the top. 

Dumbbell Side Laterals - 5 sets - 20, 15, 12, 10, 8 reps

Dumbbell Rear Laterals -  5 sets - 20, 15, 12, 10, 8 reps 

You can perform this exercise and side laterals as a superset if you prefer. 

Shrugs - 5 sets - 30, 20, 15, 12, 8 reps

Rich often used a Smith Machine for this exercise. 

Performance Tips

Perform all exercises using an explosive but controlled concentric and a slow eccentric. Think 2 seconds up and 4 seconds down. On the last rep of your working sets, hold at the fully stretched position for a 4 second pause. 

Don’t Forget 5% Nutrition!

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Recap

Rich had some of the widest shoulders  in the business. Not to mention, his traps were insane. One of the exercises that got him there was the Upright Row. Whether you do it traditional-style with a barbell, or Rich-style with dumbbells and a twist at the top, it’s time to add this exercise to your routine!

References:

1. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/BBUprightRow

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dFw-qPnspo

3. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/DBUprightRow

4. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/CBUprightRow

5. https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/SMUprightRow

6. Elzanie A, Varacallo M. Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Deltoid Muscle. [Updated 2024 Jan 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537056/