Upright rows

N

need2eat

New Member
Seems for years the general consensus was upright rows = bad.

A month or so ago I read an article on this site which contained information stating otherwise, anyone remember it, have the link(s)? I wanna double check things to avoid while doing this movement, just to be on the safe side.

I tried a search couldnt seem to find it.

Thanks
 
they are still not good,but if you want to do them use a wide grip and only lift as high as your nipples.
 
No kidding.

I reckon I'll drop those and go to another shoulder movement then, I was looking to mix things up and do something completely different or unfamilliar, but wont if it does more harm than good.

Thanks
 
I was looking to throw in some upright dumbell rows to alternate with my lat raises. Are the problems with upright rows limited to barbell rows? Why are they bad?

Should I just find something else?
 
Rotator cuff problems. And you don't want that. I can't understand why people often insist on doing an exersize known for injuries when there are 20 other things that will develop the same muscles. If you must, Faz said it best. D/B's can be used, but it's tricky on an allready tricky exersize. Cables work well, but no different than barbells, except you don't have to pick it up.
 
<div>
(quadancer @ Jan. 25 2007,17:20)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I can't understand why people often insist on doing an exersize known for injuries when there are 20 other things that will develop the same muscles.</div>
I know what you mean but then you could extend the argument ad infinitum..

Exercises such as squats and deadlifts are potentially much more dangerous than upright rows.

As always good form is the key. I don't see a problem with upright rows if you use wide grip and don't bring your arms above parallel. Allows you to target the lateral deltoids with more weight than lateral raises etc.

Cheers

Rob
 
The problem with upright rows is not in the movement itself.  The problem lies in the way your shoulder is constructed (the shape of your Acromion) and possible impingement at the A/C joint.  Some people can do upright rows until the cows come home with no problems because they have no impingement.  Other people will have problems after one set.  If they don’t bother you then it’s fine to do them.  If it does bother you in the slightest I would not recommend doing them at all….ever.  But the bottom line with this exercise is that the shape of the bones in your shoulder determine if this exercise is OK to do or if you should avoid it.
 
I guess thats why I asked about this...


...as Ive done upright rows and my shoulders move in the same motion as if I were doing lateral raises, so from personal experience, couldnt see the harm.
 
Bull is probably totally right: some can and some can't...but a thought I've had about them is that you really can't go superheavy anyway, so they are for squat in a way - just an uneccessary iso, when you could have been pushing some overheads with your energy. Of course, I said this about lateral raises to myself a year ago, and I may do them again someday. Personally, I like the lateral raise machines, using the stack and a few plates clipped on. They just feel good, and maybe that's what upright rows do for others.
 
You can't go heavy on upright rows? Upright rows are a compound exercise, not an iso. You can go heavy, as long as you can do it without injury. Most people can't pull higher than their ribcage or so without injury, but I pull higher without any problems at a..
Lately, I've been doing high pulls, which are like upright rows, using up to and over 200 lbs without problems.

Personally, I think pairing something like high pulls or upright rows with an overhead pressing movement is really putting mass onto my shoulders, but maybe for other people, it won't help much.
 
Me. I. Myself, da Quadman, this guy, cannot go heavy with them. I'm one of the impingement crowd, but I've heard others say the same thing. But I'm doing six plates in the T-bar rows...I pull the same poundage for cable rows...easily pull 120lb d/b's for bentover rows...but put my shoulders in and ...I max out with 45lb. d/b laterals, not much on uprights, and stink at benching.
I say do what doesn't hurt ya. Shoulder joints are funny critters.
 
I love how upright rows work my shoulders. Unfortanetly I can't do them. One set and my left shoulder is screwed for a month. Even if I use a wide grip and only come up to the bottom of my sternum I will hurt for weeks after just one set. Latteral raises cause similar problems if I don't keep my hands higher than my elbows at the top.
 
Yeah, individual shoulder-joint structure is key...I cannot bench well and definitely not heavy without pain. Maybe someday, but lately I am thinking that unless my shoulder-joint structure changes shape, benching is just not for me. I can do dips just fine though and it seems to work my pecs perfectly for my particular shoulder-shape.

The same with upright rows for some people. I have no problems with them. And my shoulders are practically MADE for overhead pressing, I LOVE THIS EXERCISE and have been good at it since day 1.
 
Bottom line, if your shoulder structure allows it, yes, else NO.

DB's are better than the BB but a wide grip normally sorts this out, a very close grip tends to cause shouder problems due to impingement.

Again it is a compound and if youcan do it without injury its a good shoulder builder amongst others.
wink.gif
 
Thanks for all the pointers, guys. I've never had problems with upright rows, but I'll keep an eye on things and be ready to move 'em out if I sense anything wrong with my shoulders.
 
Back in the Max OT days, I needed another exercise for my shoulders and was hitting 4 sets of upright rows, clean, with my hands touching, pulling to my chin, really heavy for me...nary a shoulder problem yet. And my joints seem to be troubled by everything. All I can suggest is that maybe they are fine for some, not so fine for others.
 
I did them to the collarbone level for about a month before impingement. I don't know wether or not that was the beginning of my more permanent shoulder pain. I still think benching did the most damage to me.
 
Yes, if you have a beaked acromion seems like upright rows would not be for you. If your acromion isn't curved at all I don't foresee you having any problems. However, isn't the main muscle worked on these the traps ? Seems like shrugs would give most guys more stimulation in that area than rows, due to the ability to use heavier weight.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top