Strength Training · Bodybuilding
Dumbbell Upright Row
The dumbbell upright row is a standing pull that trains your side shoulders and upper traps. Separate weights let you adjust your hand spacing for a comfortable lifting path.
- Beginner
- Compound
- Moderate injury risk
- Rest 1 min 30 sec
How to do it
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing you, with your hands about shoulder-width apart.
- Raise your elbows outward, drawing the dumbbells close to your torso until your elbows reach just below shoulder height.
- Lower the dumbbells back to the front of your thighs.
Form cues
- Keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
- Keep your wrists straight.
- Breathe out as you pull.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the weights upwardReduce the weight until you can lift without driving through your legs or rocking backward.
- Squeezing the dumbbells togetherAllow space between the weights so each arm can follow a comfortable path.
- Dropping the weightsTake about two seconds to lower each repetition.
Safety
Pulling too high or forcing an uncomfortable arm path can irritate your shoulders. Heavy weights and fatigue can increase strain on your shoulders and wrists.
- Start with a light warm-up set to check your comfortable range.
- Stop the upward pull earlier if you feel shoulder pinching; stop the exercise if discomfort persists.
- End the set when you can no longer maintain your chosen lifting path.
If you have ongoing shoulder pain or a previous shoulder injury, get advice from a physiotherapist before adding load.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Dumbbell
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 10–15 reps
- Rest
- 1 min 30 sec
Choose a weight that leaves you able to perform about two more clean reps at the end of each set.