Dumbbell Upright Row

How to Perform the Dumbbell Upright Row

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip in front of your thighs.
Brace your core, pull your shoulders back slightly, and maintain a tall posture.
Lead with your elbows to pull the dumbbells straight up along the front of your body.
Raise the dumbbells until your elbows reach shoulder height, keeping the weights close to your torso.
At the top, your elbows should be higher than your wrists and pointing outward.
Pause briefly at the top, squeezing your shoulders and traps.
Lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position under control, fully extending your arms.

Raising the elbows too high above shoulder level

Stop the lift when your elbows reach shoulder height. Going higher increases the risk of shoulder impingement.

Using momentum to swing the weights up

Use a controlled, smooth pull. If you need to swing, the weight is too heavy. Reduce the load.

Keeping the dumbbells too far from the body

Pull the dumbbells close along your torso throughout the movement for proper shoulder activation.

✓Builds shoulder width and upper trap thickness simultaneously.
✓Dumbbells allow a more natural wrist and shoulder path compared to the barbell version.
✓Effectively targets the lateral deltoids for wider-looking shoulders.

●Using dumbbells instead of a barbell allows your wrists to rotate naturally, which is easier on the shoulder joints.
●Focus on driving your elbows up rather than pulling with your hands to better activate the delts.
●If you experience shoulder discomfort, try a wider grip spacing or replace with lateral raises.

Strength

4-5 sets of 3-5 reps at 80-90% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at 50-60% 1RM

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