Analysing the Upright Row. By Vic Goyaram

Analysing the Upright Row

Researched & Composed by Vic Goyaram

Exclusive for Bodybuilding Mauritius

The Upright row is a very common feature in trapezius training routines along with shrug variations. It is most commonly performed with a barbell using a narrow grip and this variant has featured in my shoulder routine for quite a long time. However, this exercise has received a lot of criticism in terms of safety and effectiveness. In this article, Bodybuilding Mauritius sheds some light on these issues.

Analysis of Effectiveness and Safety

The narrow-grip upright row: an exercise of limited benefits

Let's go straight to the point: the narrow grip upright row is not an effective movement for the traps.  The only trap involvement of the traps in this exercise is a small incidental shrug as you pull the barbell up. Most of the movement comes from the arms and a slight bit of deltoids. I invite you to check the video of trusted exercise expert, Doug Brignole on this topic:

In terms of safety, a big concern for narrow grip upright rows is the possibility of shoulder impingement because  the movement requires pulling the weight above shoulder level with your arms in an internally rotated position. Therefore, the risk-to-benefit ratio is quite high. Some people can get away with it while, in others, it can really aggravate any existing impingement in the shoulders. I personally do not like the narrow grip upright row because it gives me more pain in my shoulders than a pump in my traps. I am also sure that the day following heavy narrow grip rows some of you also felt soreness in the biceps and brachialis.

A better option: the wide grip upright row

The conventional upright row can be modified to reduce the risk of shoulder impingement. A good variation is the wide grip upright row.  Not only is it easier on the shoulder joints but it is a great way to work the lateral head of the deltoids to a greater extent because it allows the elbows to flare out to the sides as you pull the barbell up.

The wide grip upright row variation which I prefer

The effectiveness of the wide grip upright row has been backed by a lot of trainers and bodybuilders. As an icing on the cake, scientific studies also provide support to this exercise. In a very recent study by scientists from the University of Memphis in Tennessee (McAllister et al., 2013) showed that increasing the grip width increases the involvement of the lateral deltoid and decreases the involvement of the biceps. In fact, when you look at the movement closely you will see that it mimics a side lateral raise in that the elbows move out to the sides except that the position of the hands is different. The traps also get worked with the wide grip upright row.

Execution tips

Stand upright and grab a barbell with a pronated grip. Your foot stance should be approximately shoulder width and your grip on the barbell should be wide enough for your hands to clear your thighs.  From personal observation, there are a number of variations of the barbell wide grip upright row, dependent on how wide you grip the bar. In the first variation performed by Arnold below he takes a rather medium grip such that in the top position the barbell would be at the upper chest level. Note also the position of the forearms which are nearly parallel to the floor. I have evaluated this version, having myself an impingement in my left shoulder, and found it to be still uneasy on my shoulders. The arm biceps/ forearm involvement is also there. This led me to try (and later adopt) the second variation.

Variation #1: Note the grip width and thus the position of (a) the bar, (b) the hands and (c) the  forearms at the top of the movement

In the second variation, a wider grip is used such that the bar can only be raised to the lower chest level only and the forearms are slightly perpendicular to the floor. I find this variation the easiest on my joints and the hardest on my deltoids. I must also add that it is very important to use the arms as hooks only and focus on pulling with the deltoids.

Variation #2 shown by Hidetada Yamagishi

Wide grip uprights works well in a superset with side lateral raises to fry the side deltoids. 

Jim Cordova uses dumbbells and works one arm at a time. Try to superset this with one arm side laterals to force your shoulders to grow!

Taking care of the traps

In the second variation, a wider grip is used such that the bar can only be raised to the lower chest level only and the forearms are slightly perpendicular to the floor. I find this variation the easiest on my joints and the hardest on my deltoids. Here are some articles that cover trap training on this website:

Main trap article: Beefing the Traps
Quick tips: Face pulls 
Quick tips: Shrug Technique

Take-home message

• The conventional narrow grip upright row is potentially dangerous for the shoulders and is also not an effective exercise for the traps.

• Widen the grip and reap the benefits on your side delts.

•  Do shrugs for the traps. They are built for that.

Further reading on shoulder training

Having weak shoulders I have done a lot of reading and research on shoulder training. This explains that I have covered shoulder training in quite a bit of detail here on this website. Check the links below:

Vince Gironda Shoulder techniques

Compendium of old school exercises

 Reference:

McAllister MJ, Schilling BK, Hammond KG, Weiss LW, Farney TM. Effect of grip width on electromyographic activity during the upright row. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Jan;27(1):181-7.

Motivation to hit the delts and traps hard. Picture by Dyaus Photography

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©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.

Disclaimer:

The Content on this site is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as medical advice or a diagnosis of any health or fitness problem, condition or disease; or a recommendation for a specific test, doctor, care provider, procedure, treatment plan, product, or course of action. BODYBUILDING MAURITIUS is not a medical or healthcare provider and your use of this site does not create a doctor / patient relationship. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. Never disregard the medical advice of your physician or health professional, or delay in seeking such advice, because of something you read on this Site. We offer this Site AS IS and without any warranties. Correspondence: vicgoyaram@gmail.com

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The Gironda Definition Book.

The Gironda Definition Book

Here is one of the books from Vince Gironda that I found on the Internet. I don't know if it is right or wrong to share books but I am sure that Vince is looking from the big gym in the sky above and appreciating that we are still perpetuating his teachings and philosophies. As most of you probably know, at Bodybuilding Mauritius we honour the valuable contribution that Vince has made to bodybuilding. Make sure that you check the other articles that I wrote in the "Iron Guru Series" and articles on training that borrow from the Iron Guru's training philosophies. If you are looking for other bulking courses make sure you also check John Bubb's Bulking Programs. Here are the links:

The Iron Guru Series: Gironda Shoulder Training. By Vic Goyaram

Compendium of Old School Exercises: Shoulders. By Vic Goyaram

Powerlifting Training for Bodybuilders. By John Bubb

The Pyramid Training Program. By John Bubb

Motivational Quotes from the Predator Mr. Kai Greene

Motivational Quotes from the Predator

Mr. Kai Greene

A definition of Success

Success is not based on genetics. It’s not based on how nice his car is. It’s not based on how pretty my face is. How small my nose needs to look, whether or not I’m the right complexion. I have an eight inch scar down the side of my face but I have a camera in front of me more often than not. Which just means that if you work hard and that your work is recognized, then the sky is the limit. So to all the people out there who think they are ugly and everything I’m holding it down for you. But more importantly you can still be a success. For all the people who think “Well, I’m too short”, I’m still holding it down for you, you can still be a success. Find the things that you are excited about and that you can give your all in and work really hard towards attaining it. 

Quote from the Kai Greene Video. Kai Greene: A day in the life. By Mike Pulcinella

Some pictures of Kai Greene at the 2004 NPC Team Universe where he won his pro card. Photos courtesy of Ironman Magazine

Now he rivals the best (2012 Mr. Olympia)

METHOD VS GOAL

When deciding on a path to getting bigger and stronger, one must realize that there are in fact two parts to this equation.  There is the path, and there is getting bigger and stronger.  Many times, people get so fixated on the path that they have chosen that they lose sight of the goal itself.  As I have said in many previous posts, if you aren’t progressing toward your goal, your efforts are worthless.

What am I getting at here?  Let’s say your goal is fat loss.  You decide you’re going to run to help with your fat loss.  You pick something like couch to 5k, and work diligently, building yourself up from a couch potato to a physical specimen about to crush your first 5k.  You cross the finish line, get your medal, and post a picture of facebook that gets at least 14 likes.  Congrats.  Did you lose any weight?

I feel like the message got lost somewhere along the line

Runners and former fatties aren’t the only ones guilty of this, not by a longshot.  Many lifters lose progress to their pet lifts and ego.  Someone decides they want a big chest, so they decide to chase a 315lb bench press.  They bust their ass, do their research on building a bigger bench, throw on chains and bands, and hit their bench goal, only to look in the mirror and still see the same bird chest they started with.

What is the ultimate falling out here?  It’s the failure to understand that methods are just that: methods.  Methods are not goals in and of themselves, they are simply the path toward the goal.  Your metrics should always revolve around progress toward the goal, not progress in the method.  If your goal is to lose fat, and your mile time is getting worse while your weight and waistline is dropping, you are doing something right.  If you can build a 50” chest with a 135lb bench, congratulations, you have met your goal.

Ok, maybe we need to lay down a few ground rules 

This necessitates a degree of brutal honesty with yourself.  It’s very easy to get caught up in what other people say your goals are.  I’ve known tons of guys that ultimately wanted to just look good, but were uncomfortable with admitting that vanity was their primary motivation, and kept chasing strength goals with the hope that they would accidentally look better.  Not only did they not meet their real goal of looking better, but because their hearts were not actually in getting stronger, they spun their wheels for years and made minimal progress in that regard as well.

There is no shame in your goal, whatever it is.  There is, however, a great deal of shame in failing to meet your goal.