Thread: How bad are Upright Rows?

I have a bad shoulder and i do them and have never felt anything afterwards from them. What I do feel is the stress that URs put on my forearms and wrists.

The last time I did them my left shoulder didn't like me, and I did only one lightweight set with 15 reps and I didn't pull it quite as high as I could either. So they aren't a regular part of my routine any longer. My traps right now are responding great to slow shrugs.

I do them all the time without a problem, and I partially tore a rotator years ago. You can make them safer by using dumbells, which allow you to manipulate wrist position and the upward path of the lift.

Originally Posted by Leatherface

I would have to say that no other exercise hits my shoulders and traps as well as Upright Rows.

disclaimer: i don't want to give you shit, your post is just the one that broke the camels back so to speak. i have read tons of phrases like this (i tried [insert exercise] and got huge arms!).

how do you know that uprights hit your shoulders/traps the most? have you controlled ALL variables of training and only changed shoulder exercises, and ran that kind of program for a sufficient amount of time to be able to come to this conclusion? have you really tried every single exercise out there that there is to try that you are saying that uprights hit you the most (i assume you mean give you the most results in tems of size/strength)?

like i said i don't want to pick on you, but i'm just sick of hearing that kind of bullshit. people try an exercise one time and all of a sudden if the BEST exercise in the world. sure you can enjoy doing it more than others, or it can give you a better pump but that does not mean that its the best exercise for your specific goal. there are only a couple of people on this forum that i would believe when they told me that x exercise hits x bodypart the most, because i know that they have the years of experience and intelligence to actually experiment and figure this type of stuff out.

i would just like people to start thinking before they say something that holds no real water, i mean come on guys this isn't muscle and fagness mag and we don't need retarded statements like that.

I did them last night!

Yanick

Fair enough. I'm basing my statement on personal experience from years of training is all. I've done most shoulder and trap exercises that I'm aware of and upright rows have provided me with the best pump and growth. Again, I'm basing this strictly on personal opinion and observation but from a strictly scientific stand point I can see your argument.

BTW, I have been weight training since I was 18. I'm 31 now and have added over 50 pounds to my frame in that time.

Had a reconstruction on my R shoulder in '01'...

Besides rotations, uprights, I think helped strenghten the overall girdle during my re-cupe.

How did you hurt your shoulder/s "Pressing!?"

Originally Posted by Leatherface

Yanick

Fair enough. I'm basing my statement on personal experience from years of training is all. I've done most shoulder and trap exercises that I'm aware of and upright rows have provided me with the best pump and growth. Again, I'm basing this strictly on personal opinion and observation but from a strictly scientific stand point I can see your argument.

BTW, I have been weight training since I was 18. I'm 31 now and have added over 50 pounds to my frame in that time.

okay thats cool man. like i said, i didn't want to give you shit specifically, i just read statements like that all the time and they aggravate me to no end. If you really did experiment and all, more power to ya. good job on the gains btw.

Monkey Man

I hurt my shoulder training in martial arts. It was dislocated and the doctor said I have a torn labrum. This was about 6 years ago and although I can still train in a variety of sports, my shoulder does give me problems from time to time.

I have sometimes experianced upper back and kneck pains from this exercise. But then that may just be me.

mmuscle

http://www.makemuscle.net

good job on the gains btw.

Thanks!

I added them to my shoulder routine earlier this week. I used a slow and controlled motion with the bar light enough for me to do 10-15 reps. half way through the second set (max-ot warm up) I felt a weird twinge and now I'm stuck doing cardio while I wait for the pain to go away. After reading this thread, I wonder if I should continue with UR's

I don't know that much about shoulder damage, but as I'm typing this I have to keep my head totally immobilized cause I pulled my neck doing uprights. I personally think they are one of the best excercises for that area but stretch first! I've done this once b4 and I can't believe I fell for it again...
What excercises do you guys think are comporable to uprights?

Originally Posted by Yanick

disclaimer: i don't want to give you shit, your post is just the one that broke the camels back so to speak. i have read tons of phrases like this (i tried [insert exercise] and got huge arms!).

how do you know that uprights hit your shoulders/traps the most? have you controlled ALL variables of training and only changed shoulder exercises, and ran that kind of program for a sufficient amount of time to be able to come to this conclusion? have you really tried every single exercise out there that there is to try that you are saying that uprights hit you the most (i assume you mean give you the most results in tems of size/strength)?

like i said i don't want to pick on you, but i'm just sick of hearing that kind of bullshit. people try an exercise one time and all of a sudden if the BEST exercise in the world. sure you can enjoy doing it more than others, or it can give you a better pump but that does not mean that its the best exercise for your specific goal. there are only a couple of people on this forum that i would believe when they told me that x exercise hits x bodypart the most, because i know that they have the years of experience and intelligence to actually experiment and figure this type of stuff out.

i would just like people to start thinking before they say something that holds no real water, i mean come on guys this isn't muscle and fagness mag and we don't need retarded statements like that.

You having a bad day or something

I do them on occasion but I find there are other exercises that do the same with less stress.

Originally Posted by Yanick

disclaimer: i don't want to give you shit, your post is just the one that broke the camels back so to speak. i have read tons of phrases like this (i tried [insert exercise] and got huge arms!).

how do you know that uprights hit your shoulders/traps the most? have you controlled ALL variables of training and only changed shoulder exercises, and ran that kind of program for a sufficient amount of time to be able to come to this conclusion? have you really tried every single exercise out there that there is to try that you are saying that uprights hit you the most (i assume you mean give you the most results in tems of size/strength)?

like i said i don't want to pick on you, but i'm just sick of hearing that kind of bullshit. people try an exercise one time and all of a sudden if the BEST exercise in the world. sure you can enjoy doing it more than others, or it can give you a better pump but that does not mean that its the best exercise for your specific goal. there are only a couple of people on this forum that i would believe when they told me that x exercise hits x bodypart the most, because i know that they have the years of experience and intelligence to actually experiment and figure this type of stuff out.

i would just like people to start thinking before they say something that holds no real water, i mean come on guys this isn't muscle and fagness mag and we don't need retarded statements like that.

UH OH!!! POSTING BODY GUARD!!!

I think upright rows are GREAT for hitting the delts/traps. They're one of my favorite exercises for shoulders. I use a shoulder-width grip, and pull the bar right up to around my nipple level.

the reason people say that it is tough on the shoulder is because it requires a lot of movent from the shoulder joint and girdle. I mean, if you look at what is really happening there are two different movements at the shuolder joint to compete the lift:

start to finsh= abduction and then external rotation and you can also say elevation (engaging the upper traps).

the problem is that these are relativley small muscles and with a large amount of weight it may be hard to handle all that movement. You could try to limit the ROM and not pull all the way to the chin which would eliminate some of the exeternal rotation and if you are doing it properly and your scapula stabalizers fire at the proper times all of the elevation.

Originally Posted by gopro

You having a bad day or something

hahaha, yea thats one of the reasons. but i was serious, people keep saying stuff like that (i did this exercise today, its a great exercise you'll get huge whatever with it).

Originally Posted by Curlingcadys

UH OH!!! POSTING BODY GUARD!!!

i don't even know what thats supposed to mean.

Originally Posted by Yanick

hahaha, yea thats one of the reasons. but i was serious, people keep saying stuff like that (i did this exercise today, its a great exercise you'll get huge whatever with it).

I know what you mean man. It comes from just stupid BB'ers like saying shit like:

- this exercise is really great. it really helped to build my side delts

or

- i like lunges they really add a lot of seperation and cuts to my leg.

or

- workig with cables really helped bring out my striations


what can you say, people are insane.

Originally Posted by P-funk

I know what you mean man. It comes from just stupid BB'ers like saying shit like:

- this exercise is really great. it really helped to build my side delts

or

- i like lunges they really add a lot of seperation and cuts to my leg.

or

- workig with cables really helped bring out my striations


what can you say, people are insane.

lol

Originally Posted by P-funk

- workig with cables really helped bring out my striations

They don't?

Originally Posted by Yanick

lol

lol, bb'ers can probably be held accountable for 90% of all training myths. The other 10% from high/grade school education health classes.

Originally Posted by P-funk

lol, bb'ers can probably be held accountable for 90% of all training myths. The other 10% from high/grade school education health classes.

no you got it wrong, 90% from bb'ers 5% from high/grade school health and 5% from kyle, lol.

Originally Posted by gopro

They don't?

since someone will eventually say it i might as well be the first...

only in the upper chest

Originally Posted by gopro

They don't?

only for you.

no you got it wrong, 90% from bb'ers 5% from high/grade school health and 5% from kyle, lol.

naw, that guy doesn't count. the stuff he talks about goes beyond myth and crosses right into compete moron.

Originally Posted by P-funk

only for you.

Yes, and thats because I am special