[freak_of_nature]

hey guys my question is when doing upright rows, am i working the front of middle head of the deltoid? and if i want the exercise to work more of deltoids than traps,do i use a wider grip?

[monkeybiker]

I believe it is designed to target your traps. If you want to work your shoulders more you would be better off doing a shoulder press exercise to be honest.

[crull]

it works the middle head and yes wider grip = more shoulder recruitment
close grip = more traps

[Engagechad]

I read something from Charles Glass about using an easy curl bar with an wide grip to cut out the trap involvement. I think he had flex wheeler doing that back in the day or something

[ZiR RED]

Honestly, and I know I am going to be in the minority and going against the normal bodybuilding rhetoric, but: the upright row in its traditional form is a shoulder joint destroyer!

Why? Because of the simaltaneous delt and upper trap fiber recruitment.

As the arm is abducting (being raised to the side) the scapula are elevating (shrugging up), the combination results in the tendons of the rotator cuff and the bursa of the shoulder joint becoming impinged in the subacromial space (the inner space between that boney process at the end of your shoulder and the upper arm bone). As a consequence, rotator cuff tedons are weakened and damaged, bursa becomes inflamed, tendonitis may occur along with shoulder injuries down the road.

Stick to over head presses and lateral dumbbell raises for the delts, and shrugs and high pulls for the traps.

Br

[Nixy_22]

General concensus is;- Narrow grip upright rows targets front delt and traps. Wide grip targets more the medial (middle?) delt and traps. But having read what Zir just posted I wouldnt bother with them lol

[Determined 08]

Originally Posted by ZiR RED

Honestly, and I know I am going to be in the minority and going against the normal bodybuilding rhetoric, but: the upright row in its traditional form is a shoulder joint destroyer!

Why? Because of the simaltaneous delt and upper trap fiber recruitment.

As the arm is abducting (being raised to the side) the scapula are elevating (shrugging up), the combination results in the tendons of the rotator cuff and the bursa of the shoulder joint becoming impinged in the subacromial space (the inner space between that boney process at the end of your shoulder and the upper arm bone). As a consequence, rotator cuff tedons are weakened and damaged, bursa becomes inflamed, tendonitis may occur along with shoulder injuries down the road.

Stick to over head presses and lateral dumbbell raises for the delts, and shrugs and high pulls for the traps.

Br

You took the words right out of my mouth! One word from doing upright rows: TENDINITIS! This a horrible movement for your shoulders. I have tendinitis in my shoulder and my physical therapist told me that I should NEVER do upright rows not even if I had a gun to my head. No joke either

Good wrap up Zir

Edit: Use the search function. I've posted on at least 10 different threads about how it places an impingement on the shoulder nerves. Stay away from em bud

[Famine]

Originally Posted by ZiR RED

Honestly, and I know I am going to be in the minority and going against the normal bodybuilding rhetoric, but: the upright row in its traditional form is a shoulder joint destroyer!

Why? Because of the simaltaneous delt and upper trap fiber recruitment.

As the arm is abducting (being raised to the side) the scapula are elevating (shrugging up), the combination results in the tendons of the rotator cuff and the bursa of the shoulder joint becoming impinged in the subacromial space (the inner space between that boney process at the end of your shoulder and the upper arm bone). As a consequence, rotator cuff tedons are weakened and damaged, bursa becomes inflamed, tendonitis may occur along with shoulder injuries down the road.

Stick to over head presses and lateral dumbbell raises for the delts, and shrugs and high pulls for the traps.

Br

Originally Posted by Determined 08

You took the words right out of my mouth! One word from doing upright rows: TENDINITIS! This a horrible movement for your shoulders. I have tendinitis in my shoulder and my physical therapist told me that I should NEVER do upright rows not even if I had a gun to my head. No joke either

Good wrap up Zir

Edit: Use the search function. I've posted on at least 10 different threads about how it places an impingement on the shoulder nerves. Stay away from em bud

I remember a couple weeks ago this was being discussed, and since that time...no, I haven't stopped doing upright rows altogether, but I have stopped going up so high. The bar now stops at my mid chest instead of going to my chin. I've never had any shoulder discomfort, but hearing what I head made me change my ways fast, so I thank you for that. If I ever sense something bad is happening in the shoulder area, I'll drop this exercise for sure.

[Kevsworld]

I'm also not a big fan of upright rows. The movement just seems very awkward. Haven't done them in years.

[mikeh40+]

i love upright rows, but unfortunately zir is correct, they are brutal on your shoulders, i have a pinched nerve right now account of my last routine of heavy upright rows, its calming down a bit now, but the last 2 weeks have been hell, i will probably drop them from future use and just go with presses , i could get away with them when i was younger, but lately its just not worth the stress on the shoulders,

[Oldford911]

Originally Posted by mikeh40+

i love upright rows, but unfortunately zir is correct, they are brutal on your shoulders, i have a pinched nerve right now account of my last routine of heavy upright rows, its calming down a bit now, but the last 2 weeks have been hell, i will probably drop them from future use and just go with presses , i could get away with them when i was younger, but lately its just not worth the stress on the shoulders,

Thats the thing, young guys ( Including myself ) have the mentality that it doest hurt while im doing it it mist be ok, but the reality is that if you are doing minor damage to the point you cant feel it hurting, after years of doing it that minor damage gets compounded and piles up and turns into a major problem. Anything that can hurt you in the future i would stay away from. I too love this exercise but i try to stay away from them also after readir the posts on here about potential shoulder damage. Its not worth it to me, i meen i work out for my health among other reasons but whats the point of doing something thats harmfull, its like 2 steps forward 1 step back. i want to be able to train when im 50, not be too broken up because of some exersize that i didnt really need to be doing in the first place.

[mikeh40+]

Originally Posted by Oldford911

Thats the thing, young guys ( Including myself ) have the mentality that it doest hurt while im doing it it mist be ok, but the reality is that if you are doing minor damage to the point you cant feel it hurting, after years of doing it that minor damage gets compounded and piles up and turns into a major problem. Anything that can hurt you in the future i would stay away from. I too love this exercise but i try to stay away from them also after readir the posts on here about potential shoulder damage. Its not worth it to me, i meen i work out for my health among other reasons but whats the point of doing something thats harmfull, its like 2 steps forward 1 step back. i want to be able to train when im 50, not be too broken up because of some exersize that i didnt really need to be doing in the first place.

well back in the day we didnt really know that uprights were going to be such a killer ,, lots more info out there now, but almost anything can cause injury, all it takes is one little thing and blam there ya go, something is tweaked, or torn or pulled or strained or or or or,,,,,,, lol...