Back · Machine · Compound · Beginner
Smith Machine Upright Row


PrimarySecondary
- Main muscles
- Traps
- Also working
- Biceps, Upper Back, Shoulders
How to do it
- To begin, set the bar on the smith machine to a height that is around the middle of your thighs. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, grasp the bar using a pronated (palms forward) grip that is shoulder width apart. You may need some wrist wraps if using a significant amount of weight.
- Lift the barbell up and fully extend your arms with your back straight. There should be a slight bend at the elbows. This is the starting position.
- Use your side shoulders to lift the bar as you exhale. The bar should be close to the body as you move it up. Continue to lift it until it nearly touches your chin. Tip: Your elbows should drive the motion. As you lift the bar, your elbows should always be higher than your forearms. Also, keep your torso stationary and pause for a second at the top of the movement.
- Lower the bar back down slowly to the starting position. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement.
Swaps on other equipment
Each has the traps as its main muscle and is also a pull, on a different piece of equipment.
Other trap exercises
- Leverage Shrug · Machine
- Scapular Pull-Up · Bodyweight
- Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug · Machine
- Snatch Shrug · Barbell
- Standing Dumbbell Upright Row · Dumbbell
- Upright Cable Row · Cable
Steps and photos from the public-domain Free Exercise DB, not individually reviewed. How this site is put together · Report a mistake