Back · Cable · Compound · Intermediate
Upright Cable Row


PrimarySecondary
- Main muscles
- Traps
- Also working
- Shoulders
How to do it
- Grasp a straight bar cable attachment that is attached to a low pulley with a pronated (palms facing your thighs) grip that is slightly less than shoulder width. The bar should be resting on top of your thighs. Your arms should be extended with a slight bend at the elbows and your back should be straight. This will be your starting position.
- Use your side shoulders to lift the cable 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
- Scapular Pull-Up · Bodyweight
- Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrug · Machine
- Smith Machine Upright Row · Machine
- Snatch Shrug · Barbell
- Standing Dumbbell Upright Row · Dumbbell
- Upright Row - With Bands · Bands
Steps and photos from the public-domain Free Exercise DB, not individually reviewed. How this site is put together · Report a mistake