Dumbbell Upright Row

How to perform the Dumbbell Upright Row

1. Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of the thighs with a pronated grip and the weights close together.
2. The dumbbells let the hands drift apart and the wrists rotate freely, which is easier on the shoulders than a fixed bar.
3. Keep the chest tall and the core braced with the dumbbells against the front of the thighs.
4. Pull the dumbbells up along the body by driving the elbows up and out to the sides.
5. Stop the elbows around shoulder height rather than cranking them higher into an impingement-prone position.
6. Lower the dumbbells under control back down the front of the thighs before starting the next rep.

Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Cranking the elbows above shoulder height into an impingement-prone position.
• •Swinging the dumbbells up with hip and torso momentum rather than the delts.
• •Letting the dumbbells drift far out in front instead of staying close to the body.
• •Dropping the dumbbells quickly on the return rather than controlling the eccentric.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.