Wide Grip Dumbbell Upright Row
In SetGrip: Dumbbell Upright Row (Wide Grip)
- Secondary muscles
- Traps, Rhomboids
- Body part
- Shoulders
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Pulling the dumbbells up along your body with the hands set wide biases the side delts over the traps, since the elbows travel outward rather than straight up. Dumbbells also let each arm choose its own path, which many lifters find friendlier on the wrists than a fixed bar upright row. Stop when the elbows reach shoulder height.
How to do the Wide Grip Dumbbell Upright Row
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, a little wider than shoulder-width, palms facing your body.
- Pull the dumbbells straight up close to your body, leading with your elbows out to the sides.
- Stop when your elbows reach shoulder height and the dumbbells are at chest level.
- Lower them back to your thighs under control.
Tip: Lead with the elbows and think of reaching wide rather than lifting up.
Muscles worked
Primary
Delts · Shoulders
Front raises hit the front delt, lateral raises the side, and Y or rear raises the back head; whichever you pick, the burn should build across the top of the shoulder by the last few reps.
Secondary
- Traps — The upper traps will take over if you shrug, so a slight downward pull of the shoulders keeps them out of it.
- Rhomboids
Common mistakes
- Swinging from the hips — a small bounce at the bottom is the sign of a weight that is too heavy; lighten it and lift from a dead stop.
- Shrugging as you raise — the traps take over when the shoulders rise toward the ears; keep them down and lead with the elbows.
- Raising far above shoulder height — on lateral and front raises the upper traps take over past parallel, so stop around shoulder level unless the variation is built to go overhead.
- Locked elbows — keep a soft bend in the elbow throughout so the load stays on the shoulder rather than the joint.
Where it fits in a workout
Raises are accessory work and belong after the presses in a shoulder or push session. Superset lateral raises with a rear delt fly for a complete shoulder finisher.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.