Dumbbell Upright Row

Secondary muscles
Traps, Biceps
Body part
Shoulders
Position
Standing
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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Independent dumbbells let each hand find its own path as the elbows rise, which most lifters find more comfortable than being fixed to a bar. As the beginner-friendly entry to the upright row family, it also reveals side-to-side strength differences a barbell quietly averages out.

How to do the Dumbbell Upright Row

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
  2. Let the dumbbells hang in front of your thighs, with your arms fully extended.
  3. Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, exhale and lift the dumbbells straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Lead with the elbows and keep the bar close to the body as it rises.

Muscles worked

Primary

Delts · Shoulders

The side delts lift the elbows out and up and should be the muscle you feel burning by the last rep.

Secondary

  • Traps — The upper traps assist as the bar reaches chest height and take over if you shrug at the top.
  • Biceps — The biceps bend the elbow and will dominate if the grip is narrow and the elbows drop.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling too high — the elbows should stop around shoulder height; going higher pinches the shoulder joint.
  • Grip too narrow — a narrow grip forces the wrists to bend and turns the shoulders in; use at least shoulder width so the elbows lead out to the sides.
  • Heaving with the hips — a small dip and drive at the start means the weight is too heavy; lift from a dead stop with the torso still.
  • Elbows dropping below the hands — keep the elbows higher than the wrists throughout so the delts, not the biceps, do the work.

Where it fits in a workout

Upright rows go after the presses in a shoulder session as accessory work. Superset them with a lateral raise or a rear delt fly using the same weights.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without dumbbell

Easier and harder

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

  1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
  2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
  3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
  4. 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.