Cable Upright Row

StrengthPull

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Body Part: Shoulders

Description

Stand facing a low cable pulley, holding a straight bar with an overhand grip slightly narrower than shoulder width. Keep your chest up, core braced, and arms close to your body. Pull the bar upward along your torso by driving the elbows out and up, stopping around upper-chest height or before shoulder discomfort. Lower slowly under control and avoid using momentum or excessive shrugging.

How to Perform

Set a low cable pulley with a straight bar attachment and select a light to moderate weight that allows controlled movement.
Stand facing the cable with your feet about hip-width apart, grasp the bar with an overhand grip slightly narrower than shoulder width, and let the bar rest in front of your thighs.
Brace your abdominal muscles, keep your chest lifted, maintain a neutral spine, and keep a slight bend in your knees.
Pull the bar upward close to your body by driving your elbows out and up, keeping your wrists straight and your shoulders relaxed away from your ears.
Raise the bar only to upper-chest or collarbone height, or stop earlier if you feel shoulder discomfort; keep your elbows no higher than is comfortable.
Pause briefly at the top while maintaining control and avoiding leaning back or shrugging excessively.
Lower the bar slowly along the same path until your arms are fully extended in front of your thighs, keeping tension on the cable.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, using a pain-free range of motion and reducing the weight if you cannot keep the bar close to your body.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Set the cable pulley to the lowest position and attach a straight bar or EZ-bar handle. Stand tall facing the stack with your feet about hip-width apart.
Start with your arms extended and the bar close to your thighs. Use an overhand grip that is around shoulder-width apart; a slightly wider grip is often more comfortable for the shoulders.
Brace your core, keep your chest lifted, and maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement. Avoid leaning back or using momentum from your hips.
Pull the bar upward close to your body by driving your elbows up and out to the sides. Your elbows should stay higher than your hands during the lift.
Raise the handle only as high as you can without shoulder discomfort, usually to lower-chest or upper-chest height. Pulling all the way to the chin is not necessary and can irritate some shoulders.
Pause briefly at the top while keeping your shoulders down away from your ears, then lower the bar slowly and under control to the starting position.
Use a moderate load that allows controlled repetitions. If you need to swing, shrug aggressively, or lean backward, reduce the weight.
Keep your wrists neutral and avoid bending them excessively as you pull. Think about leading with the elbows rather than yanking the bar with your hands.
If you feel pinching in the front or top of the shoulder, widen your grip, reduce the range of motion, try an EZ-bar or rope attachment, or choose a more shoulder-friendly exercise such as cable lateral raises.

Common Mistakes

Using momentum from the hips or lower back instead of lifting with the shoulders and upper back
Shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears throughout the pull
Pulling the bar too high with the elbows far above shoulder level
Letting the elbows drift behind the bar instead of leading the movement outward and upward
Keeping the grip excessively narrow, forcing the wrists into an uncomfortable angle
Bending or curling the wrists during the pull instead of keeping them neutral
Leaning back or arching the lower back to finish the repetition
Allowing the bar to drift away from the body instead of pulling it close to the torso
Lowering the weight too quickly and losing control on the return
Using a partial range of motion by stopping well below upper-chest height