Barbell Upright Row to Chin

Starting position

1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
2. Grip the bar overhand a little narrower than shoulder width, but not with hands touching — leave one or two hand-widths between them.
3. Let the bar hang at arm's length in front of your thighs.
4. Brace your core, keep your shoulders down and look straight ahead.

Execution

1. Exhale and pull the bar straight up along your body, elbows out to the sides and leading — they always stay above your hands.
2. Raise the bar to chin or upper-chest height; stop where your shoulders still feel comfortable.
3. Pause for a second without tilting your head back or leaning back.
4. Inhale and lower the bar slowly, keeping it close to your body.

Common mistakes

• Hands right next to each other — heavy internal rotation of the shoulder and a high risk of impingement.
• Jerking with the torso — momentum does the work and the lower back suffers.
• Elbows dropping — the biceps end up doing the lifting.
• Going heavy — in this exercise that's a direct route to sore shoulders.

Beginner tips

• Use a light weight and stay in the 12–15 rep range.
• If your shoulder feels uncomfortable at the top, widen your grip and pull to chest height instead of the chin.
• Don't push through pain — this exercise is optional.

Alternatives

• Standing Barbell Upright Row to Chest — wider grip and less stress on the shoulder joints
• Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Side Delts) — isolated side delt work
• Barbell Shrugs — if the goal is the upper traps