Shoulders · Barbell
Barbell Wide Grip Upright Row
How to do the barbell wide grip upright row, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- VerticalPull
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hold a barbell with a wide overhand grip, hands well outside shoulder width, arms hanging in front of your thighs. Pull the bar straight up toward your collarbone by driving your elbows up and out, then lower it under control to the start.
- 1Feel your side delts and upper traps lifting the bar
- 2Lead with your elbows, keeping them higher than your wrists
- 3Keep the bar close to your body the whole way up
Common mistakes
- Don't swing your torso or use momentum to heave the bar
- Avoid pulling the bar so high it cranks your shoulders
- Don't let your wrists rise above your elbows
Muscles worked
The barbell wide grip upright row mainly works the side delts and upper traps, with the mid traps, biceps, forearms, front delts, and rear delts assisting.
- Side DeltsPrimary
- Upper TrapsPrimary
- Mid TrapsSupport
- BicepsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the barbell wide grip upright row for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.