Shoulders · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Upright Row
How to do the dumbbell upright row, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Horizontal Row
- Mechanic
- Compound
See it in motion
How to do it
Hold dumbbells in front of your thighs with an overhand grip. Pull them up to chest level, keeping elbows higher than wrists.
- 1Hold the dumbbells with palms facing your body and pull them up to chest height, leading with your elbows
- 2You should feel your upper traps and delts contracting while keeping your shoulders down
- 3Pause briefly at the top and lower slowly to feel the eccentric phase
Common mistakes
- Don't yank the weights or use momentum; keep the movement smooth
- Avoid letting your elbows travel higher than your shoulders to prevent impingement
- Don't shrug excessively or arch your back during the lift
Muscles worked
The dumbbell upright row mainly works the side delts and upper traps, with the biceps, forearms, and mid traps assisting.
- Side DeltsPrimary
- Upper TrapsPrimary
- BicepsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- LatsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell upright row for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the barbell overhead press
- How to do the cable face pull
- How to do the cable lateral raise
- How to do the dumbbell front raise
- How to do the dumbbell lateral raise
Last reviewed April 2026.