What equipment do you need for the smith machine upright row?

You need smith machine to do the smith machine upright row.

What is a good smith machine upright row?

For men, a good smith machine upright row is about a 317.5 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 117.5 lb and elite lifters pass 570 lb. For women, the standards run from about 42.5 lb to 337.5 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Shoulders · Smith Machine

Smith Machine Upright Row

How to do the smith machine upright row, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Smith Machine
Difficulty: Intermediate
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Row
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Shoulders exercises Machine exercises

How to do it

Set the Smith bar around mid-thigh and take a shoulder-width grip. Pull the bar straight up along your torso until elbows reach about shoulder height, then lower with control.

1Side delts and upper traps doing most of the work, with the biceps assisting.

Common mistakes

Yanking the bar with momentum, pulling past a comfortable shoulder height, or letting wrists bend excessively.

Muscles worked

The smith machine 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

Smith Machine Upright Row strength standards

See how your smith machine upright row ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM117.5 lb
Silvere1RM202.5 lb
Golde1RM317.5 lb
Platinume1RM437.5 lb
Diamonde1RM507.5 lb
Champione1RM570 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Weight (lb)Reps

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the smith machine 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.

Get Kovo free Estimate your 1RM

More shoulders exercises

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Last reviewed April 2026.