An Alternative Dumbbell Exercise To An Upright Row

The upright row is a strength exercise for the shoulder muscles. You slide the weight up your torso until it is about chin level. Although the upright row works the shoulders and several muscles in your upper back, it is a contraindicated exercise in many situations. Replace the upright row with other dumbbell exercises that hit the same muscles without the risk of injury.

Significance

The upright row places your shoulders in an excessive stretch position, which makes the joint less stable and weaker. As you lift the weight during an upright row, your upper arms move past the point of being parallel to the floor and your shoulders internally rotate. This position, especially with heavy weight, increases the likelihood of shoulder impingement. The space between your humerus bone and your clavicle narrows, resulting in the bones squeezing, or impinging, the ligaments and fibrous bands in this space. This causes shoulder pain, weakness and numbness.

Lateral Raise

The upright row involves shoulder abduction, or lifting your upper arm out to the side. Another exercise that involves this same movement is a lateral raise. Relax your arms by your sides with your palms facing in toward you. Lock your elbows into a slight bend. Exhale and lift your arms out to the sides until they are about shoulder level. Pause for a count and slowly lower your arms back to the starting position. Keep your shoulders down throughout the movement; do not shrug your shoulders toward your ears.

Dumbbell Overhead Press

The dumbbell overhead press is more similar to the upright row in that it is a compound exercise — it involves movement at the elbows and the shoulders. Hold the dumbbells to the sides of your shoulders with your palms facing forward. Exhale and press your arms directly overhead, bringing the dumbbells together at the top of the movement. Pause for a count and then slowly lower the weights.

Considerations

The American Council on Exercise cautions that your shoulders begin to internally rotate once your arms reach just below shoulder level during the lateral raise exercise. To reduce the risk of shoulder impingement, turn your thumbs slightly upward as your arms reach shoulder level. This externally rotates the shoulder joint, counteracting the internal rotation. As you lower the dumbbells, turn your thumbs back to their original position.