Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row
Also known as: wide-grip barbell upright row
Chasing delt size from every angle? Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row uses heavy bilateral barbell loading to get there.
How to do Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Let the barbell hang in front of your thighs, arms fully extended.
- Keeping your back straight, exhale and lift the barbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
Common Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row Mistakes
Loading the bar unevenly or skipping the collars
Match the plates side to side and clip collars on every set.
Swinging more weight than the delts can actually control
Drop the load until the arm rises without help from the torso.
Repeating the same load and rep scheme for months
Pick one variable, load, reps, or tempo, and push it every week.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row
Swap Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row For
Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row?
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Let the barbell hang in front of your thighs, arms fully extended. Keeping your back straight, exhale and lift the barbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row work?
The Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row primarily targets the delts. It is classified as a shoulders exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic shoulders patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row?
Try the Dumbbell Single Arm Overhead Carry, Cable Kneeling Rear Delt Row (with Rope) (male) or the Lever Shoulder Press V. 2. Each trains the delts with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
Is the Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row the same as the wide-grip barbell upright row?
Yes. The Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row is also commonly called the wide-grip barbell upright row. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "wide-grip barbell upright row" refer to this same movement.
