Cable Upright Row
Cable Upright Row trades complexity for round, durable shoulder caps, and it works well after overhead pressing.
How to do Cable Upright Row
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold the cable attachment with an overhand grip.
- Keep your back straight and your core engaged throughout the exercise.
- Pull the cable attachment straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- Slowly lower the cable attachment back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Cable Upright Row Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Stretch the return phase before adding weight.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Move the pin one plate once the last rep feels easy.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Step back until the stack never rests at the top.
Common Cable Upright Row Mistakes
Standing too near the tower so the first inch is slack
Take a step back until the cable is loaded before you begin.
Shrugging the traps up to finish the last few reps
Keep the shoulder blade down and end the set when the shrug appears.
Adding weight faster than technique can absorb it
Hold a weight until every rep looks identical, then move up.
Easier and Harder Than Cable Upright Row
Swap Cable Upright Row For
Cable Upright Row — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Cable Upright Row?
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold the cable attachment with an overhand grip. Keep your back straight and your core engaged throughout the exercise. Pull the cable attachment straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows. Use a cable machine and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Cable Upright Row work?
The Cable Upright Row primarily targets the delts. It is classified as a shoulders exercise and is performed with a cable machine.
How many sets and reps of the Cable Upright Row should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Move the pin one plate once the last rep feels easy. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Cable 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 Cable Upright Row?
Try the Dumbbell Incline T-raise, Barbell Standing Close Grip Military Press 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.
