Smith Upright Row
Also known as: smith machine upright row
Smith Upright Row pairs a guided vertical bar path with round, durable shoulder caps — ready for real load and honest reps.
How to do Smith Upright Row
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing the smith machine.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
- Pull the barbell up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Smith Upright Row Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. The fixed path lets you push closer to failure safely.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Add load in small steps since the bar is stable.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Set the safety catches so you can train hard alone.
Common Smith Upright Row Mistakes
Standing in a spot that fights the fixed bar path
Set your feet so the bar tracks straight over the joint you are loading.
Shrugging the traps up to finish the last few reps
Keep the shoulder blade down and end the set when the shrug appears.
Letting the last set decay into a different exercise
End the set when the pattern changes, not when the reps run out.
Easier and Harder Than Smith Upright Row
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Smith Upright Row — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Smith Upright Row?
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing the smith machine. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight and your core engaged. Use a Smith 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 Smith Upright Row work?
The Smith Upright Row primarily targets the delts. It is classified as a shoulders exercise and is performed with a Smith machine.
How many sets and reps of the Smith Upright Row should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Add load in small steps since the bar is stable. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Smith 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 Smith Upright Row?
Try the Cable Upright Row, Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row or the Dumbbell Seated Alternate Front Raise. Each trains the delts with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
Is the Smith Upright Row the same as the smith machine upright row?
Yes. The Smith Upright Row is also commonly called the smith machine upright row. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "smith machine upright row" refer to this same movement.
