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Upright Rows

Others may disagree with me but I'm not a fan of the close grip upright rowing motion, as it is commonly performed in most gyms. Without going into the physiology and mechanics of the movement, (I hope that others more knowledgeable than I will respond,) it places the shoulders in a compromised mechanical position and encourages the development of impingement syndrome over time.

If one insists on doing the movement, some safety may be garnered by lowering the amount of weight used and performing the movement in the following manner:

Stand with the feet comfortably spaced, grasping the barbell with about 8-10 inches between the hands. Commence the movement by pulling up with the arms so that the barbell travels straight up and down about 10-14 inches in front of your body. Pull the bar up till it reaches at least the level of the chin. Some may find that pulling to eyebrow or forehead level to be even more effective. The elbows should remain higher than the hands throughout the movement.

By keeping the bar out in front of the body, one is essentially turning the movement into a modified forward raise. Its effects will be very similar to the dumbbell forward raise and the side lateral raise, activating both the anterior and lateral head of the deltoid mass, as well as the trapezius.

However, I prefer to dispense with the close grip altogether.

A safer variation of the upright rowing movement utilizes a wide grip, where the upper and lower arm form a ninety degree angle at the top of the movement. The bar is pulled smoothly to the mid torso or (if the trainee is flexible) to the lower pectoral line. In this variation, the bar is held in close to the body. The posterior and lateral deltoids are activated, as well as the trapezius and many of the mid back muscles. The shoulder doesn't rotate to an extreme position and is less likely to develop impingement syndrome.

Most people do the close grip upright row thinking they are performing a pure deltoid exercise. This is erroneous, as the trapezius takes over and finishes the movement once the bar reaches mid torso. One need pull no further than the lower pectoral line if trying to emphasize the deltoids. Wicked Willie