Pain guide · Shoulder pain

Shoulder pain when doing upright rows: the pinch at the top, grip width, elbow height and swaps

Shoulder pain when you do upright rows usually comes as your elbows reach or pass shoulder height, and where it hurts is the best clue. A pinch at the front or outside of the shoulder usually comes from the rotator cuff (often called impingement); one spot on top at the end of the collarbone may be the AC joint (where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade); and an ache from the top of the shoulder into the neck usually comes from the trapezius, which upright rows work hard. No study has counted injuries from upright rows, but in weight trainers, signs of impingement went with rows taken above shoulder height. Leave them out while it hurts; when they come back, keep your hands at least 30 cm (12 inches) apart and your elbows no higher than your shoulders. Upright rows aren't always bad for shoulders: they have been part of programmes that eased neck and shoulder pain.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from accident and emergency (A&E) for a shoulder that looks out of place after a fall, and a 999 call for chest pain that feels tight or spreads to your arm, to a same-day check through the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP) for sudden weakness lifting your arm, a pop with a bulge in the arm or a hot, swollen shoulder. It then maps the causes by where it hurts, explains what the studies show, and don't, about height, grip width and the turned-in arm and why a scan rarely helps at first, shows how to change your shoulder training today, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move, from rotator cuff work and raises back to upright rows, if you want them.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 30 sourcesUpdated 28 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E: after a fall or injury, your shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape, you cannot move your arm, or your shoulder is painful, bruised or swollen. Do not drive yourself, and do not try to put it back in yourself.
Call 999: shoulder or arm pain with chest pain that feels tight or squeezing, or chest pain that spreads to your arms, neck or jaw, especially with shortness of breath, sweating or feeling sick. It could be a heart attack.
Get help from NHS 111: pain or tightness in your chest, neck, shoulders, jaw or arms that comes and goes, often brought on by exercise, stress, emotion or cold and easing after a few minutes' rest. It can be angina, a sign of a heart problem. If you've been diagnosed with angina, get help from NHS 111 too if it feels worse than before, is happening more often, lasts longer or happens when you're resting.
Call 999: you suddenly can't fully lift both arms and keep them there, because of weakness or numbness in one arm, especially if one side of your face droops or you slur your words or sound confused. It could be a stroke. Call even if the signs have stopped.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): sudden weakness lifting the arm after an injury or fall. A rotator cuff tear caused by an injury needs urgent referral to a shoulder specialist. After a dislocation in anyone over 40, the rotator cuff should be checked: about 40% have a tear.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): a sudden pop or snap with pain at the shoulder or upper arm during a lift, with or without a bulge low in the upper arm. It's usually a torn long head of the biceps. Most need no operation, but the rotator cuff can tear at the same time.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): sudden or very bad shoulder pain; you cannot move your arm; the arm or shoulder is badly swollen or has changed shape; pins and needles that do not go away; no feeling in the arm; the arm is hot or cold to the touch; pain that started after an injury such as a fall; or severe pain in both shoulders.
Same day: clumsiness in your hands, or numbness, pins and needles or weakness in one or both arms, that is getting worse; problems with balance or walking since the neck pain started; or neck pain with a severe headache.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): severe neck pain that starts suddenly or gets worse quickly; heaviness or weakness in the arms or legs; pins and needles in an arm along with neck or arm pain; or pain between the shoulder blades.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): the shoulder or arm is hot, swollen or red, or you have a high temperature (although not everyone has one) or feel unwell. A joint infection needs same-day care.
Same day (call NHS 111, or go to A&E if you feel very unwell): after a big or unusual session, such as hundreds of pull-ups, push-ups, dips or curls, a challenge or a new class, muscle pain, swelling or weakness far worse than the session explains, and dark pee (red, brown, tea or cola coloured), sometimes starting hours or days later. Dark pee isn't always there, so muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains still need the same-day check. It can be rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Pain that is getting worse or has not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it yourself, or it is very hard to move your arm. In many areas you can refer yourself to physiotherapy.
Your shoulder has partly or fully come out of joint, or you worry it might.
Pins and needles or a cold arm alongside neck pain, or a new loss of strength or feeling in the arm that you cannot explain (a possible nerve problem).
Painful clicking or snapping at the front of the shoulder, or a feeling of something slipping there. The tendon can slip out of its groove, usually alongside a rotator cuff tear, so ask for an assessment.
Not improving after a good 3 months of exercise, or the arm is clearly weak: ask for a specialist opinion.
Pain on top of the shoulder with no injury that hasn't eased after 6 to 12 weeks of changing your training: ask a GP or physiotherapist for an assessment.
A past history of cancer, an unexplained lump or swelling, weight loss, or pain that is constant and does not ease when you change position.
See a GP if you have pain and stiffness for more than a week, especially if you're over 50, it's in both shoulders (often the neck and hips too) and the stiffness lasts longer than 45 minutes in the morning. It can be polymyalgia rheumatica.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

A pinch or ache at the front or outside of the shoulder and upper arm as the elbows reach or pass shoulder height; sometimes at night or lying on it

Usually rotator cuff pain, often called impingement: the usual pattern. Leaving upright rows out, then stopping lower with a wider grip, usually helps.

Read: Shoulder impingement (rotator cuff pain) →One spot on top at the end of the collarbone, worse with heavy rows to the chin, pressing, reaching across your body or lying on that side

Possibly the AC joint, including weightlifter's shoulder. That upright rows bring it on is our reading: the studies of lifters link it with weight training and bench pressing, and none names the upright row.

Read: AC joint injury and pain →From the top of the shoulder into the side of the neck, a tight ache during or after heavy or many upright rows or shrugs

Usually the upper trapezius and neck muscles, which the upright row works hard. Lighter weights and shoulders down usually help.

Read: Neck and shoulder pain →A tender groove at the front of the shoulder, worse with narrow upright rows, front raises and curls

Often the long head of the biceps tendon, usually alongside the rotator cuff (our reading; no study has looked at upright rows).

Read: Biceps tendinitis (shoulder) →The wrist, worse with a narrow, fixed bar

The wrist bent and turned on a straight bar (our reading). A wider grip, dumbbells or a band usually help; our wrist guide covers pain that stays.

Read: Wrist and hand pain →The inside or outside of the elbow or forearm, worse gripping

Usually golfer's or tennis elbow. Our elbow pain from lifting guide covers it.

Read: Elbow pain when lifting →An even ache in both shoulders and the traps a day or two after a new or harder session, easing day by day

Muscle soreness.

Read: Shoulder pain after a workout →Pain mainly in seated, cable or bent-over rows

Our rows guide covers ordinary rows.

Read: Shoulder pain in rows →Pain mainly in lateral or front raises

Our lateral raise guide covers raises.

Read: Shoulder pain in lateral raises →Sudden weakness lifting the arm after a heavy, jerky rep or a fall

Possibly a rotator cuff tear: get it checked the same day, as the warning signs say.

Read: Rotator cuff tear →A clunk, a dead arm or a feeling that the shoulder will slip

Possibly a loose shoulder: stop that position and get it checked soon.

Read: Shoulder dislocation and instability →From the neck down the arm, with pins and needles, numbness or a cold arm

A nerve in the neck.

Read: Pinched nerve in the neck →

Shoulder or arm pain with chest pain, breathlessness, sweating or feeling sick, or discomfort that comes with effort and eases with rest

Possibly the heart: see the warning signs.

Understand it

What an upright row asks of the shoulder, and what no study has countedEmerging evidence

You lift a bar, dumbbells, a cable or a band from your thighs up the front of your body, elbows leading, to about the lower chest. The upper arm rises out to the side while it is turned in, which is why the height matters so much. In 16 men lifting 70% of their maximum, the barbell upright row worked the side of the shoulder (the middle deltoid) at 73% of its maximum, the front at 33% and the back at 31%. In 12 women with neck muscle pain it drove the trapezius to 85% of its maximum with only 3 to 10 kg.

No study counts shoulder pain caused by upright rows, and no injury survey or case report we found names the upright row as the cause of an injury. Up to 36% of documented weight training injuries are at the shoulder, mostly from studies looking back. The one study of lifters is a snapshot: in 77 men, 46 of whom trained with weights, signs of impingement went with upright rows and lateral raises taken above 90 degrees, and less often with training the muscles that turn the arm out. It can't show cause. So the map on this page is built from what each condition is known to do; that the pain comes when height, load or a sudden jump gets ahead of the shoulder is our reading, not a counted fact.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Height matters most; "turned in" is less certain than gym lore saysMixed evidence

One lab study measured 21.3 newtons of squeeze on the ligament over the shoulder with the arm at 90 degrees and turned fully in, against 3 or less turned neutral or out, in 13 people without symptoms. But in a scanning study of 12 volunteers, the gap under the acromion (the bony roof of the shoulder) shrank from 7.0 mm at 30 degrees to 3.9 mm at 120 degrees, and at 90 degrees it was wider with the arm turned in than out, with the most vulnerable part of a rotator cuff tendon then sitting closest to the roof's edge.

The one study of the upright row position itself, in 25 men, found that holding 4 kg it left less space than a raise with the arm turned out, but no less than a plain raise to 90 degrees; without a weight it left more. A review concludes that how high the arm goes consistently matters most, and that the effect of turning it is unclear. A 2026 review argues the narrowing follows rotator cuff problems rather than causing them. So keeping the elbows at or below shoulder height is the safest single rule; the twist matters less than the height (our reading).

Sources 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The top of the shoulder, the neck and the armsEmerging evidence

Weightlifter's shoulder (wear and thinning of the bone at the end of the collarbone, called osteolysis) was found on X-ray in 7 of 25 competitive weightlifters and none of 25 men who didn't lift. In a series of 46 male athletes with it, 45 lifted weights. A review names bench presses and chest flies among the lifts it makes painful. None of these studies names the upright row, so calling pain on top of the shoulder in upright rows the AC joint is our reading.

An ache from the top of the shoulder into the neck is usually the upper trapezius, which works almost as hard in an upright row as in a shrug, with far lighter weights. Wrist or elbow pain on a narrow, fixed bar is our reading too; no study has looked at it.

Sources 11, 12, 13, 4

What a scan shows, and when a test mattersStrong evidence

Not at first for a pinch at the front or outside: the NHS says a GP or physiotherapist can diagnose impingement. Read scan reports with care. In 96 people without shoulder pain, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed rotator cuff tears in 34%, and in 54% of those over 60; across 6,112 shoulders, rotator cuff changes rose from 9.7% at 20 or younger to 62% at 80 or older, whether or not they hurt.

A test does matter after a suspected dislocation (an X-ray in hospital), for sudden weakness after an injury (a possible tear), for pain on top of the shoulder that hasn't settled with changed training (an X-ray shows osteolysis), and for pain not improving after a good 3 months of exercise.

Sources 14, 15, 16, 17, 13

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

No study follows shoulder pain from upright rows. In 349 people with new shoulder pain in Dutch general practice, 23% had recovered completely at 1 month and 59% at a year; pain after overuse or a slight injury, and seeing someone early, went with a faster recovery, and neck pain at the same time with a slower one. In a UK trial of 708 adults with rotator cuff pain, every group improved over a year. The NHS says impingement usually gets better in a few weeks or months.

In the lifters with osteolysis who didn't have surgery, symptoms eased once they stopped or changed their training. No one can promise a date.

Sources 18, 19, 14, 11

Rare but serious: the heart, a dislocation, a torn tendon and infectionEmerging evidence

The heart can show up as shoulder or arm pain, so it comes first: the NHS sends chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing, or chest pain that spreads to the arms, neck or jaw, to 999. A shoulder that looks out of place or has changed shape after an injury goes to A&E, where it is usually X-rayed. A sudden pop, or sudden weakness lifting the arm after a heavy, jerky rep, can be a torn tendon, and a hot, swollen or red shoulder, especially with a high temperature, can be a joint infection; both need checking the same day. All of these are rare in the gym.

Sources 20, 17, 21

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Height first: elbows no higher than the shouldersEmerging evidence

The case rests on the snapshot study of weight trainers, in which signs of impingement went with upright rows above 90 degrees, and on lab data showing that height changes the space under the acromion most. An expert column in the National Strength and Conditioning Association's (NSCA's) journal advises pulling to just below shoulder height and, for people with impingement who get pain, "to an angle below the shoulder height that does not provoke symptoms or to avoid the exercise altogether". A hospital handout says not to raise the bar higher than the point at which the elbow reaches shoulder level.

This is expert advice built on a snapshot and lab studies of healthy shoulders, not a tested treatment.

Sources 1, 5, 22, 9

Grip width: sensible advice, not a tested fixEmerging evidence

The hospital handout says keep your grip at least 12 inches (about 30 cm) apart. In 16 trained men lifting 85% of their maximum, deltoid and trapezius activity rose, and biceps activity fell, as the grip widened from half to twice shoulder width, with large to very large differences.

That study measured muscle activity, not the shoulder's angles, the space under the acromion or pain, and no study has tested grip width for shoulder pain. The NSCA column gives no grip advice; the width comes from the handout.

Sources 22, 23, 5

Upright rows have been part of the treatmentEmerging evidence

In 30 office workers with neck and shoulder pain, 10 minutes a day of band training 5 days a week (a one-arm row, an upright row to the upper breastbone, a reverse fly and a lateral raise) cut average pain by 25% and worst pain by 43% over 8 weeks, compared with the 8 weeks before. Women in rehabilitation for neck muscle pain did upright rows in a muscle activity study, and a case report used band upright rows, elbows no higher than 90 degrees, 3 sets of 10 daily, in rehab of the end of the collarbone.

None of these tested the upright row on its own against pain, so they show it can be part of a programme, not that it treats anything.

Sources 24, 4, 25

Exercise is the treatment for rotator cuff painStrong evidence

In 102 people with long-standing rotator cuff pain who were waiting for surgery, specific rotator cuff and shoulder-blade exercises, each done as 3 sets of 15 twice a day for 8 weeks, raised a shoulder score by 24 points against 9 with general exercise; 69% against 24% reported a successful outcome, and 20% against 63% chose surgery. In a UK trial of 708 adults with a new rotator cuff problem, one physiotherapy advice session with a home programme did as well over a year as up to six sessions of progressive exercise.

Weight trainers with impingement signs had weaker outward rotators and lower trapezius, and those who trained their outward rotators less often had the signs. These are snapshots, so they show a link, not a cause, but it is why the plan keeps that work going. The trials were in middle-aged patients, not lifters, so the evidence is borrowed.

Sources 26, 19, 27, 1

Swaps that keep the training effectEmerging evidence

In the same study of 16 men, a bent-arm lateral raise worked the middle deltoid at 77% of its maximum, against 73% for the upright row, a 45-degree incline row at 84%, and a seated rear raise worked the back of the shoulder at 73%. Shrugs worked the trapezius at 102% of its maximum with 20 to 30 kg, against 85% for the upright row. None of these studies measured pain.

Raises above 90 degrees went with impingement signs too, and the hospital handout lists standing lateral raises among exercises to avoid, so whatever you raise, stop at shoulder height while it's sore.

Sources 3, 4, 22, 1

Injections, painkillers and surgeryStrong evidence

In the UK trial of 708 adults, a steroid injection made no difference to pain and function over 12 months. The NHS suggests painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, or ibuprofen gel, and says injections may relieve pain if rest and exercises don't help on their own. For weightlifter's shoulder, changing training, anti-inflammatory medicines and injections come first, and removing the end of the collarbone is for the few who don't settle; in the series of 46 men, the 19 operated men who were followed up were relieved.

Sources 19, 14, 13, 11

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, back to where it was by your next sessionEmerging evidence

This guide uses the shoulder hub's rule, as our other shoulder movement guides do. During shoulder strengthening, pain up to about 5 out of 10 is acceptable, and a little is expected. By your next session it should be back to where it was before. If it isn't, use a lighter band or weight or a smaller range next time, not nothing. It comes from the trial of 102 people above, whose patients were not allowed to go above 5 out of 10 while exercising but were encouraged to feel some pain, with any rise settled before the next session. NHS inform's shoulder exercises use the same bands (0 to 3 minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive) and want pain no worse the morning after. In 7 trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain (385 people), exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise. A hospital handout for lifters is stricter: don't work through pain in the shoulder joint.

For upright rows and their swaps (our suggestion, built on the same rule): a sharp pinch at the top of the pull is a signal to stop lower, not to push through. Choose the height, grip, tool and load where the last reps stay at 5 out of 10 or less and the shoulder is back to its usual level by your next session; if it isn't, go back a step, not to nothing. A clunk, a dead arm, pins and needles or numbness down the arm, a pop, sudden weakness, a bulge in the arm or chest pain aren't pain-rule questions: see the warning signs.

Sources 26, 28, 29, 22

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Keep the shoulder working, upright rows out

About weeks 0 to 2, the rotator cuff work daily and the rest 2 or 3 times a week: rotator cuff and shoulder-blade work from day one, and shoulder and trap training with the arms at or below shoulder height. No upright rows, high pulls or sets to failure for now. With a diagnosed condition (a rotator cuff tear, an AC joint injury or weightlifter's shoulder, biceps tendon pain, a loose shoulder), that guide's plan comes first; after surgery, your surgical team's plan does.

Standing band external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 15, light band, elbow at your side, twice a day, within the pain rule · The sets, repetitions and frequency the trial of 102 people used for its rotator cuff exercises; the exercise is our choice, as in our impingement guide. If 15 hurts, do fewer and build up

Easier: Stick-assisted external rotation (lying) · Harder: Side-lying external rotation

Scaption raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoScaption raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

3 sets of 15, thumbs up, raised only to just below the pinch and no higher than shoulder height, lowering over about 3 s · The trial's sets and repetitions; the exercise is our choice, as in our impingement and lateral raise guides

Easier: Band lateral raise · Harder: Smith machine upright row

3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 to 3 reps short of failure · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Band lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand lateral raiseBeginner · A band

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, slightly in front of your body, below the pinch · As in our impingement guide (editorial)

Harder: Dumbbell lateral raise

Dumbbell shrug demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell shrugBeginner · A dumbbell

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve, pausing a second at the top · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. The traps with your arms by your sides

Harder: Snatch shrug

Move on when: Daily life and the stage 1 moves pass the pain rule for a week, and raising your arm to shoulder height without a weight is comfortable or within the pain rule (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Build the cuff, the side delts and the traps

About weeks 2 to 6, 3 to 5 days a week: stronger outward rotators and shoulder-blade muscles, and side-delt work with raises and rows that keep the elbows at or below shoulder height.

Side-lying external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-lying external rotationBeginner · A dumbbell

3 sets of 15, once a day, lowering over about 3 s · The trial moved to once a day from week 8; sooner here is our suggestion

Easier: Standing band external rotation · Harder: Cuban rotation

Side-lying incline lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-lying incline lateral raiseBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 each side, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. Lying on an incline makes the raise heaviest low in the range (our reading)

Easier: Dumbbell lateral raise · Harder: Barbell front raise to overhead

3D demoFace pullIntermediate · A band

3 sets of 12 to 15 · As in our impingement guide (editorial): the back of the shoulder and the outward rotators

Easier: Prone Y-T-W raises · Harder: Tuck back lever

Kneeling rope high row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoKneeling rope high rowBeginner · A cable machine

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point: a swap for the upper back and the back of the shoulder

Easier: Seated rope high row · Harder: Bent-over dumbbell row, palms in

Prone Y-T-W raises demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoProne Y-T-W raisesBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 rounds of 8 · As in our impingement guide (editorial)

Easier: Wall angel · Harder: Bent-over reverse fly

Dumbbell lateral raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell lateral raiseBeginner · A dumbbell

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, to shoulder height, thumbs level or slightly up, 2 or 3 reps short · Editorial, as our lateral raise guide teaches. A bent-arm raise worked the side delt as hard as an upright row in a lab study

Easier: Band lateral raise · Harder: Smith machine upright row

Move on when: 3 sets of lateral raises to shoulder height and face pulls pass the pain rule, with the shoulder back to its usual level by the next session, for a week (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Upright rows back, if you want them: wide, light, to shoulder height

From about week 6, often later: upright rows only if your training needs them, last, in the gentlest version first, one change at a time by the written steps below, with the rotator cuff work kept twice a week. Every upright row move page says leave it out with shoulder pain, so this stage starts only once raises to shoulder height are pain-free or within the pain rule. No study has tested a return to upright rows after shoulder pain, so the order is editorial.

Band upright row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand upright rowIntermediate · A band

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, hands at least 30 cm apart, elbows no higher than your shoulders, 2 or 3 reps short · Editorial starting dose, as our upright row guide gives it; the grip from the hospital handout and the height from the handout and the expert column

Easier: Dumbbell lateral raise · Harder: Upright barbell row

One-arm dumbbell upright row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoOne-arm dumbbell upright rowIntermediate · A dumbbell

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve, the elbow no higher than the shoulder · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point

Easier: Anti-gravity press · Harder: Barbell rear-delt row

Cable upright row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoCable upright rowIntermediate · A cable machine

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, a rope or a bar held wide, to shoulder height · Editorial, as for the band version

Easier: Dumbbell lateral raise · Harder: Barbell rear-delt row

Upright barbell row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoUpright barbell rowIntermediate · A barbell

Last: 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20 at under two-thirds of your maximum, hands at least 30 cm apart, elbows just below shoulder height · The expert column's endurance dose; it says people prone to shoulder injury should start at the lower end

Easier: Dumbbell lateral raise · Harder: Barbell rear-delt row

Cable external rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoCable external rotationBeginner · A cable machine

2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, twice a week, kept going · Editorial. Training the outward rotators went with fewer impingement signs in weight trainers (an association)

Harder: Side-lying external rotation

Move on when: Your usual shoulder sessions, with or without upright rows, pass the pain rule for 2 weeks. If upright rows bring the pain back each time, leave them out for good: raises, rows and shrugs train the same muscles. If it flares after a big session, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Your upright row for now, and when it comes back (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show all of these. They come from an expert column, a hospital handout, a snapshot study of weight trainers and a lab study of grip width; where a step is our suggestion, it says so. No trial has tested a change to the upright row for shoulder pain.

1. Leave upright rows out while it hurts. The expert column says people with impingement who get pain should lower the height or avoid them, our move pages say leave them out with shoulder pain, and the NHS says don't carry on with activities that caused the pain.
2. When they come back, height first: elbows no higher than your shoulders, lower if it pinches, as the handout and the column say.
3. Grip: hands at least 30 cm (12 inches) apart, as the hospital handout says; about shoulder width or wider also works the deltoids and traps more.
4. Bar close, elbows lead: pull the bar close to your body and pull through the elbows, not the wrists, as the column says.
5. Dumbbells, a band, a rope on a cable or one arm at a time let your hands and wrists find their own path (our suggestion).
6. Light and controlled: stop 2 or 3 reps short of failure; the handout says training to failure is not recommended. The column warns that fast pulls taken too high create very high forces at the shoulder.
7. Weightlifting high pulls: slow and light at first, with the upper arm under about 60 degrees, as the column says of a properly performed clean.
8. Add load in small steps after a session that passed the pain rule, one change at a time: the band, then dumbbells or a cable, then the bar (our suggestion).

Sources 5, 22, 1, 23, 14

Keep using the arm

The NHS says do not completely stop using your shoulder, because this can stop it getting better, and do not make up your own strenuous exercises or use heavy gym equipment while it hurts; the plan on this page is a structured programme, not a made-up one. Carry bags in your hand rather than on the sore shoulder, reach up to high shelves slowly while it's sore, and sleep on the other side or your back with a pillow under the sore arm (editorial).

Sources 30, 14

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Upright rows while it hurts	The expert column says lower the height or avoid them with impingement pain, and our move pages say leave them out with shoulder pain.	Scaption raises to shoulder height and face pulls.Try: Scaption raise
Pulling the bar to your chin, elbows above your shoulders	Impingement signs went with upright rows above 90 degrees, and the hospital handout says the elbow no higher than shoulder level.	Stop at shoulder height, lower if it pinches.
A narrow grip, hands or dumbbells touching	The handout's minimum is 12 inches (30 cm) apart, and a narrow grip shifts work to the biceps.	Hands at least 30 cm apart, or one arm at a time.Try: One-arm dumbbell upright row
Heavy, fast or jerky reps, and high pulls taken high	Fast pulls taken too high create very high forces at the shoulder, the expert column says.	Slow, light reps; high pulls later, with the upper arm under about 60 degrees.
Sets to failure and drop sets	The hospital handout says training to failure is not recommended.	Stop 2 or 3 reps short.
Shrugging the bar up with a sore neck and traps	The upright row already works the trapezius at 85% of its maximum.	Lighter, or shrugs with your arms by your sides.Try: Dumbbell shrug
Swapping to heavy standing raises above shoulder height	Raises above 90 degrees went with impingement signs too, and the handout lists standing lateral raises among exercises to avoid.	Side-lying incline raises, to shoulder height.Try: Side-lying incline lateral raise
The cross-body stretch with pain on top of the shoulder	Reaching across your body stresses the AC joint, as our AC joint and lateral raise guides say.	Rotator cuff work with a band.Try: Standing band external rotation
Resting the arm completely	The NHS says this can stop the shoulder getting better.	The stage 1 moves.Try: Band row
Pulling through a pop, sudden weakness, a clunk or a dead arm	It can mean a torn tendon or a loose shoulder: see the warning signs.	Stop and get it checked.

Routines to follow

Shoulder mobility and rotator cuff routine (with a band)

A 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.

25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A band

Shoulder workout

A shoulder workout for all three heads: overhead press, lateral raises, reverse flyes, face pulls and rotations.

40 minIntermediate8 movesA band, A barbell

Shoulder workout at home: presses, lateral raises and rear-shoulder work

A 30-minute home shoulder workout with dumbbells or a band: presses, lateral raises for the side of the shoulder, and rear-shoulder and rotator cuff work.

30 minBeginner8 movesA band, A dumbbell

Traps workout: shrugs, rows, raises and carries

A 30-minute traps workout with dumbbells: shrugs for the upper traps, then rows, raises and reverse flys for the rest of them, and farmer's carries to finish.

30 minBeginner9 movesA band, A dumbbell

Neck and shoulder strength routine

Deep neck holds and shoulder-blade strength in under 20 minutes: one of the best-supported kinds of exercise for a stiff, sore neck.

18 minBeginner11 movesA band, An anchor point

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my shoulder hurt when I do upright rows?

The upright row lifts your arm out to the side while it's turned in, and the pain usually comes as your elbows reach or pass shoulder height. Where it hurts is the best clue: the front or outside points to the rotator cuff, one spot on top possibly to the AC joint, and the top of the shoulder into the neck to the trapezius.

Why do I feel a pinch at the top of the upright row?

Usually the rotator cuff, which often hurts near shoulder height. Leave upright rows out for now; when they come back, stop with your elbows at or below shoulder height, lower if it pinches, as an expert column and a hospital handout advise.

Are upright rows bad for your shoulders?

Not for everyone. Signs of impingement went with upright rows above shoulder height in one study of weight trainers, but no study has counted injuries, and upright rows have been part of programmes that eased neck and shoulder pain. Wide, light and to shoulder height is the sensible way to do them.

How wide should I grip, and how high should I pull?

Hands at least 30 cm (12 inches) apart, as a hospital handout says, and elbows no higher than your shoulders. A wider grip also works the deltoids and traps more and the biceps less, though no study has tested grip width for pain.

Why does the top of my shoulder hurt with upright rows?

One spot you can cover with a finger at the end of the collarbone may be the AC joint, which in lifters is linked with heavy training and bench pressing; no study links it to upright rows, so that part is our reading. Leave upright rows and heavy pressing out for now, and see a GP or physiotherapist if it hasn't eased after 6 to 12 weeks of changed training.

Why does my neck hurt doing upright rows?

The upright row works the upper trapezius, which runs from your neck to the tip of your shoulder, almost as hard as a shrug, even with light weights. Go lighter and keep your shoulders down. Pins and needles or a cold arm with neck pain need checking.

Why do upright rows hurt my wrists or elbows?

A narrow, fixed bar bends the wrists and loads the forearms (our reading; no study has looked). Widen your grip, or use dumbbells, a band or a rope so your hands can turn, and see our wrist and elbow guides if the pain stays.

Are dumbbell, cable or band upright rows better for a sore shoulder?

No study has compared them for pain. They let your hands and arms find their own path, which many people find more comfortable (our view), so use whichever stays within the pain rule, wide and to shoulder height.

What can I do instead of upright rows?

Lateral or scaption raises to shoulder height, face pulls and high rows for the back of the shoulder, and shrugs for the traps. In a lab study, a bent-arm lateral raise worked the side of the shoulder at least as hard as an upright row, and shrugs worked the trapezius harder.

Can I do upright rows with shoulder impingement or a rotator cuff tear?

An expert column advises a lower, pain-free height or leaving them out, and our move pages say leave them out with shoulder pain. Follow our impingement or rotator cuff tear guide first, and bring upright rows back last, if at all.

Do I need a scan?

Usually not at first: a GP or physiotherapist can diagnose impingement, and scans of shoulders that don't hurt often show tears. An X-ray or scan matters after an injury, for pain on top of the shoulder that won't settle, or for pain not improving after a good 3 months of exercise.

When should I see a doctor?

Go to A&E for a shoulder that looks out of place after a fall, and call 999 for chest pain that feels tight or spreads to your arm, neck or jaw. Get a same-day check for sudden weakness lifting the arm, a pop with a bulge in the arm, pins and needles that don't go away or a hot, swollen shoulder, and see a GP or physiotherapist if it's no better after 2 weeks. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise guides

Upright rows guide

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.