Wide Grip Upright Row

The wide grip upright row pulls a barbell vertically along the body with the hands set well outside shoulder width, and that grip is what separates a useful exercise from a problematic one. The narrow-grip version has a poor reputation for good reason: it forces the shoulder into internal rotation while the arm rises, which is the position most likely to compress the tissue under the acromion. Widening the grip reduces that internal rotation considerably and shifts the emphasis toward the lateral deltoid and the upper back rather than the traps alone. Height matters as much as width. Stopping when the elbows reach shoulder level keeps the movement in a range the joint tolerates, while pulling the bar to the collarbone takes it straight back into the position the wide grip was meant to avoid.