I’ve written and taught on the topic of the exercise called the ‘Upright Row’ many times in the past. Sadly, people are still performing this most awkward and dangerous exercise. I guess I will try to keep reaching as many people as possible about this movement. It is responsible for too many injuries. This blog falls on the heels of a prior blog about ‘side deltoid raises’ and the issue of impingement.
The upright row is responsible for shoulder damage. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen injuries occur right in front of my face with people performing this exercise. Ouch! Let’s look at the picture above and break it down!
The upright row movement is a flexion/abduction movement of the shoulder rolled in with internal rotation and a bit of retraction, all while under load. What does this do for your shoulder? Well, nothing too much on the good side and a lot on the bad side (meaning, it’s bad). This movement is notorious for impinging the supraspinatus muscle. It just so happens that the supraspinatus is the most damaged rotator cuff muscle. The more distal fibers lie under the acromion process. Continue Reading →