Upright rows - barbell vs. dumbbell

[617ricky]

I was reading something online last night about upright barbell rows being dangerous for your shoulders, and that's when it hit me - they have definitely been straining my shoulders lately..

I got the 1st hint of this when I've been doing my dumbbell inclines lately - when I put the dumbbells down after my set while still seated on the bench (which stretches your shoulder), I'd get some tightness and a little pain.. I couldn't figure out why, as this never seemed to happen before..

Then when I was doing my shoulder exercise a few days later, I realized that on upright barbell rows, they have been straining my shoulders.. Those last few reps I get like a tight uneasy feeling in my shoulders..

So now after reading the article last night, it all made sense.. Now I was reading with dumbbells, there's a lot less strain put on the shoulder - and that if you lean forward a little when you're doing them, it puts even less strain.. So what is you guys' opinion? Are they better with dumbbells?

 

[jm425]

I think with a lot of exercises, the db version puts less strain on your body period. That's just my experience though. I say that from personal experience. I've had more injuries using barbells than dbs. I threw out my lower back once doing bent over bb rows even though I had good form and a belt. I'm guessing it was because I had previously injured my lower back and it came back. However to answer your question, I don't think one is better than the other. Both exercises seem to hit the same general area when done correctly. I still do bent over bb rows but I don't go super heavy on them anymore.

 

[doug1]

upright rows with dumbells sounds kinda strange to me considering where the hands are on the bar, seems difficult to do with dumbells

 

[xxsuprman22xx]

i feel less strain with dumbells and thats why i use them

 

[full_belly]

after watching skip from IM's youtube video showing his version of "skip laterals".. thats how i do my laterals, basically a db upright row, except you take the db from the front of your thigh out wide as you lift to minimise trap involvement... my delts are much rounder in 2 dc blasts with these and they are more like a compound exc, i can do twice as much as i can straight arm laterals and still have strict negatives....

 

[Jablack0680]

I personally prefer the dumbells. The allow for a greater ROM for me without too much strain on my joints. Overall I have been switching to dumbells over the years more and more because of the little injuries I have been getting using heavy barbells.

 

[thebrick]

Its the palms down position on this movement that causes problems.

When the palms are faced down, the humerus is rotated so that the head of the humerus can rise up and forward and bump into the bottom of the acromion. When this impingement occurs, the supraspinatus muscle and tendon, as well as the bursa, are trapped between the humerus and the acromion. When these two soft structures are trapped between two bones, you can guess what happens. This results in swelling and tenderness of this bursa (bursitis) and the supraspinatus muscle and tendon (tendonitis). If you rotate your palms out or up, this is less likely to occur.

Maybe this is why dumbells feel more comfortable because my guess is perhaps you are rotating your palms up slightly

 

[Blade_HST]

Good post. Conclusion: point thumbs towards the ceiling when doing laterals. Bend slightly forward and lift in the scapular plane to hit lateral delts perfectly - this is about 30-40 degrees forward instead of straight to the side.

Like this guy, only bending slightly forward at the hips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCsdpHx-nOo

 

[617ricky]

^ That's not the exercise I'm thinking of tho - this is it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGqH9ga4Y6E

 

[Blade_HST]

Egg-zachary...and that's an exercise you DON'T want to be doing...

 

[jm425]

Good post. Conclusion: point thumbs towards the ceiling when doing laterals. Bend slightly forward and lift in the scapular plane to hit lateral delts perfectly - this is about 30-40 degrees forward instead of straight to the side.

Like this guy, only bending slightly forward at the hips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCsdpHx-nOo

What are you talking about? This post has to do with bb rows and db rows, not laterals.

 

[the vanilla gorilla]

after watching skip from IM's youtube video showing his version of "skip laterals".. thats how i do my laterals, basically a db upright row, except you take the db from the front of your thigh out wide as you lift to minimise trap involvement... my delts are much rounder in 2 dc blasts with these and they are more like a compound exc, i can do twice as much as i can straight arm laterals and still have strict negatives....

Sounds interesting. You got a link to this? Just looked for it, but couldnt find anyting.

 

[Blade_HST]

What are you talking about? This post has to do with bb rows and db rows, not laterals.

Soooo...do you know the difference between an upright row and a regular row?

The first targets delts, the second targets back. Which one are we talking about here?

 

[617ricky]

We're talking about upright rows - and you posted a vid of a lateral raise type thing.. That's what's throwing us off, because that's not the exercise..

 

[BIGKIWI]

I find upright rows sore on my delts not in a good way when i go heavy light weight is deffinately ok but as the weights creep up so does the pain

 

[doug1]

We're talking about upright rows - and you posted a vid of a lateral raise type thing.. That's what's throwing us off, because that's not the exercise..

it is amusing isn't it?

 

[Blade_HST]

We're talking about upright rows - and you posted a vid of a lateral raise type thing.. That's what's throwing us off, because that's not the exercise..

FFS...let's try the spoon-feeding method then:

He posted that upright rows, which is a delt exercise, hurts his shoulders. He was told that upright rows are, indeed, harmful to the shoulders (rotator cuff muscles):

When the palms are faced down, the humerus is rotated so that the head of the humerus can rise up and forward and bump into the bottom of the acromion. When this impingement occurs, the supraspinatus muscle and tendon, as well as the bursa, are trapped between the humerus and the acromion. When these two soft structures are trapped between two bones, you can guess what happens. This results in swelling and tenderness of this bursa (bursitis) and the supraspinatus muscle and tendon (tendonitis). If you rotate your palms out or up, this is less likely to occur.

...sooooo, lateral raises were offered as a better alternative, and to make them even less harmful or painful to shoulders, the scapular plane lateral raises with thumbs pointing up were suggested, as well as the "Skip laterals".

No one is talking about rows in any other way or fashion here.

 

[617ricky]

FFS...let's try the spoon-feeding method then:

He posted that upright rows, which is a delt exercise, hurts his shoulders. He was told that upright rows are, indeed, harmful to the shoulders (rotator cuff muscles):

Ummm, I'm the one that posted the thread in the 1st place.. So instead of your "spoon-feeding", pay a little more attention.. I wasn't asking for any tips on laterals, since I already do them, thanks.. Your replies have given the impression that you have no idea what we're talking about, and that's why multiple people asked you.

 

[Blade_HST]

Alrighty then, my mistake. I thought you were looking for an alternative to upright rows since they were hurting your shoulders. I meant to write "Conclusion: point thumbs towards the ceiling and do laterals instead of upright rows".

There's a good reason why Phil Hernon doesn't have anyone of his trainees do shoulder presses or upright rows.

 

[DatBtrue]

^ That's not the exercise I'm thinking of tho - this is it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGqH9ga4Y6E

Charles Glass style has the hands placed wider on the bar (then that video) and you raise to about the nipple line. This avoids Trap involvement and hits the shoulders well.

This way also reduces rotator cuff problems.