Hi Jazz! There are always going to be some exercises that pose a little more risk than others. Upright rows are one of those exercises. If you are not experiencing any discomfort while doing these exercises you should be fine. However, if you want to do a modification here is what you can do: While holding the weight in the starting position, keep your thumbs just outside your thighs and only lift up dumbbells or barbell to about chest height and elbows no higher than shoulder height(to avoid the risk of shoulder impingement).
I actually addressed this topic a couple of years ago. If you are interested in my answer, here is a copy and paste: Take Care Jazz!
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Hi Beth! The exercises that you mention are questioned a lot because of the risk of shoulder impingement(basically put...compression of soft tissue in the shoulder joint during certain shoulder activities which leads to pain, inflammation, and swelling). If you are suffering from an acute shoulder impingement you will most likely need to either avoid certain exercises or at the very least modify them, along with putting longer rest periods beween your shoulder workouts. Side Note: If you have serious shoulder pain and are wondering if you have an impingement, it is best to visit your doctor for an evaluation).
If you do not have an impingement but do have shoulder sensitivity from time to time then you will also benefit from more rest between your shoulder workouts along with using modifications such as lighter weight, different equipment, or different levers (ie: bent arm vs straight arm).
Of course another option in either case is simply to do an entirely different shoulder exercise that you are very comfortable with.
If you have neither a shoulder impingement or shoulder sensitivity, you are fine doing my workouts (or these exercises)as presented, however, always paying attention to using good form, proper weight selection, and listening to your body along the way. As with any exercise, there will always be a time where a move just simply doesn't work for your body.
Since these exercises, along with some other shoulder exercises, have been questioned more over time, more modifications are now offered to help reduce the risk of shoulder injury and/or impingement.
Here are some modifications I offer in many of my workouts:
For starters, the standing set position before we begin to lift weight is to keep your chest lifted, shoulders back and slightly down, core braced, and arms down with thumbs just outside of the thighs. This already is advantageous to the shoulder as it creates more open space in the vunerable shoulder joint areas. Keeping the thumbs outside of the thighs will help to avoid having too narrow of a grip as you come upward with the bar or weights, again a plus in helping to prevent shoulder impingement.
For Side Lateral Raises, you are looking to keep your chest lifted, arms slightly forward as you raise them. Also arms parallel to the floor and just slightly below shoulder height at the top of the movement. If the movement is shown as a long lever side raise, you should still have a slight bend in the elbow to take stress off the joint.
Overhead presses: You should have the arms in the wider placement position as mentioned in the set position. As you lift the bar or weights overhead, you should keep it/them slightly forward as to see it/them out of the corner of your eye. Your joints should not lock out at the top of the movement.
Upright rows: As you draw the bar/weights upward, lead with the elbows and keep your elbows slightly below shoulder height at the top of the movement. You can space your hands wider apart and/or come up to only rib cage height if you still have tenderness in the shoulder area.
We all come from different walks in life and therefore, we will always come across exercises that will or will not be suitable for each individual. My best advise to anyone is if any exercise presents any discomfort in any way, simply modify it, and if you still experience some discomfort, do not do the exercise. I hope this helps clarify some of your questions
