Substitution for upright row

[CathydsRNA]

Hello,
What exercise(s) can be substituted for upright rows. My left elbow always starts hurting during this exercise and stays sore for several days afterwards. Thnks.

 

[icklemoley]

Upright row works the shoulders and traps, so...

Lateral raises
Shoulder press
Shrug
Etc...

Wayne.

 

[trevor]

Hi Cathy,
Wayne has given some good substitutes but did you check your form to see if that's the problem? Upright rows are a staple of any weight program and a good compound exercise, which are the preferred lifts when weight training. I'd only eliminate it if you feel you absolutely cannot do them with good form without hurting your elbow.
Dumbbell side raises and shrugs are isolation moves and generally are used to complement compound moves. You could try adjusting hand/dumbell placement a bit side to side to see if that alleviates the problem.
Good luck!
T.

 

[CathydsRNA]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try hand placement adjustments first to see if this alleviates the problem. I feel like my left elbow is being compressed too much and so maybe separating my hands further on my barbellwill help. If not, I'll use the substitutes instead.
Thanks again.

 

[WD]

In the book that comes with my Bowflex they caution against using the upright row because of an unnatural twisting of the shoulder joint. This is due to recent information in the Physical Therapy field. Bowflex suggests substituting with the front shoulder raise or the rear deltoid rows.
Diane Sue

 

[trevor]

Hi Diane Sue!
Man you look awesome! I continue to be amazed by your pics.
I gotta question that finding you cited. If you look at the upright row movement, I don't see how it's much different for the shoulder than the standard dumbbell raises for shoulders except that it's a compound movement and you are hitting more muscle groups at once. I don't feel a twisting motion at all with it. If hand placement is incorrect I can see undo pressure going to the elbows.
Having said that if a lift is causing discomfort then everyone should first look at form, and if that's not the problem, definitely find alternatives.
Anyway, my two cents.
Trevor

 

[Maximus]

You could try a bent over row--it's basically the same movement but I think gravity could ease the pressure on your joints. Use a bench, chair or coffee table, place one knee on it & the other foot stays on the floor. Start w/the arm opposite the knee on the bench. Let the arm hang naturally toward the floor w/the dumbell in your hand, then pull the dumbell up to your chest area, keeping your elbow in.

 

[WD]

Thanks Trevor. I think that since it is a move that has been used for a long time and has had good results, that it is safe to say unless you can't get around the discomfort, then it is alright to do. The Bowflex people did leave the exercise in there book, just they just warned about the safety of using it and made other suggestions which I thought might help. I don't think Cathe has used this one to much in her later workouts. Maybe that is just for a change in routines.
Diane Sue