After I finish my current program in about six weeks, I’m looking to add in a little bit of work for my rear delts to prevent muscle imbalances. Do upright rows work your rear delts? I’m just a little bored with Cuban presses and rear delt raises.
my friend who’s never done back work other than deadlifts, cleans, bent over rows, and pullups started doing upright rows and got sore in his rear delts like he never had before.
just be sure to bend over 10-20 degrees. this activates the rear delts while deactivating the front delts.
If you’re bending over, is it really an upright row?
Proper upright rows work the medial head of the deltoid, so far as shoulder involvement goes, and its a rather good exercise for them.
Rear delts? Try some bent over barbell rows.
That’s another reason I love bent-over barbell rows, because not only do they thicken you’re back in general, but they also hit the rear delts.
What kind of grip spacing do you guys use? I’ve gone from a real close grip(6") to a shoulder width grip, i just switch it up from time to time. Is there a “correct” grip width or does everyone just vary like I do?
IMHO, the Upright Row is the best exercise for the entire shoulder girdle. If you look at the shoulder position in the Upright Row throughout its range of motion, you’ll notice the rear shoulders are the prime movers at the beginning of the lift; the middle shoulders take over at midpoint; and the front shoulders are utilized the most at the top of the lift.
Hand placement is very important in the Upright Row. The narrower the grip, the more emphasis on the anterior delts. Shoulder-width grips are best for the median delts. And wider-than-shoulder-width-grip (we’re in High Pull territory here) works your posterior delts … this is where you want to be.
Some will warn you about Upright Rows being dangerous and can cause “shoulder impingement” or something like that, I feel this is due to overuse of the extreme narrow, thumb-to-thumb grip. Personally I prefer the shoulder-width grip, and have never encountered any problems.
Also keep in mind; as soon as your elbows go above the horizontal plane, your traps take over.
Two exercises I found that worked my rear delts pretty damn good.
- On a cable cross over machine. Place Single grips on the bottom. With right hand grab the left handle … and with your left hand grab the right (yes your hands will be crossed). Bend over at the waist so that your upper torso is parallel to the floor. With out banging the crap out of your hands … raise the cable straight out to the side … at the ver top portion of the movement … squeeze your shoulder blades together just a little. Start out w/ the lower weight until you get the hang of it.
Seond exercise.
On the same machine you would do lower cable rows … place a rope (same on you use tricep press dowons on) on the machine.
Legs slightly bent … back straight … begin pulling the rope up towards your neck area … as you get higher … separate the ends of the rope … at the most extreme part … squeeze those shoulder blades together …
Feel the burn …
I hope this helps.
Goblin.
[quote]Moon Knight wrote:
If you’re bending over, is it really an upright row?
Proper upright rows work the medial head of the deltoid, so far as shoulder involvement goes, and its a rather good exercise for them.
Rear delts? Try some bent over barbell rows.[/quote]
i guess it’s just a matter of who you’re talking to. some people call 45 degree angle rows bent over rows.
however you call the exercise, ive found a slightly bent over row will hit the rear delts like the overhead press hits the front delts.
but, of course, wide grip bent over rows to the chest are great for rear delts as well.