How to do a Smith Machine One-Arm Upright Row
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
Smith Machine
Workouts with Smith Machine One-Arm Upright Row
Instructions for Proper Form
This exercise is a variation on the more standard Upright Row. Like other Upright Rows, this compound movement primarily targets the shoulders. The use of a Smith Machine adds significantly more stability to the movement. In addition, by performing this exercise with one arm at a time, you add a bit of instability back into the movement, while also ensuring that you don’t compensate for any strength discrepancies between sides.
- In an upright standing position, grab ahold of a smith machine bar with your right extended arm just outside your shoulder and rest the bar on your thighs.
- Unhook the bar and keep it next to your body as you flex right elbow up towards the ceiling.
- Maintain a neutral spine throughout the exercise.
- Once the bar has reached chest height, Lower it back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite side.
Common Form Mistakes
Overusing the Smith Machine
Smith Machines are great pieces of equipment, however they do hinder your ability to develop smaller stabilizing muscles. Try to work in other variations that require you to stabilize the movement as well.
Elbow Position
Keep your elbows about parallel at the top of this exercise. It’s common to see people raise their elbows as high as they can to raise the weight a bit further, but this can increase the risk of injury. If you’re trying to increase the difficulty of this exercise, consider pausing for a moment at the top instead.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Smith Machine One-Arm Upright Row standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps17.5lbs1 Rep Max22.5lbs
- intermediate8reps22.5lbs30lbs
- advanced8reps25lbs30lbs
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Alternatives & Variations to Smith Machine One-Arm Upright Row
1. Cable Lateral Raise
97.7 mSCORESWAPPED 428 TIMESCable Lateral Raise is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Shoulder Raise. Similar to the Dumbbell Shoulder Raise, this isolation exercise primarily targets the shoulders, and more specifically the medial deltoid (middle of the shoulder). By using a cable machine, you have more control over the direction your resistance is coming from, and can easily make adjustments. In addition, by isolating each side of the body, you can more easily identify and address strength imbalances between sides.
2. Dumbbell Front Raise
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 375 TIMESDumbbell Front Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the anterior deltoid (front of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise, and can work well to isolate the shoulders to build strength and muscle mass. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
99.5 mSCORESWAPPED 323 TIMESDumbbell Shoulder Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for slightly more instability than with equipment like barbells. This can help you recruit and develop stabilizing muscles around the shoulders. In addition, by using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.
4. Dumbbell Lateral Raise To Front Raise
78.6 mSCORESWAPPED 284 TIMESDumbbell Lateral Raise to Front Raise is a combination of both Shoulder Raise, and Front Raise. Both movements in this exercise are isolation movements that primarily target the shoulder. By performing these exercises together, you can more completely target your shoulders than by using one of these two movements.
5. Smith Machine Overhead Shoulder Press
72.3 mSCORESWAPPED 270 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on the more standard Shoulder Press. Similar to other Shoulder Press variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders. The use of a Smich Machine adds significantly more stability to the exercise allowing you to focus on exertion rather than stability.
6. Dumbbell Back Fly
93.6 mSCORESWAPPED 264 TIMESDumbbell Back Fly is an isolation exercise that primarily targets your shoulder, more specifically your posterior deltoid (back of the shoulder). It’s most closely related to a shoulder raise, with the main difference being that you’re leaning forward into an incline bench. This position allows you to better isolate the back of your shoulder. In addition, the incline bench adds more stability than some other variations.
7. Cable Face Pull
96 mSCORESWAPPED 247 TIMESCable Face Pull is a compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders, more specifically your posterior deltoids (back of the shoulder). By using a cable machine, you have more control over where the resistance is coming from, and can easily make adjustments by either moving towards or away from the cable machine, or by adjusting the height of the pulley.
- Intermediate
- Shoulders
- Hi-Lo Pulley Cable
8. Machine Shoulder Press
92.5 mSCORESWAPPED 239 TIMESis a variation on the more standard shoulder press that utilizes a machine. Like other shoulder presses, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets the shoulders. The use of the machine restricts your movements, and adds more stability. This allows you to focus more on exertion than stabilization. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to learn the basic movement, and develop the strength needed for other similar exercises or functional applications.
9. Kettlebell Upright Row
75.4 mSCORESWAPPED 229 TIMESKettlebell Upright Row is a variation on the more standard Upright Row. This compound exercise primarily targets your shoulders. The benefit to using a Kettlebell is the ability to pull the handle in opposite directions at the top of the movement. This can help improve muscle activation compared to other variations.
10. Dumbbell Shoulder Raise
97.8 mSCORESWAPPED 204 TIMESDumbbell Shoulder Raise is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the shoulders, more specifically the medial deltoid (middle of the shoulder). This is a very common shoulder exercise and can work well for building muscle mass and strengthening the shoulders. By using dumbbells, you can help identify and address any strength imbalances between sides.