“The Godfather of Bodybuilding,” Charles Glass is back to break down one of the most common shoulder exercises. In an October 12 video, he revealed his elbow-led technique tip, which can prevent the traps from taking over the dumbbell upright row.
For decades, Charles Glass has remained an elite-level coach in professional bodybuilding. He’s guided celebrities like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Wesley Snipes, but has also helped IFBB Pros reach their full potential. From Dexter “The Blade” Jackson and Dennis James to the late Shawn Rhoden, Glass’ grasp of body mechanics and form is unrivaled.
Shoulder injuries are among the most common in the fitness community, prompting Glass to offer insight into a common go-to exercise. He explained how simple adjustments to how you hold the dumbbells or the angle at which you execute a rep can make or break results over time.
Charles Glass’ Dumbbell Upright Row Technique to Keep Traps From Taking Over
In the Instagram reel, Glass stressed not to let the hands lead when performing upright rows. Instead, the elbows should guide the movement; otherwise, the traps take over:
“Dumbbell upright rows, we’re going to go here. See? I go up, and the elbows lead. Don’t pull it or let the hand lead. Let the elbow lead. The elbow leads but it goes out. Don’t pull it in here, or [you will hit the] traps. Just pick it up, let it go out. The natural progression is to go out.”
He also said to avoid swinging the weight, and between reps, the dumbbell should sit on top of your legs.
“Don’t swing it. Just pick it up. They [the dumbbells] should sit right on top of your leg [before executing each rep]. It travels out to go back in. Keep the elbow up and there’s no trap activation but the minute you pull it in here, it’s your traps,” shared Charles Glass.
Glass continues to offer gym-goers and aspiring athletes valuable fitness advice. He recently laid out how to improve barbell upright row technique. He advocated for a wider grip because it also keeps tension off the traps. If he’s going heavy, he hooks his thumbs into the grip, but he said the movement works fine without that adjustment.
As one of the brightest minds our sport has seen, Glass is always up for offering a helping hand to the community. He believes letting the elbows lead and not swinging the weight is essential for effective dumbbell upright rows.
