10 Best Cable Upright Row Alternatives for Shoulder Strength

Ranked Cable Upright Row Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Cable Upright Row on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Open "How to perform this exercise" on a card for the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

1. Best match

   Play demonstration

   1. Barbell Upright Row

   79% match

   • Delts
   • Barbell
   • Intermediate
   • Compound

   A good swap when you have a barbell to work with, and it still works the delts.

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
   2. Let the barbell hang in front of your thighs, arms fully extended.
   3. Keeping your back straight, exhale and lift the barbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
   4. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
   5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

   Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Cable Upright Row
   • Equipment: free weights, not a cable
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Upright Row
2. Play demonstration

   2. Barbell Wide-grip Upright Row

   75% match

   • Delts
   • Barbell
   • Intermediate
   • Compound

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
   2. Let the barbell hang in front of your thighs, arms fully extended.
   3. Keeping your back straight, exhale and lift the barbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
   4. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
   5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

   Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Cable Upright Row
   • Equipment: free weights, not a cable
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Upright Row
3. 

   3. Snatch From Blocks

   68% match

   • Quads
   • Barbell
   • Advanced
   • Compound

   A looser match: it works the quads rather than the delts.

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Begin with a loaded barbell on boxes or stands of the desired height. A wide grip should be taken on the bar. The feet should be directly below the hips, with the feet turned out as needed. Lower the hips, with the chest up and the head looking forward. The shoulders should be just in front of the bar, with the elbows pointed out. This will be the starting position.
   2. Begin the first pull by driving through the front of the heels, raising the bar from the boxes.
   3. Transition into the second pull by extending through the hips knees and ankles, driving the bar up as quickly as possible. The bar should be close to the body. At peak extension, shrug the shoulders and allow the elbows to flex to the side.
   4. As you move your feet into the receiving position, forcefully pull yourself below the bar as you elevate the bar overhead. The feet should move to just outside the hips, turned out as necessary. Receive the bar with your body as low as possible and the arms fully extended overhead.
   5. Keeping the bar aligned over the front of the heels, your head and chest up, drive through heels of the feet to move to a standing position. Carefully return the weight to the boxes.

   Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: quads, not delts
   • Equipment: free weights, not a cable
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Upright Row
4. Play demonstration

   4. Cable Shrug

   65% match

   • Traps
   • Cable
   • Beginner
   • Isolation

   A looser match: it uses the same equipment, but it works the traps rather than the delts.

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
   2. Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip and let your arms hang down in front of you.
   3. Keeping your arms straight, shrug your shoulders up towards your ears.
   4. Hold the contraction for a moment, then slowly lower your shoulders back down to the starting position.
   5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

   Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: traps, not delts
   • Equipment: a cable, the same as the Cable Upright Row
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Upright Row
5. 

   5. Smith Machine Hang Power Clean

   63% match

   • Hamstrings
   • Smith-machine
   • Advanced
   • Compound

   A looser match: it works the hamstrings rather than the delts.

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Position the bar at knee height and load it to an appropriate weight.
   2. Take a pronated grip on the bar outside of shoulder width and unhook the bar from the machine. Your arms should be fully extended with your head and chest up. Your elbows should be pointed out with your shoulders back and down. Your hips should be back, loading the tension into the hamstrings. This will be your starting position.
   3. Initate the movement by forcefully extending the hips and knees, accelerating into the bar. Ensure that you keep your arms straight during this part of the motion.
   4. Upon full extension, rebend the hips and knees to lower your receiving position.
   5. Allow the arms to flex at this point, rotating the elbows around the bar to receive it on your shoulders.
   6. Extend through the hips and knees to come to a standing position with the bar racked on your shoulders to complete the movement.

   Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: hamstrings, not delts
   • Equipment: a machine, not a cable
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Upright Row
6. 

   6. Split Clean

   63% match

   • Quads
   • Barbell
   • Advanced
   • Compound

   How to perform this exercise

   1. With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take an overhand grip just outside the legs. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
   2. Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.
   3. Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the clean. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight; at the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with the arms still extended.
   4. As full extension is achieved, transition into the third pull by aggressively shrugging and flexing the arms with the elbows up and out. At peak extension, aggressively pull yourself down, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so.
   5. Receive the bar with the feet split, aggressively moving one foot forward and one foot back. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed. Continue to descend to the bottom position, which will help in the recovery.
   6. Immediately recover by driving through the heels, keeping the torso upright and elbows up. Bring the feet together as you stand up.

   Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: quads, not delts
   • Equipment: free weights, not a cable
   • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable Upright Row
7. 

   7. Snatch

   62% match

   • Quads
   • Barbell
   • Advanced
   • Compound

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Place your feet at a shoulder width stance with the barbell resting right above the connection between the toes and the rest of the foot.
   2. With a palms facing down grip, bend at the knees and keeping the back flat grab the bar using a wider than shoulder width grip. Bring the hips down and make sure that your body drops as if you were going to sit on a chair. This will be your starting position.
   3. Start pushing the floor as if it were a moving platform with your feet and simultaneously start lifting the barbell keeping it close to your legs.
   4. As the bar reaches the middle of your thighs, push the floor with your legs and lift your body to a complete extension in an explosive motion.
   5. Lift your shoulders back in a shrugging movement as you bring the bar up while lifting your elbows out to the side and keeping them above the bar for as long as possible.
   6. Now in a very quick but powerful motion, you have to get your body under the barbell when it has reached a high enough point where it can be controlled and drop while locking your arms and holding the barbell overhead as you assume a squat position.
   7. Finalize the movement by rising up out of the squat position to finish the lift. At the end of the lift both feet should be on line and the arms fully extended holding the barbell overhead.

   Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: quads, not delts
   • Equipment: free weights, not a cable
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Upright Row
   • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable Upright Row
8. Play demonstration

   8. Cable Shoulder Press

   61% match

   • Delts
   • Cable
   • Intermediate
   • Compound

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Adjust the cable machine so that the handles are at shoulder height.
   2. Stand facing away from the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
   3. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and bring them up to shoulder level, with your elbows bent and pointing outwards.
   4. Press the handles upwards until your arms are fully extended overhead.
   5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the handles back down to shoulder level.
   6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

   Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: delts, the same as the Cable Upright Row
   • Equipment: a cable, the same as the Cable Upright Row
   • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Upright Row
9. 

   9. Split Snatch

   61% match

   • Hamstrings
   • Barbell
   • Advanced
   • Compound

   How to perform this exercise

   1. Begin with a loaded barbell on the floor. The bar should be close to or touching the shins, and a wide grip should be taken on the bar. The feet should be directly below the hips, with the feet turned out as needed. Lower the hips, with the chest up and the head looking forward. The shoulders should be just in front of the bar. This will be the starting position.
   2. Begin the first pull by driving through the front of the heels, raising the bar from the ground. The back angle should stay the same until the bar passes the knees.
   3. Transition into the second pull by extending through the hips knees and ankles, driving the bar up as quickly as possible. The bar should be close to the body. At peak extension, shrug the shoulders and allow the elbows to flex to the side.
   4. As you move your feet into the receiving position, forcefully pull yourself below the bar as you elevate the bar overhead. The feet should move forcefully to a split position, one foot forward one foot back. Receive the bar with your body as low as possible and the arms fully extended overhead.
   5. Keeping the bar aligned over the front of the heels, your head and chest up, drive through heels of the feet to move to a standing position, bringing your feet together.
   6. Carefully return the weight to floor.

   Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

   Why this matches

   • Primary muscle: hamstrings, not delts
   • Equipment: free weights, not a cable
   • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Cable Upright Row
10. Play demonstration

    10. Cable Straight Arm Pulldown

    61% match

    • Lats
    • Cable
    • Beginner
    • Isolation

    How to perform this exercise

    1. Attach a straight bar to the high pulley of a cable machine.
    2. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
    3. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and your palms facing down.
    4. Engage your lats and pull the bar down towards your thighs, keeping your arms straight throughout the movement.
    5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then slowly return the bar to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches

    • Primary muscle: lats, not delts
    • Equipment: a cable, the same as the Cable Upright Row
    • Body position: standing, the same as the Cable Upright Row