10 Best Smith Machine Upright Row Alternatives for Trap Strength

If you need an alternative to the Smith Machine Upright Row, use exercises that load the upper traps and drive scapular elevation and upward rotation. Effective options include barbell upright rows, dumbbell shrugs, cable upright rows with a rope, barbell high pulls, and farmer's walks. Cue: lead with your elbows and keep the spine neutral.

Original Exercise: Smith Machine Upright Row

Smith Machine Upright Row
Primary Muscle
Traps
Equipment
Smith-machine
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Biceps, Middle Back, Shoulders
How to Perform Smith Machine Upright Row
  1. To begin, set the bar on the smith machine to a height that is around the middle of your thighs. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, grasp the bar using a pronated (palms forward) grip that is shoulder width apart. You may need some wrist wraps if using a significant amount of weight.
  2. Lift the barbell up and fully extend your arms with your back straight. There should be a slight bend at the elbows. This is the starting position.
  3. Use your side shoulders to lift the bar as you exhale. The bar should be close to the body as you move it up. Continue to lift it until it nearly touches your chin. Tip: Your elbows should drive the motion. As you lift the bar, your elbows should always be higher than your forearms. Also, keep your torso stationary and pause for a second at the top of the movement.
  4. Lower the bar back down slowly to the starting position. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Pull
  • Movement type: Compound

Ranked Smith Machine Upright Row Alternatives

Best Match
Kettlebell Sumo High Pull

1. Kettlebell Sumo High Pull

79.9% Match
Traps Kettlebell Advanced Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outwards.
  2. Hold a kettlebell with both hands in front of your body, arms extended downwards.
  3. Bend your knees and lower your hips into a squat position, keeping your back straight.
  4. Drive through your heels and explosively extend your hips and knees, pulling the kettlebell up towards your chin.
  5. As you pull the kettlebell up, keep your elbows high and wide, and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Smith Machine Behind The Back Shrug

2. Smith Machine Behind The Back Shrug

77% Match
Traps Machine Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. With the bar at thigh level, load an appropriate weight.
  2. Stand with the bar behind you, taking a shoulder-width, pronated grip on the bar and unhook the weight. You should be standing up straight with your head and chest up and your arms extended. This will be your starting position.
  3. Initiate the movement by shrugging your shoulders straight up. Do not flex the arms or wrist during the movement.
  4. After a brief pause return the weight to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions before engaging the hooks to rack the weight.
Lever Reverse Grip Lateral Pulldown

3. Lever Reverse Grip Lateral Pulldown

71% Match
Lats Lever Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your knees under the pads and your feet flat on the ground.
  2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Sit upright with your chest out and shoulders back, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.
  4. Pull the handles down towards your chest, leading with your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.
Reverse Grip Machine Lat Pulldown

4. Reverse Grip Machine Lat Pulldown

70.4% Match
Lats Machine Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your knees under the pads and your feet flat on the ground.
  2. Grasp the handles with an underhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Sit upright with your chest out and shoulders back, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.
  4. Pull the handles down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.
Lever Front Pulldown

5. Lever Front Pulldown

69% Match
Lats Lever Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the seat height and position yourself on the machine with your knees under the pads and your feet flat on the ground.
  2. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Sit upright with your chest lifted and your shoulders back, maintaining a slight arch in your lower back.
  4. Engage your lats and pull the handles down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the handles back to the starting position.
Band Close-grip Pulldown

6. Band Close-grip Pulldown

68.9% Match
Lats Band Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach the band to a high anchor point, such as a pull-up bar or sturdy beam.
  2. Stand facing the anchor point and grab the band with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Step back to create tension in the band, keeping your feet hip-width apart.
  4. Engage your core and keep your back straight as you pull the band down towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the movement, then slowly release the band back to the starting position.
Assisted Standing Chin-up

7. Assisted Standing Chin-up

67.7% Match
Lats Lever Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the machine to your desired assistance level.
  2. Stand on the foot platform and grip the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Keep your chest up and shoulders back, engage your core, and slightly bend your knees.
  4. Pull your body up by flexing your elbows and driving your elbows down towards your sides.
  5. Continue pulling until your chin is above the bar.
Assisted Standing Pull-up

8. Assisted Standing Pull-up

65.7% Match
Lats Lever Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Adjust the machine to your desired weight and height settings.
  2. Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Grasp the handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Engage your lats and biceps, and pull yourself up towards the handles.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your back muscles.
Calf-Machine Shoulder Shrug

9. Calf-Machine Shoulder Shrug

65.1% Match
Traps Machine Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Position yourself on the calf machine so that the shoulder pads are above your shoulders. Your torso should be straight with the arms extended normally by your side. This will be your starting position.
  2. Raise your shoulders up towards your ears as you exhale and hold the contraction for a full second.
  3. Slowly return to the starting position as you inhale.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Barbell Upright Row V. 3

10. Barbell Upright Row V. 3

62.6% Match
Delts Barbell Intermediate Isolation
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 core engaged and back straight, exhale as you lift the barbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale as you slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Smith Machine Upright Row Alternative

You may swap the Smith Machine Upright Row for several reasons: shoulder impingement risk from excessive internal rotation, lack of a Smith machine, or a goal to improve functional trap strength. For shoulder-safe loading pick exercises that limit humeral internal rotation and allow scapular upward rotation, such as shrugs or cable rows. Cue example: pull the load by driving elbows upward and externally rotate slightly to reduce supraspinatus compression. Using free weights or cables also engages stabilizers (serratus anterior, rhomboids) more than the fixed bar path, improving real-world strength and posture.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on your equipment, pain profile, and desired movement pattern. If you want a vertical pull similar to an upright row, choose a barbell or cable upright row and cue: pull the bar close to the body, lead with elbows to emphasize the upper traps. If you have shoulder pain, prioritize shrugs or farmer's walks that isolate scapular elevation and minimize glenohumeral rotation; cue: retract the scapula slightly and shrug straight up. For explosive power and posterior chain engagement, use high pulls and drive through hips while keeping a tall chest. Adjust load, grip width and tempo to match your strength and recovery capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Smith Machine Upright Row work?

The exercise primarily targets the upper trapezius and middle deltoids while also stressing the rhomboids and levator scapulae for scapular elevation and upward rotation. The biceps and forearms act as secondary stabilizers during the vertical pull.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Smith Machine Upright Row?

A bodyweight-friendly alternative is the prone Y or T on an incline bench to train scapular upward rotation and posterior shoulder fibers; cue: squeeze the traps to lift the thumbs toward the ceiling while keeping the neck neutral. For loading without equipment, farmer carries using heavy household items will train trap endurance and scapular stability.

Can I build muscle without doing Smith Machine Upright Row?

Yes. You can hypertrophy the traps with shrugs, high pulls, and cable upright rows that allow progressive overload and full scapular motion. Focus on controlled eccentric phases, heavy sets in the 6–12 rep range for mass, and lead with the elbows to maximize trap activation.

More Exercise Alternatives

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Use the exercise substitution finder to compare ranked alternatives for your available equipment and training preference.

Try the Exercise Substitution Finder →