Barbell Upright Row

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

Let the barbell hang in front of your thighs, arms fully extended.

Keeping your back straight and core engaged, exhale and lift the barbell straight up towards your chin, leading with your elbows.

Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.

Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Losing tension in the core or lower back partway through the movement — because Barbell Upright Row loads multiple joints at once, a small breakdown in bracing at the hips or spine compounds through the whole chain.

Rounding the upper back or shrugging the shoulders up toward the ears at the start of the pull instead of initiating with the target muscle.

Using an asymmetric grip or uneven bar path, which can quietly overload one side of the body over repeated sets.

Progressing the load or reps too quickly before technique is consistent across every rep of every set.