Smith Machine One-Arm Upright Row

What it is

You perform this compound pull movement using a Smith machine to isolate and develop your shoulder muscles. It primarily targets your shoulders, while also engaging your biceps and trapezius muscles.

Technique tips

• Keep your core tight to maintain stability.
• Drive your elbow out and up towards the ceiling.
• Stop the upward pull when your upper arm is parallel to the floor.
• Control the bar's descent back to the starting position.
• Avoid shrugging your shoulders; focus the work on your deltoids.
• Maintain a tall, upright posture throughout the repetition.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.