Upright Row - With Bands

What it is

This compound pulling exercise strengthens your upper body using resistance bands. It primarily targets your trapezius muscles, also known as traps, and effectively engages your shoulders. You perform it by vertically pulling the band handles towards your chin.

Technique tips

• Drive the movement with your elbows, keeping them higher than your forearms.
• Keep the band handles close to your body throughout the entire lift.
• Maintain a straight, stable torso; avoid swinging your body for momentum.
• Exhale as you pull the handles up, then inhale as you slowly lower them.
• Control the lowering phase deliberately to maximize muscle engagement.
• Pause briefly at the top to fully contract your trapezius muscles.

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.