Cable Lying Upright Row (SZ bar)

How to do the Cable Lying Upright Row (SZ bar)

1. 1Attach an SZ (EZ-curl) bar to a low cable pulley and select a light to moderate weight.
2. 2Lie on your back on a bench or the floor in line with the cable, feet planted and core braced.
3. 3Grip the bar with an overhand grip on the angled sections, hands roughly shoulder-width apart, and let your arms hang straight toward the pulley.
4. 4Pull the bar up toward your upper chest by driving your elbows out and up, keeping the bar close to your body.
5. 5Lead with your elbows and raise them to about shoulder height, feeling the squeeze in your side delts and upper traps.
6. 6Pause briefly at the top without shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears.
7. 7Lower the bar under control back to the fully extended starting position, resisting the cable the whole way.
8. 8Complete your reps, then return the bar to the stack with control.

Form tips

• Lead the movement with your elbows, not your hands, so the side delts and traps do the work rather than the biceps.
• Keep the bar tracking close to your body throughout the pull for a smoother path and steadier tension.
• Stop the elbows at roughly shoulder height; going higher offers little extra benefit and can pinch the shoulder.
• Use a controlled tempo and a moderate weight so the cable's constant tension drives the stimulus instead of momentum.

Common mistakes

• Using too much weight and yanking the bar up, which turns the lift into a swing and shifts load off the side delts.
• Pulling the elbows above shoulder height, which can compress the shoulder joint and cause impingement over time.
• Letting the hands lead instead of the elbows, which biases the biceps and reduces the work on the target shoulder muscles.
• Shrugging the shoulders hard toward the ears at the top, trading lateral-delt tension for an overworked neck and upper traps.

Frequently asked questions