Ive recently started ABBH 2 and i have a pretty bad problem when performing upright rows. Im using a barbell to perform the movement, not the EZ bar due to having some wrist problems with it in the past. When i reach the top of the movement i get a burning sensation/sharp pain at the bottom of my palm just before it connects to my wrist.
To get an exact position if you hold your hand out palm up and move you thumb over to touch your little finger where the base of the causes a fold of your skin along the central part of the bottom of your palm… thats where the pain is. The closest i can describe it is a feeling as if my skin is pulling away from the muscle in my palm, like a kind of blister pulling away feeling. It gets progressively worse as i lift and today i had to ditch the weight after 8 reps on my first set.
I have my hands set just at the point of the bar becoming knurled, id say about 10 inches apart. Sorry for the vague description but its become a crap problem to be honest. Id appreciate it if anyone could leave their views and possible substitutes for the rows. I dont get the pain at all when performing other things on the program.
Can’t really recommend any alternatives, except maybe shrugs, but those don’t hit as many muscle groups. As to opinions, check out the tip of the day from Eric Cressey, and maybe check some of the articles he wrote for alternatives.
EDIT:
Instead of being a smart ass I should have posted what EC wrote:
Today’s training tip comes from Eric Cressey:
No Mo’ Upright Row
I don’t believe in contraindicated exercises, only contraindicated individuals. But if there’s one exercise that’ll ever push me over the line, it’s going to be the upright row. This is as internally rotated as the humerus will get, and you’re elevating the humerus right into the impingement zone on every rep. For that reason, I’ll never write upright rows into a program. The dumbbell version is a slightly safer alternative, although I feel that there are still much safer ways to challenge the upper traps and deltoids. To summarize, if you’ve ever had a shoulder problem or are at risk, you’d be wise to omit upright rows altogether.
I don’t believe in contraindicated exercises, only contraindicated individuals. But if there’s one exercise that’ll ever push me over the line, it’s going to be the upright row. This is as internally rotated as the humerus will get, and you’re elevating the humerus right into the impingement zone on every rep. For that reason, I’ll never write upright rows into a program. The dumbbell version is a slightly safer alternative, although I feel that there are still much safer ways to challenge the upper traps and deltoids. To summarize, if you’ve ever had a shoulder problem or are at risk, you’d be wise to omit upright rows altogether.
Upright rows suck donkey balls. I never do them ever,even when using excellent form they just feel unnatural to me. They don’t hurt,I just hate the f’n movement and don’t seem to get anything from them.
There are several articles about why upright rows suck. Something about the act of doing the movement could pinch the tendons in the rotator cuff, etc. Power shrugs and hang cleans might be better alternatives to save your shoulders in the long run.
After reading EC’s tip, I ditched upright rows for the day. Instead I tried, what I will call DB armpit rows. Basically, you hold the dbs naturally at your side then pull them up like you’re trying to get them into your armpits. Don’t worry, they don’t get that far. Not sure if I like the exercise or not. For me it takes a couple of weeks to get a new movement into the groove before I start seeing any results.
[quote]egcabanissiii wrote:
After reading EC’s tip, I ditched upright rows for the day. Instead I tried, what I will call DB armpit rows. Basically, you hold the dbs naturally at your side then pull them up like you’re trying to get them into your armpits. Don’t worry, they don’t get that far. Not sure if I like the exercise or not. For me it takes a couple of weeks to get a new movement into the groove before I start seeing any results.[/quote]
I dropped UR rows a long time ago, but I do a form similar to what you describe up to the halfway point and then go into a Cuban. This is actually a very good exercise for improving shoulder health.
Hey guys, I plan on starting ABBH II after I finish ABBH I, which I’m on Week 3 of now, and I also hate Upright Rows, so my question is:
What do you guys think is the best alternative for Upright Rows in the ABBH II Program?
Thanks.
[quote]Spacemunkee wrote:
Ive recently started ABBH 2 and i have a pretty bad problem when performing upright rows. Im using a barbell to perform the movement, not the EZ bar due to having some wrist problems with it in the past.
…[/quote]
oh boy. And there I was thinking that the goal of the EZ bar was to reduce tension on the wrists. I must have been using it wrong then.
Wait, perhaps YOU are using wrong ? ? ?
And, like the others said, ditch did upright rows.
[quote]JKThreeEleven17 wrote:
Hey guys, I plan on starting ABBH II after I finish ABBH I, which I’m on Week 3 of now, and I also hate Upright Rows, so my question is:
What do you guys think is the best alternative for Upright Rows in the ABBH II Program?
Thanks.[/quote]
Seated dumbell cleans would probably be the simplest, quickest set up. And make sure to point your elbows up and forward at the end position. For the 3,4,5 rep day, I would do snatch high pulls in the rack, from about mid thigh level.
You were pinching the radial nerve (I think, could be the ulnar and I put my books away already, it’s one or the other) at the top of the movement. I have no idea why they were put into the ABBH series, they’re about as worthless with high injury risk and tons of alternatives as an exercise gets.
Were you looking for trap or deltoid development from them? I’d go with clean pulls or maybe power shrugs if traps, reverse flyes or facepulls for rear delt.
I had EXACTLY the same thing in my right palm when doing upright rows - almost felt like a bone had splntered and was poking me - and this only happened with upright rows.
Needless to say I stopped them and it’s all good now.
I have the exact same problem! It sucks because I really like upright rows. I find they are not so bad on the shoulders if you keep a slight forward lean.
If they really are so bad for your wrists and shoulders, then how do some guys work up to 405 for reps? Tank Abbott from the UFC goes that heavy.
[quote]MytchBucanan wrote:
I have the exact same problem! It sucks because I really like upright rows. I find they are not so bad on the shoulders if you keep a slight forward lean.
If they really are so bad for your wrists and shoulders, then how do some guys work up to 405 for reps? Tank Abbott from the UFC goes that heavy. [/quote]
Hey man, you’ve already asked the same question at least three times. Just relax for a while and please don’t bump old threads. If you want to go crazy with the ‘search’ function, set the tab to look for ‘articles’.
Also, just because one guy can do ‘X’ doesn’t automatically mean you could. Maybe Tank has three balls - who knows?
