Natural Bodybuilders Swear by This Controversial Exercise for Building Massive Shoulders originally appeared on Men’s Fitness.
When it comes to building the side delts, lateral raises get a lot of love. But natural bodybuilders say there’s an underrated move that deserves more attention: upright rows.
In a recent Reddit thread, natural bodybuilders discussed their favorite moves for building bigger, wider shoulders.
“What are you doing for your side delts?” the original user asked, kicking off the post. “I personally find Y raises to be the best even more so than the standing machine lateral raise at my gym. How do you train them and how much volume do you give them?”
Your side delts are the part of your shoulders that give them a wider, more built look. Training them properly can make your upper body appear broader and more defined.
“In addition to lateral raises with various implements, consider upright rows if they don’t f— with your joints. I quite enjoy cable upright rows with a rope, and although I feel a lot of traps, it still gets my side delts good and sore if I get the technique right,” one user replied, receiving the highest number of upvotes.
Related: Trainer Shares a Simple Lateral Raise Fix That Stops Shoulder Pain Forever
Upright rows don’t always get the best reviews. Some trainers say the combination of shoulder elevation with internal rotation can aggravate the shoulders and put you at risk of injury.
“I love upright rows, and feel like adding them really lead to my delts blowing up. I like doing them with dumbbells. I find that allowing my hands to take their most natural path independently causes the least stress on my joints,” one user replied.
To perform upright rows, hold a barbell or pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs with an overhand grip. Keep the weights close to your body and pull them up to chest height by driving your elbows high and wide.
Related: Alan Ritchson Relies on One Simple Workout Tool to Fuel His Upper-Body Training
Natural Bodybuilders Swear by This Controversial Exercise for Building Massive Shoulders first appeared on Men’s Fitness on Jul 14, 2025
This story was originally reported by Men’s Fitness on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
