The upright row exercise increases the risk of shoulder impingement due to internal rotation under load, while the high pull exercise promotes external rotation and provides equivalent deltoid and trapezius muscle stimulus with greater safety.

The Short Version

This claim contains a kernel of truth wrapped in unsupported comparative assertions. The association between upright rows and shoulder impingement risk via internal rotation is broadly recognized in fitness and clinical commentary, though it is more nuanced than stated — grip width and individual anatomy matter significantly. However, the assertion that high pulls "promote external rotation" is directly contradicted by at least one credible source describing them as the same movement performed at speed. No peer-reviewed evidence in the available pool compares the two exercises for muscle activation or injury outcomes, making the "equivalent stimulus with greater safety" claim unsubstantiated.