The Best Strength Exercises for an Upper Body Workout Advanced Upper Body Strength Workout
Lower body strength workouts are great, but if you want to be the strongest version of yourself, you’ve got to work your upper body as well. Luckily, there are plenty of easy upper body strength exercises that you can perform on your own to gain muscle in your chest, arms, shoulders and back. Try out the following routine at home and get ready to lift some heavy stuff! Advanced Upper Body Strength Workout Lie on your back on an exercise mat or soft surface with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Lat Pulldown
A great lat pulldown exercise targets the muscles in your back. To do this exercise, you will need a lat pulldown machine. Sit down on the machine and grip the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Bring the bar down to your chest and then slowly release it back to the starting position. Be sure to keep your core engaged and your back straight throughout the entire movement. For added difficulty, pull the bar all the way up to your chin or above your head. Bent Over Row: Standing up with a dumbbell in each hand, bend over so that your back is parallel to the ground. Keep your abs tight and bend at the waist until your torso is close to parallel with the floor. Now raise one of the weights towards either side of your upper body while keeping it close to your body. Lower it back down as far as you can go without touching the ground again before repeating on both sides.
Chest Press
The chest press is a great exercise for upper body strength. You will need a bench and some weights. Start by lying on the bench with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent. Hold the weights in your hands and press them up above your chest. Make sure to keep your elbows close to your body as you press the weights up. Lower the weights back down to your chest and repeat. You can do this exercise with one weight in each hand or two weights in one hand. If you are using two weights, make sure to switch hands after a few reps. You can also use cables or handles to work the muscles of your arms while performing other exercises. There are plenty of CrossFit upper body strength workouts that involve pressing, pulling, and pushing movements that require high levels of muscle coordination. For example, pull-ups (which involve pulling yourself up over a bar) require strong biceps and lats but also core stability from your abdominals, hips flexors, lower back muscles and hip extensors.
Dumbbell Row
The dumbbell row is a great exercise for developing upper body strength. You will need a pair of dumbbells and a bench. Start by placing the dumbbells on the floor next to the bench. Sit on the bench with your feet firmly planted on the ground and your back straight. Bend forward at the waist and grab the dumbbells with your palms facing your thighs. Start with the dumbbells extended up in front of you. Bring them to your chest and lower back to the starting position, and repeat. Do three sets of 10-12 reps. In addition to using dumbbells, you can also do CrossFit upper body strength workout that includes exercises like pullups, kettle bell swings and pushups. These are not as easy as they may seem. They will require a lot of effort and focus in order to succeed in completing the exercises. If you feel ready, start slowly with these workouts and gradually increase the difficulty level until you are able to complete them properly.
Shoulder Press
Keeping a dumbbell in each hand while standing shoulder-width apart is the perfect way to do the shoulder press. Lift the dumbbells to shoulder height and then press them overhead before lowering them back to shoulder height. The exercise can also be performed seated. Start by sitting on a bench or chair. You should lift the weights straight up from your thighs, palms facing forward. Lift as high as you can without arching your back, then lower your arms until they are 90 degrees before pressing again. These exercises should be performed three times for a total of 8-12 repetitions.
You should begin by sitting on a bench or chair with a dumbbell in each hand at chest level and palms facing inward.
Bench Dip
The triceps extension is one of the best exercises you can do to target your triceps. This exercise can be done with a dumbbell, barbell, or kettlebell. If you’re using a dumbbell, hold it with both hands and extend your arms straight overhead. If you’re using a barbell, place your hands shoulder-width apart and extend your arms straight overhead. If you’re using a kettlebell, hold it by the horns and extend your arms straight overhead. Start with a light weight and gradually increase the weight as you get stronger. Doing this exercise will help build strong, toned arms. Make sure to use a heavy enough weight that you can only perform 4-6 reps per set. You should also perform 2 sets of 8 reps each arm. You’ll need a step or bench that’s 12 inches high for this exercise; if you don’t have access to one, grab two boxes and stack them on top of each other until they reach 12 inches in height.
Dumbbell Shrugs
This starting position for the clean is standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your thighs. Keeping your arms straight, raise your shoulders as high as possible before lowering them back down. This is one rep. Complete three sets of 12 repetitions. Chin-ups: Grab the bar with your hands at shoulder width or wider. Using a false grip (your palm should be against the inside of the rings), pull yourself up until your chin reaches the bar. Squeeze your back muscles to pull yourself up more and then lower yourself down slowly. Do 10-12 reps. Shoulder Presses: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold two dumbbells at chest height on either side of you with your elbows bent. Extend both arms out in front of you so that they are parallel to the floor, making sure not to lock out your elbows; this is the starting position. Press both weights upwards without bending your elbows, stopping when they’re above chest height, then return to the starting position while maintaining perfect form.
Triceps Extension
The triceps extension is one of the best exercises you can do to work your triceps. It’s a great exercise for both beginners and advanced lifters alike. The triceps extension can be done with a barbell, dumbbell, or even a resistance band. To do the exercise, simply extend your arm straight overhead and then lower the weight behind your head. Be sure to keep your elbow close to your ear throughout the entire motion. The triceps extension is a great exercise to add to any upper body workout.