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Regardless of your goals, having good upper body strength can provide you with a whole host of benefits. From feeling stronger, reducing your risk of injury to enhancing your functionality in daily life, having good upper body strength can enhance your aesthetic as well as athletic goals.
However when it comes to choosing an effective upper body workout plan we get that it can feel overwhelming knowing where to start. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the most effective upper body exercises as well as guides you with some workouts, so that you can look and feel your best let’s go!
Your back muscles are vital for a strong upper body. Having a strong back will help you maintain a better posture, reduce your risk of injury as well as boost your aesthetic performance. Here are some effective exercises that are great for strengthening and support your back:
1. Lat Pulldown: This exercise focuses on your latissimus dorsi, the large muscles in your back, and helps with pulling movements and shoulder stabilisation.
2. Seated Cable Row: This exercise strengthens the rhomboids and middle trapezius, which help retract the scapula and maintain a strong, straight posture.
3. Deadlift: A compound exercise, the deadlift targets several muscles, including the lower back, making it a powerful workout for overall back strength.
Think of your chest as your pushing power. The stronger your chest the stronger your ability will be to push things away from you. Here are three effective exercises for your chest muscles.
1. Barbell Bench Press: A staple chest exercise, the bench press targets the entire pectoral muscle and also works your triceps and shoulders.
2. Push- Up: They work out your chest, shoulders, and core. Plus, they can be modified to fit your current fitness level.
3.Chest Fly: This isolates the chest muscles, providing a great finisher to your chest routine.
Just like your chest, your shoulders also help push things away from you, but rather than in front of you, your shoulders work by pushing things overhead. For strong, sculpted shoulders here are our top picks:
1. Dumbbell Overhead Press: This compound movement works the entire deltoid, helping improve shoulder strength and stability.
2. Lateral Raises: These isolate the lateral or side part of your deltoids, enhancing your shoulder width and appearance.
3. Face Pulls: This exercise strengthens the rear deltoids, improving posture and balancing out the often-overworked front deltoids.
Defined arms are aesthetically pleasing and functional. Here are the top three exercises for your biceps, triceps, and forearms:
1. Dumbbell Bicep Curls: An excellent workout for the biceps, this exercise helps with lifting and pulling movements.
2. Tricep Pushdown: This targets your triceps, which make up a significant portion of your arm's mass, improving pushing strength.
3. Hammer Curls: Besides biceps, this exercise also engages the brachialis, a muscle that can push your biceps up more, and the brachioradialis, a muscle of the forearm.
A strong chest supports upper body strength and contributes to a toned upper body. Here are three exercises for your pectorals:
1. Barbell Bench Press: A staple chest exercise, the bench press targets the entire pectoral muscle and also works your triceps and shoulders.
2. Incline Dumbbell Press: This variation hits the upper pectoral muscles, enhancing the shape of your chest.
3. Cable Chest Fly: This isolates the chest muscles, providing a great finisher to your chest routine.
These are just some great suggestions for building a strong upper body workout. We incorporate a wide range of exercises in the EvolveYou app to build varied, exciting and functional programs. Take Melissa Kendter’s Commit Gym program and her Upper Body Volume Day.
Here we focus on high-energy supersets to effectively increase muscular strength and size, as well as improve cardio-conditioning!
All of the programs in the EvolveYou app have well designed easy to follow full body or targeted area splits. So if you are looking to take the guesswork or planning out of your workouts then give the free trial a go and cancel if you don’t fancy it!
Embracing a routine that enhances your upper body strength offers several benefits. Not only does it improve your physical appearance, but it also bolsters your functional fitness, allowing you to perform daily tasks more efficiently. These 15 exercises are a great start to a stronger, healthier you. So gear up, step into the gym with confidence, and let your strength evolution begin with EvolveYou.
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