The Best Upper Body Exercises

The best upper body exercises involve the shoulders, biceps, triceps, and the chest muscles. These exercises are great for developing a range of muscles. The most commonly practiced exercises for building up the upper body are discussed below.

Chest Workout

Bench press exercises are the best upper body exercise for improving the muscles in your shoulders, back, and arms. It is one of the best upper body builders that you can practice, and will help to build up those pectoral muscles. Compound exercises are also used to work several muscles in your chest at one time. To target specific muscles, like the pectorals, isolated upper body exercises like the dumbbell pullover are perfect because they work the isolated muscle very rigorously.

Back Workout

When you’re trying to build up your chest muscles, it is important to attend to the back muscles as well. You don’t want a well developed chest and a weak back. Balance is important to both your health and your look. Rows and pull-ups are very effective for strengthening back muscles. Performing these exercises will also help you to improve your posture, making your chest appear larger when you’re standing tall.

Shoulder Workout

The shoulder muscles can also benefit greatly from a combination of compound and isolated shoulder exercises. The shoulder press is an excellent exercise for working your shoulders, arms, and certain back muscles. Dumbbell raises, on the other hand, are one of the best upper body exercises for targeting the shoulder muscles in particular.

Bicep Curls

All you need to perform bicep curls are a set of light dumbbells or some canned vegetables to use as weights. Perform the bicep curls on only one arm at a time. Sit down with your spine vertically aligned and straight. Lift the weights slowly, and lower them slowly. Lowering is just as important to the exercise as lifting, and it’s very important that you do it slowly to increase the stress.

Tricep Dips

The only special equipment that you need to perform tricep dips is a sturdy chair. Sit down on the chair with your palms facing down on either side of your hips. Using your arms, lift yourself up off from the chair and lower your body towards the floor. Hold yourself in this position for about 0.5 minute. This will work your tricep muscles. You’ll feel it. Raise yourself up to the starting position. Try to do 20 reps each day. As you become stronger, you can increase the reps. This exercise is one of the best upper body exercises for women who find it to be a great help in eliminating the underarm flab that often troubles them.

Push Ups

Pushups seems to be the all purpose exercise. It has so many great benefits. It’s great for toning the muscles in the arms, shoulders, and chest. They are even known to help strengthen the abdominals. Try to do at least 20 pushups each day. As you build up strength, try doing more. Women who are just beginning to exercise often find that the standard pushup is difficult to do. In this case, an equally effective alternative is to do the pushups with the knees on the floor and not the toes. As you increase your strength, you can do them from the toes.

Dumbbell Raises

To do dumbbell raises, one of the best upper body exercises, stand erect. Place your feet apart at should width. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place your hands down at your sides. Bend your knees slightly. Slowly raise one arm, keeping the palm facing downward. With the arm forming a right angle to your body, hold it in that position for about 0.5 minute, contracting the deltoids as you do this. Slowly return the dumbbell to your side, and repeat the process with the other arm. Try at least 12 reps on each are. As you become more proficient, you can increase that number.