In a previous article, we focused on building muscle in the lower body. Today, we’ll share an upper body workout targeting your chest, arms, shoulders and back.
Warm-Up
Get your body moving with a 5-minute ride on the stationary bike or light jog on the treadmill. Then, complete a simple circuit of 5 push-ups (can be knee push-ups if you prefer) followed by 5 body-weight squats. Do this circuit 5 times in a row. The fewer breaks you take, the better!
Dumbbell Chest Press
3 sets, 10 reps
To perform a dumbbell chest press, lie on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand and place your feet flat on the floor. Push the dumbbells up so your arms are directly over your shoulders and your palms are up. Then, lower the dumbbells down and a little to the side until your elbows are slightly below your shoulders. Tilt your chin towards your chest and tighten your abs and glutes while completing this exercise to remain stable.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
3 sets, 10 reps
In either a sitting or standing position, hold the dumbbells by your shoulders with your palms facing forwards and your elbows out to the sides and bent at a 90 degree angle. Without leaning back, extend through your elbows to press the dumbbells above your head. Then, slowly return to the starting position.
Upper Body Circuit
Complete three rounds of this upper body circuit:
- Lateral Pull-Down – 12 reps
- Shoulder Raise – 10 reps
- Bicep Curls – 8 reps per arm (16 total)
- Dips – 8 reps
Rest for 2 minutes between each round.
Cool Down
Finish off your workout by stretching your upper body and doing an easy 5-minute ride on the stationary bike or walk on the treadmill.
For more upper body exercises, check out Men’s Journal for their list of the 30 best upper body workouts of all time. Enjoy your workout!
