In this article about training your upper body, these 5 exercises should not be missed: A complete strength training program requires training all your muscle groups. Do you want to train your upper body? In this article, we explain what to pay attention to and how to do it best.
Upper body training: these 5 exercises should not be missed explained
The muscles in your upper body
Your upper body consists of your head, neck, back, shoulders, and arms. Various large and small muscles work together. For example, your back muscles and chest muscles are large muscles, while your shoulder consists of several smaller muscles. It is a complex system, and each muscle has its own function. There are muscles that allow you to push with your arms, muscles that keep your shoulders in place, and muscles that ensure you can stand upright. Therefore, all these muscles require their own way of training, and there are various exercises to train your upper body.
The importance of training your upper body
Your upper body has important functions and is part of the bigger picture. A strong upper body allows you to stand and sit upright, lift groceries, and carry your head. Some people prefer to focus on leg exercises in their training or only focus on the upper body. For a strong body, it is important to train all muscle groups so that all the muscles in your body are strong and can work together optimally. So, you should not skip training your upper body!
Five exercises to train your upper body
Do you want to train your upper body? With these five exercises, you can do a complete workout for your upper body.
1. Bench Press
The bench press is one of the most well-known strength exercises and is especially popular among men for training the upper body. Here’s how to do the Bench Press.
Prepare a barbell with a weight that suits you and lie down on a bench.
Place your hands about 20 centimeters wider than shoulder-width on the bar.
Lower the barbell until you touch the bottom of your sternum. Make sure to keep your wrists straight; otherwise, you may experience discomfort.
As you bring the barbell down, also ensure that you keep your shoulder blades low and pull them together.
Push the barbell back up in a controlled manner. The goal is to lower the barbell slowly and push it back up in a controlled manner.
Repeat this for 8-10 repetitions with a challenging weight.
2. Bent Over Row
With the barbell Bent Over Row, you train the large back muscle. But it is also a good exercise for your entire body because you also use many muscles in your arms, shoulders, abdomen, and legs. This exercise is therefore also more challenging to perform correctly. The goal is really to train your back muscle while allowing your arms and shoulders to assist. Other muscles, such as your legs and glutes, should be engaged but do not move. Here’s how to do this exercise.
Prepare a barbell with a challenging weight for you.
Grab the barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart and palms facing up.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart and stand upright.
Bend your legs slightly forward with your arms extended. Ensure that your torso is at an angle of about 90 degrees to your thighs.
Start the exercise by pulling your elbows towards and along your sides. Let the barbell slide closely along your legs.
Lower the barbell back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Repeat the exercise 8-10 times and do this for 3 or 4 rounds.
3. Dumbbell Flyes
With Dumbbell Flyes, you train your chest muscle just like with the Bench Press. However, you perform Dumbbell Flyes with dumbbells instead of a barbell. This trains your chest muscle in a slightly different way. This variation provides your muscle with a diverse training stimulus. Here’s how to do Dumbbell Flyes.
Lie down on the fitness bench with the backrest horizontal.
Grab the dumbbells and extend your arms above your chest, ensuring you choose a weight that you can control. Your palms should be facing each other.
Lower the dumbbells simultaneously to a horizontal position, keeping a slight bend in your arms.
Bring the weights back up to the starting position above your chest.
Hold the tension at the top for a moment and continue the exercise with your next repetition.
Perform 10-12 repetitions with a challenging weight for you and repeat this for 3 or 4 rounds.
4. Push ups
Push-ups are a popular exercise to train your upper body. You train your chest muscles, arm muscles, and your core. Push-ups are performed with your own body weight, allowing you to do the exercise anywhere. There are various variations of the push-up that shift the focus to different muscle groups. For example, the wider you spread your arms, the more you stretch your chest muscle. If you place your hands closer together, you engage your triceps more. Placing your feet on an elevation targets the upper part of the chest muscle more, and if you are just starting with push-ups, an elevation under your hands can help you perform the push-up. Here’s how to do the standard push-up.
Lie on your stomach on the ground and place your hands next to your chest.
Start with your hands shoulder-width apart, with your elbows slightly bent inward.
Extend your arms, lifting your body with maximum strength from your chest muscles and triceps.
At the top, engage your chest muscles well.
Then lower yourself back down slowly, keeping your body straight throughout the exercise. Be careful not to raise your hips too high or sag in your lower back.
Hold the bottom position for a second so you can feel the tension in your chest muscles.
Try not to rest your body on the ground during the execution.
Perform 10-15 repetitions and repeat this for 3 rounds.
5. Face pull
With the Face Pull, you train the deeper muscles in your shoulders. Since you are training the back of your upper body, this is also a good exercise for people who work a lot behind a computer. You perform the exercise with a cable machine and a relatively lighter weight. Here’s how to do the Face Pull.
Attach a rope at about chest height to the pulley.
Grab the rope with an overhand grip and bring the cable to tension.
Then pull the rope towards you with your palms along your face.
Make sure to keep your shoulders and wrists low, with your elbows higher.
Let the rope down in a controlled manner and return to the starting position.
Repeat this for 8-12 repetitions in 3 or 4 rounds.
Training the upper body with a personal trainer
With this exercise, you can independently perform a workout for your upper body. Do you want to train your upper body with a personal trainer in Haarlem? Then contact us for a trial lesson. We provide challenging workouts for your upper body and for the rest of your body.
