Strength training is one of the most critical types of workouts you can do to get fit and stay healthy. It builds muscle, which burns more calories throughout the day and helps you become stronger. A strong upper body looks good and plays a critical role in your ability to perform other physical activities. For example, having a solid set of shoulders helps you throw a baseball faster or lift objects above your head with ease. If you want to develop muscular arms, shoulders, and back that’ll stand out, try these 10 best exercises to build your upper body strength:
Jump Squats
Squats are a great exercise to build leg strength, but you could also try jump squats for your upper body. Stand about one foot away from a wall and place your palms against the wall at eye level. Place one foot about one foot in front of the other foot and keep your knees behind your toes.
Squat down until your knee is at a 90-degree angle and then immediately jump up as high as you can without bringing your feet together. This is great because you’re working your legs and upper body at the same time. You might feel a bit sore in your arms the next day, but that’s a good sign that you’re challenging your upper body.
This exercise is best for people who have above-average upper body strength. You can do this exercise with or without added weight. Start out without any added weight and once you’re able to complete 10 consecutive jumps with proper form, you can add a weighted vest or a pair of dumbbells to increase the amount of resistance.
Push-Ups
Push-ups are one of the best exercises for the upper body, particularly for your chest and shoulders. You can do them anywhere, and you don’t need any equipment at all. This exercise helps you build muscle in your upper body, arms, and core.
It boosts your metabolism and strengthens your joints, too. You can do push-ups on your knees if you’re a beginner, but eventually you want to be able to do them without any assistance at all. Aim to do at least 10 push-ups five times per week to get stronger, more toned arms.
Push-ups are one of the best exercises for your upper body, particularly for your chest and shoulders. You can do them anywhere, and you don’t need any equipment at all. This exercise helps you build muscle in your upper body, arms, and core. It boosts your metabolism and strengthens your joints, too. You can do push-ups on your knees if you’re a beginner, but eventually you want to be able to do them without any assistance at all. Aim to do at least 10 push-ups five times per week to get stronger, more toned arms.
Strength training is one of the most critical types of workouts you can do to get fit and stay healthy. It builds muscle, which burns more calories throughout the day and helps you become stronger. A strong upper body looks good and plays a critical role in your ability to perform other physical activities. For example, having a solid set of shoulders helps you throw a baseball faster or lift objects above your head with ease. If you want to develop muscular arms, shoulders, and back that’ll stand out, try these 10 best exercises to build your upper body strength:
Jump Squats
Squats are a great exercise to build leg strength, but you could also try jump squats for your upper body. Stand about one foot away from a wall and place your palms against the wall at eye level. Place one foot about one foot in front of the other foot and keep your knees behind your toes.
Squat down until your knee is at a 90-degree angle and then immediately jump up as high as you can without bringing your feet together. This is great because you’re working your legs and upper body at the same time. You might feel a bit sore in your arms the next day, but that’s a good sign that you’re challenging your upper body.
This exercise is best for people who have above-average upper body strength. You can do this exercise with or without added weight. Start out without any added weight and once you’re able to complete 10 consecutive jumps with proper form, you can add a weighted vest or a pair of dumbbells to increase the amount of resistance.
Push-Ups
Push-ups are one of the best exercises for the upper body, particularly for your chest and shoulders. You can do them anywhere, and you don’t need any equipment at all. This exercise helps you build muscle in your upper body, arms, and core.
It boosts your metabolism and strengthens your joints, too. You can do push-ups on your knees if you’re a beginner, but eventually you want to be able to do them without any assistance at all. Aim to do at least 10 push-ups five times per week to get stronger, more toned arms.
Push-ups are one of the best exercises for your upper body, particularly for your chest and shoulders. You can do them anywhere, and you don’t need any equipment at all. This exercise helps you build muscle in your upper body, arms, and core. It boosts your metabolism and strengthens your joints, too. You can do push-ups on your knees if you’re a beginner, but eventually you want to be able to do them without any assistance at all. Aim to do at least 10 push-ups five times per week to get stronger, more toned arms.
Bench Dips
Dips are another excellent upper body exercise that can be done anywhere that has a bench. You can do them at home, at the office, in the gym – anywhere there’s a bench. Dips are great for toning and strengthening your triceps, which are the muscles in the back of your upper arms. They’re also a functional exercise that can help you do daily activities more easily. Dips can be challenging, but you can modify the exercise by using a bench with your feet on the floor or by doing them on an elevated chair.
Once you’ve built up some strength and endurance, you can try doing dips with only your palms pressing against the bench.
Dumbbell Flyes
If you want to target your pecs and build strength in your shoulders and upper back, give flyes a try. Flyes are an isolation exercise that targets the chest muscles, particularly the upper part of your pecs. Flyes are easier to do with a bench or a low-backed chair.
You can use dumbbells, but you can also use a barbell with some weight plates on either end of the barbell. Try to do three sets of 10 repetitions. More isn’t always better, so don’t go overboard, but you want to challenge yourself to push yourself to new levels. Flyes are a good way to do that.
Bent Over Row
The bent-over row is another great exercise for your upper body. It targets your back muscles and your biceps, too. This exercise also works your core, so you can also consider it a full-body workout. You can do a bent-over row using a barbell, a pair of dumbbells, a weighted resistance band, or a machine.
Start out using light weights and increase the amount of weight as your strength builds. Bent-over rows are a full-body exercise that will work your triceps, back, biceps, core, and shoulders. In fact, the bent-over row is often considered one of the best exercises for strengthening the back.
Deadlift
Deadlifts are a great exercise for your back, legs, and core. They’re also one of the best ways to build your grip strength, especially if you’re using a heavy dumbbell or barbell. Deadlifts are a compound exercise that works several different muscles in your body at once.
You’ll be targeting your back, legs, glutes, core, and grip. You can do deadlifts with a barbell, a dumbbell, a resistance band, or a weighted bar attached to a squat rack. If you’re using a barbell or a dumbbell, make sure you have a place to put it down safely after each set.
If you’re using a weighted bar, make sure you have a place to put that down, too.
Rotational Lunge
If you want to build strength in your legs, glutes, and core, try rotational lunges. You can do them with or without weights, so they’re a full-body workout you can do at home or the gym. Lunges are isolation exercises that target the muscles around your hips and glutes. They’re also a compound exercise that works your core, too. Lunges are a great way to improve your balance and posture and build strength in your lower body.
Lunges are best done on a hard, flat surface like a sidewalk or a path. If you do them on grass, be careful not to slip. If you do them indoors, you can use a mat to protect your knees.
Summing up
Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and lunges are compound exercises because they work several different muscles simultaneously. The best exercises for building your upper body strength are rows, bench presses, and dumbbell flyes.
If you’re new to strength training, you might want to start with lighter weights or resistance bands until you get used to the exercises and get stronger.
You can also try doing supersets; two exercises are done back to back with very little rest in between. With these tips, you can do the best exercises for your upper body strength to build muscle and get fit. Keep in mind that your body will need some time to adapt when you start doing new exercises. It might take a few weeks before you notice a difference. As long as you’re challenging yourself, though, you should see results within a few months.
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