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Strengthening exercises for your upper body

Have a look at the routines you can use to maintain and improve your upper body strength.

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Bent-over single arm rows

  1. Stand with right foot in front of the left, you can hold on for balance with your right hand or place it on right thigh 
  2. Hold the weight in your left hand with your palm facing down
  3. Keeping your back straight, bend your upper body forwards and bend the right knee
  4. From here, row the weight upwards into the lower part of your chest by bending your left elbow and squeezing your shoulder blades together
  5. Pause here and return under control to the starting position
  6. Repeat with the weight in the right hand

Bent-over rows

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart 
  2. Hold onto your weights with your palms facing down 
  3. Slightly bend your knees 
  4. Keep your back straight and bend your upper body forwards 
  5. From here, row the weights upwards into the lower part of your chest by bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together 
  6. Pause here and return under control to the starting position 
  7. Repeat 

Weighted bicep curl

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Hold weights by your sides with straight arms
  3. Keep elbows tucked in to your waist
  4. Slowly bend elbows to lift weights, with palms facing up towards the ceiling, up to shoulders
  5. Palms facing towards the ceiling, slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position
  6. Repeat

Single weight bicep curl

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Hold the single weight with both hands at the front of your body
  3. Tuck your pelvis under to engage your stomach muscles
  4. Slowly lift the weight upwards to chest, bending at the elbows and keeping your palms facing towards the ceiling
  5. Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position by straightening the elbows
  6. Repeat

Bicep curl to overhead press

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Hold weights by your sides with straight arms
  3. Keep elbows tucked in to your waist
  4. Slowly bend elbows to lift weights, with palms facing up, to shoulders
  5. At the shoulders, twist hands so that palms face forwards
  6. Then push weight towards ceiling by straightening elbows
  7. Bend elbows to lower weights back to shoulders while twisting hands so palms face inwards
  8. Slowly lower down weights, with palms facing upwards back to either side of body
  9. Repeat

Resisted overhead press – with bag of flour

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Hold the weight into your chest
  3. Tuck your pelvis under to feel your stomach muscles engage and hold this position
  4. Then push weight towards celling by straightening elbows
  5. Bend elbows to lower weights back to chest
  6. Repeat

Resisted overhead press - with weights

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart
  2. Hold the weight into your chest
  3. Tuck your pelvis under to feel your stomach muscles engage and hold this position
  4. Then push weight towards celling by straightening elbows
  5. Bend elbows to lower weights back to chest
  6. Repeat
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