The best upper body strength exercises to add to your routine
Are you looking to boost your repertoire beyond the bench press? Here, Telegadas and Santos recommend their favorite upper body exercises along with tips on how to do them correctly.
Add them into your routine as needed, making sure to follow the balanced plan described above.
bench press
“This is everyone’s favorite, so try to get it right,” says Santos, who emphasizes the importance of executing the movement with maximum control. “Focus on time under tension and earning the right to lift the weight,” he says. “As a general rule, make sure the bar touches your chest and that you fully extend your arms to complete the repetition.”
Incline Bench Press
A variation on the classic, Telegadas recommends the incline press as a great option for people struggling with the flat bench. “Common mistakes are the same as with a regular bench press,” he says. Be sure to go deep with each rep, take your time, and remember that the incline press should land slightly above the chest.
Z Press
“This is a great vertical push movement that will help develop shoulder and tricep strength while challenging your overhead and core strength and stability,” says Santos. Choose a medium to light weight, sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you, keep your chest high and perform a traditional shoulder press while in position.
Chin-ups/Pull-ups
Both exercises have great benefits for your core, back and shoulders. And getting both right can be difficult. A band can help you lose weight in the beginning. “Errors in pull-ups or chin-ups include: not lowering down (elbows locked), pulling more to one side than the other, and kicking out (dropping) the knees so they can use some momentum to complete a rep,” says Telegudas. In other words: no CrossFit ‘pull-ups’ here, please.
Bent Over Barbell Row
“Rowing is fantastic for building the upper back,” says Telegudas. It also makes a great super set with press-ups or bench presses, which helps balance a tight back. “The main goal is to pull the shoulders tightly back and lower the plates/dumbbells to the hips. Common (mistakes) are coming down too fast, putting tension in the upper back, and not going through a full range of motion.”
cable facepulls
Another simple but effective step. Attach the rope accessory to the cable machine and position the cable at front height. Start with your arms extended in front of you, parallel to the floor. “Strengthen your shoulder blades by imagining you’re trying to hold a $10 bill between them,” advises Santos, “then pull the rope toward your face, extending your elbows as you do so.” Hold the weight for a moment, then slowly return the rope to the starting position.
cable tricep extension
While you’re working out with the cable machine, why not give your triceps some love? Instead of pulling the extension of the rope toward your face, you’ll push straight down, extending your arms slightly downwards. Aim for lighter weights, higher reps here. “Common errors include not controlling the speed and not extending the elbows enough to feel the ‘squeeze’ of the muscles at the end range of motion,” says Telegudas.
single arm concentration curl
“This is my favorite bicep exercise,” enthuses Santos. Sit on a bench and lift a light to moderate weight. Keep your hands flat on the bench and lift the dumbbell up, maintaining control of the dumbbell and squeezing the bicep until the dumbbell reaches the top of its range of motion. “The fantastic part of this practice is where the magic happens,” says Santos. “Slowly lower the dumbbells in a controlled manner until your arm returns to its full position.
This story originally appeared British GQ.
