Since years, fitness magazines and online media outlets have published workouts that target specific body parts.
It was simple to find a chest exercise if you were looking for one.
Do you want to do a back workout? There are many other options.
“X Weeks of Massive Shoulders” – You can be sure there were many.
Arm days galore!
What about a complete upper body workout? There are not many of these.
Recent research has shown that increasing the frequency of training and lowering the volume per session can increase muscle growth.
Everyone is now using upper body exercises to bulk up. According to my experience, upper/lower splits seem to be the most popular with recreational lifters right now.
How do you determine if your upper body workout is right for you? How can you tell if it is really effective?
This article will discuss the exercises and their variations that all good upper-body workouts should include. We’ll then show you how to do it in a few lower/upper splits depending on your experience level. We’ll also answer the most common questions regarding upper/lower splits.
6 Upper Body Exercises That You Need to Focus on
They all share similar exercises when it comes to high-quality upper-body workouts.
Almost all workouts will have the exact same exercises and the same rep schemes. These exercises teach important movement patterns.
These compound exercises target multiple muscle groups and have natural ranges. This makes them safer and leads to better caloric burning during training sessions.
The most important movements to practice for upper body exercises are:
* Vertical pulls
* Horizontal pulls
* Vertical Push
* Horizontal Push
* Loaded Carry
Below are some examples of movement patterns that can be achieved with these exercise variations. These are the best exercises to build upper body muscle mass.
1. The Pull Up
The classic pull-up is an exercise that targets the upper back muscles. This movement is a vertical pull movement.
The pull-up is considered one of the most effective back exercises for lats. But not many people are able to do them. These workout progressions will help you train from beginner to advanced level.
You can do the following variations of pull-ups in your upper body workouts:
* Only Eccentric Pull Ups
* Concentric Hangs
* Band-Assisted Pull Ups
* Chin Ups
* Pull ups with neutral grip
* Wide grip pull ups
* Weighted pull ups
2. The Barbell Row
Another back exercise that can be used to build muscle mass is the barbell row. This is the horizontal pull movement.
To perform the movement, you need to have good core stability and shoulder stability. Once you have the ability to do the exercise properly, you will be able build significant size by increasing the load you can pull. This is why it’s considered a staple in bodybuilding.
You can use the following variations of the barbell rows in your upper body exercises:
* Inverted Row
* Seated Cable Row
* Cable Row Standing
* Half Kneeling Cable Row
* Shotgun Row
* Dumbbell Row
* T-bar/Landmine Row
3. The Overhead Press
To build the push muscles in the shoulders and triceps, the overhead press is used. Because it performs the vertical push movement pattern, it is used in most upper-body workouts.
The overhead press, like the barbell row requires core stability and shoulder stability in order to be effective.
This will allow you to safely complete the exercises listed below.
You can also include the following variations in your overhead press workouts:
* Landmine Press variations
* Z Press
* Pin Press
* Dumbbell Overhead Press
* Arnold Press
4. The Bench Press
The barbell bench press is everyone’s favorite move, or at least it was once. It’s used in many upper-body workouts to perform the horizontal push movements.
Bench pressing is great because it, like all variations of barbells, allows you to increase the weight that you can use.
It requires stabilization, primarily from the shoulder ligaments, as with all exercises on this list.
To help you gain the necessary strength, we’ll use several exercises in these workouts.
You can also use these exercises to achieve the horizontal push movement pattern:
* Push ups
* Floor Presses
* Dumbbell Presses
* Incline Presses
* Decline Presses
5. The Dip
Depending on how you do them, the dip will fall into a mix of horizontal and vertical push movements. The exercise is a great way to build triceps, chest and shoulder muscles.
Many of the online upper body exercises will include a dip variation. You can use it as an accessory or primary movement.
It’s an exercise that is difficult to perform, similar to the pull-up. We will include many progressions in the following workouts.
These are some variations of dips you might like to add to your upper body exercises:
* Only for Eccentrics
* Pec Minor Dips
* Band-Assisted Dips
* Weighted Dips
6. The Farmer’s Carry
One of the most underutilized and effective exercises you can do is the farmer’s walk. This is a loaded carry that depending on its use, can do a lot of cardio conditioning and core training, as well as packing on the size for the traps.
The farmer’s walk will not be included in the next upper body exercise routines. But, if you want to add variety, you might consider:
* Suitcase Accessories
* Waiter Carries
* Trap Bar Farmer’s Waks
Build Your Upper Body Workouts
You should consider your current stage of training when building your upper body exercises. A more advanced program will not work for you if you are a complete beginner and lack the stability to do some of these exercises.
We’ll show you how it works. No matter what stage of your training, you’ll find an upper-body focused program. The workouts below are great for beginners and can be used to move from one phase of training to the next.
To ensure that you look good, we also included lower body exercises into our routines. It is possible that you will notice a difference in your upper body lifts and lower body exercises.
Each phase should last between 4-8 weeks. Every person’s progression rate is different. You can learn to understand your body so you know when it is time to move on to the next phase. You must earn every step, not just complete the courses.
Here’s an example of how to schedule your week of exercise. This is a guideline. You can adjust it as you wish.
Split the Upper/Lower Workout
* Monday: Upper Body Workout 1
* Tuesday: Lower Body Workout 1
* Wednesday: Rest/Active Recovery
* Thursday: Upper Body Exercise 2
*Friday: Lower Body Workout 1
* Saturday Rest/Active Recover
* Sunday Rest
Split for Beginner Upper Body Workout
This beginner upper body-focused workout will help build stability and condition your body for future upper body exercises.
This phase is recommended for those who are not familiar with the weight room or are unable to do pullups and dips by themselves.
This phase can last from 4-8 weeks. Some people may skip this phase entirely. Others may be able to transition to the intermediate phase easily after a few weeks.
I would recommend that you stay in this stage for as long as necessary and then move to the intermediate stage if each set of exercises isn’t too difficult.
When you are able to do so, weighted exercises should be increased week-to-week. This is particularly true for lower-body exercises like the trap bar deadlift or goblet squat.
You can rest as long as you need to fully recover after each set.
Day 1: Beginner Upper-Body Workout
Day 2: Lower Body Workout for Beginners
Day 3: Beginner Upper-Body Workout
Day 4: Beginner Lower Body Exercise
Intermediate Upper Body Workout Split
The intermediate phase of the upper-body focused workout split will build on the stability that you have built in the beginning phase. This phase bridges the gap between stability and full range of motion.
We also introduce accessory movements to target arms during this phase. Everybody is unique and each person has their own goals. These accessory movements can be used to help you achieve your goals.
This phase can last between 6-8 weeks. Some people may be able get there faster than others. It all depends on you and your ability to move forward. You should use your best judgment and only move forward if you find this part of the routine too easy.
It is recommended that you increase your weight each week for all weighted exercises. This will depend on your personal abilities.
You can rest as long as you need to fully recover after each set.
Day 1: Intermediate Upper-Body Workout
Day 2: Intermediate Lower Body Workout
Day 3: Intermediate Upper-Body Workout
Day 4: Intermediate Lower Body Workout
Split for an Advanced Upper Body Workout
This is the final, most advanced upper-body focused workout split. It includes advanced variations of the movements patterns mentioned at the beginning. It also has the highest volume of all the upper body phases.
This phase also includes additional accessory movements. This is a guideline. Include any exercises that target the muscle groups you are trying to strengthen for your personal goals.
The program’s final phase can last between 8 and 12 weeks. This is the last phase of the program, and you can use it as long as you like. It doesn’t matter how long you keep it going, as long as your routine is enjoyable and you see results.
It is recommended that you increase your weight each week for all weighted exercises. This will depend on your personal abilities.
You can rest as long as you need to fully recover after each set.
Day 1: Advanced Upper Body Workout
Day 2: Advanced Lower Body Workout
Day 3: Advanced Upper-Body Workout
Day 4: Advanced Lower Body Exercise
FAQs regarding Upper Body Workouts
Here are the top questions regarding upper body exercises. These questions aren’t directly related to the exercises listed above but they will provide additional information on how to create upper body workouts, and how to use them to maximize muscle mass.
You can ask us any questions you may have about upper-body workouts not listed here. We may even add the question to the next readers.
1. What is a good upper body workout routine?
Your ability to do a good upper body workout is dependent on your individual abilities. When deciding on exercise volume and exercise selection, it is important to consider your level of experience.
You will also find exercises to train fundamental movements such as the horizontal pull and horizontal push, the vertical pull and vertical push, as well as loaded carry. Your level of experience and final goal will determine the exact variations that you use.
To ensure that you have a balanced body and a beautiful physique, a good upper-body workout should be paired with supper.
2. Is it a good idea to do a full upper body workout?
Absolutely. You can actually be very efficient in your weekly training frequency by doing full upper body workouts. This is dependent on how they are written and paired up with lower body workouts.
You can also target multiple muscle groups with these compound movements, if you are using your rest days well. This will maximize caloric burning in any given workout.
3. How often should you exercise your upper body?
To maintain strength and healthy muscle as you age, you will need to exercise your upper body at least once per week.
You should train twice per week to maximize muscle growth.
You could go up to 3-6 times per week depending on the way your upper body routine and overall program. To ensure that this strategy works for you, you might consider hiring a coach.
4. How should I split my upper body workout?
It will all depend on your goals and the number of days you have to train.
The upper body workout used to be done in upper/lower splits. It trains every muscle in the upper body twice a week.
Some strength athletes might find it beneficial to break that down into a Push Pull Legs split, depending on their strength level. This will allow them to recover faster and shorten their individual workouts.
Although push, pull, and leg splits are not covered in this article, they can be useful. These are very effective at increasing training frequency and volume loads. It may be worth considering depending on your goals and experience.
5. What length should an upper body workout last?
A good upper-body workout should take between five and ten minutes. A good upper body workout can be completed in a matter of minutes, depending on the level of experience.
Beginners will train at a lower volume and be able complete the work faster than advanced lifters who have many exercises and volume.
6. What is the average time it takes to see results from lifting?
It all depends on your genes.
People who start to notice differences after a change in their training program will notice them in four weeks. Their family and friends will also notice the difference in eight weeks. The world will see the changes in twelve weeks. This is a good rule-of-thumb, but it’s only anecdotal.
Keep going and put in the effort every time you do a workout. You will see the results.
7. Is it OK to Lift Weights Everyday?
It is possible to lift weights daily, but it is not practical.
You can train every day if you are knowledgeable about what you’re doing, and you have the ability to manage your training volume and training loads.
However, most people don’t know how to do it. It is also not practical for their daily lives.
When it comes to training, be smart and patient. It takes time, as mentioned in the previous response.
8. What is the average time it takes to get a six pack?
Two main factors are crucial for achieving six-pack abs.
If you don’t have a genetic predisposition to having a 6-pack midsection, chances are you won’t get one.
A certain amount of leanness is required to expose what you have. The majority of people I know who have good abs don’t exercise them. They are simply weightlifters.
Ask your parents if they have ever tried abs. Ask them if they have ever had abs before. Don’t be discouraged if they don’t answer. Be the best version of yourself.
If they say yes, you can begin weight training and dieting with any of the above-mentioned routines. Be patient and persistent. You might notice your muscles becoming more visible when you lose 12 to 15 percent of your body fat.
Refer to
1. Schoenfeld, B.J. et al. Effects of resistance training frequency upon measures of muscle hypertrophy. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med, 2016. 46(11): p. 1689-97.
