How to Build Upper Body Strength

Considering the hectic lives that we lead today, having a strong, fit body is a must. Our upper bodies, more than often, bear the brunt of our workload. Therefore, having a strong upper half is very important, and this applies to both men and women. (However, that does not mean you should ignore your lower body). In the remainder of this article, we will have a look at a few methods of building upper body strength. Read ahead to know the quickest way to build upper body strength.

Simply put, there are two ways of achieving this:

1. Upper body strength exercises
2. Upper body strength training

We will have a look at both these methods in the subsequent sections of this article.

Upper Body Strength Exercises
By making use of the following exercises, you can build upper body strength without weights.

Swimming
Swimming is a fantastic way of strengthening your upper body (as well as your lower body), and at the same time, toning it to perfection. You should aim at swimming at least thrice a week (four times would be even better). A good 30-45 minute swim workout works wonders for your shoulders, arms, chest and your abdomen (as far as the upper body is concerned). Alternating between different swim strokes will ensure a thorough and complete upper body workout.

Push Ups
If you wish to do an upper body workout at home, then what better way than push ups? Push ups are a very effective exercise when it comes to working on your shoulder muscles, arms, biceps, pectorals, etc. Here are some varieties of push ups that you can consider doing:

• Shoulder width push ups (default style)
• Wide push ups (distance between hands is greater than shoulder width)
• Medicine ball push ups (also known as decline push ups)
• Knuckle grip push ups (involves resting on your fist, instead of palms)
• Incline push ups (opposite of decline push ups)

Pull Ups
Pull ups are universally acknowledged as being one of the toughest of all strength exercises. They work on your shoulders, biceps, chest, back and lat muscles. Using a simple homemade pull up bar, you can perform a variety of pull ups such as close grip pull ups, wide grip pull ups, kipping, inward palm pull ups, outward palm pull ups, etc. Pull ups require considerable amount of shoulder and upper body strength. So if at first, you are able to do only one, or two, or three repetitions, do not fret. Keep working at it, and as your strength and stamina increase gradually, so will the number of repetitions.

Upper Body Strength Training
As mentioned earlier, weight training is an excellent way of building upper body strength. Here is a list of the training exercises that help in developing strength in the upper half of the body:

• Dumbbell bicep curls
• Barbell bicep curls
• Dumbbell tricep curls
• Dumbbell incline fly
• Dumbbell shrugs
• Dumbbell bench press
• Machine bench press
• Tricep chair dips
• Lateral raise
• Lateral fly
• Shoulder fly
• Hammer curls

Remember, when beginning with weight training routines, always start with a comfortable weight and focus on a higher number of repetitions (rather than on a heavier weight). As and when your strength and endurance increases, you can then go about increasing the weight load proportionately.

In addition to the aforementioned methods, certain gymnastic exercises and techniques, resistance band exercises, as well as punching bag workouts also help immensely in building upper body strength. Here's where I sign off. Take care!