Best upper body workout plan

Looking for an effective upper body workout routine? You’ve come to the right place!

We’ve put a guide together for both beginners and those with more experience to build their upper body fitness.

Before we get into some workout plans, take a look at what an upper body workout actually is and the benefits it provides.

What is an upper body workout?

Upper body workouts focus on strengthening and toning the muscles of the upper body. This includes working out the chest, back, shoulders, arms, and core.

People often choose to focus on upper body workouts to improve overall upper body strength, increase muscle definition, enhance posture, lose weight and to boost general fitness.

So if you’re looking to tone, build muscle mass or lose weight, incorporating regular upper body workouts into your fitness routine can help you to successfully achieve your goals.

Benefits of upper body workouts

There are so many benefits to working out your upper body. Here are just a few of them:

General fitness

Firstly, it’s great for your general fitness. A strong upper body can actually help other aspects of your workout plans too. 

It helps to:

• Strengthen arms and core
• Improve balance and agility
• Burn calories at a faster rate
• Build stronger arms, which helps to improve performance in other activities like swimming and cycling

Posture

Another key benefit of strengthening your upper body is that it helps posture. Many people spend hours a day sitting behind a desk which can lead to bad posture and a bad back.

By strengthening your back and shoulders, it helps to correct imbalanced posture and reduces the risks of long-term problems.

Improves metabolism

Strengthening the upper part of your body is great for boosting your metabolism. This is because the more muscle mass that builds up, the more your resting metabolic rate increases.  

This means it also helps towards weight loss too. When your metabolic rate increases, the more calories you burn by simply just existing! 

If you’re new to upper body workouts, take a look at our guide below. Or if you’re wanting to up your game, scroll down to find our more advanced dumbbell workout plan. 

Upper body weight workout for beginners

If you’re just starting out, start with light weights and focus on getting your form right. As you become more comfortable with the exercises you can gradually increase the weight and intensity of your workouts. 

Don’t forget to listen to your body and rest as needed between sets and workouts too.

Here’s a beginner upper body weight workout plan:

Warm-up:

• Begin with 5-10 minutes of light cardio to increase blood flow and warm up the muscles e.g. walking or jogging.
• Stretch out your upper body with arm circles, shoulder rolls, and trunk rotations.

Workout:

1. Push-Ups: 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

• Start in a plank position with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Lower your body until your chest almost touches the ground, then push back up to the starting position.
• Modify by doing knee push-ups if needed.

2. Dumbbell Chest Press: 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

• Lie on a bench or the floor with a dumbbell in each hand, elbows bent at 90 degrees.
• Press the weights up until your arms are fully extended, then lower them back down with control.

3. Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions per arm

• Hold a dumbbell in one hand and place the opposite knee and hand on a bench for support.
• Keeping your back flat, pull the weight up towards your hip, then lower it back down.
• Repeat on the other side.

4. Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

• Sit or stand with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
• Press the weights overhead until your arms are fully extended, then lower them back down.

5. Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions

• Stand with dumbbells in hand, arms fully extended at your sides, palms facing forward.
• Keeping your elbows close to your body, curl the weights up towards your shoulders, then lower them back down.

6. Tricep Dips: 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

• Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with hands gripping the edge beside your hips.
• Extend your legs out in front of you and lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
• Press back up to the starting position.

Cool-down:

Finish with 5-10 minutes of stretching focusing on those upper body muscles.

Upper body dumbbell workout

While weights aren’t essential for working out your upper body, they’re very effective in helping people see the results they’re looking for.

For the best results, save this upper body gym workout plan.

1. Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps

• Lie on a bench with dumbbells in hand, palms facing away from you.
• Lower the dumbbells to chest level, then press them back up to the starting position.

2. Dumbbell Bent Over Rows: 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of thighs.
• Hinge at the hips, keeping back straight, and lower dumbbells towards the ground.
• Pull dumbbells towards the hips, squeezing shoulder blades together, then lower back down.

3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps

• Hold dumbbells at shoulder height with palms facing forward.
• Press dumbbells overhead until arms are fully extended, then lower back down.

4. Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• Stand with dumbbells in hand, arms fully extended at sides, palms facing forward.
• Curl dumbbells towards shoulders, keeping elbows close to sides, then lower back down.

5. Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 10-12 reps

• Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, hinge at the hips, and bend knees slightly.
• Keep upper arms parallel to the ground, extend forearms behind you until arms are straight, then return to starting position.

6. Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps

• Stand with dumbbells in hand, palms facing thighs.
• Lift dumbbells out to the sides until arms are parallel to the ground, then lower back down.

Cool-down:

Finish with 5-10 minutes of stretching focusing on those upper body muscles.

And that completes our upper body workout!

Make sure to save this plan for the next time you’re at the gym. Don’t forget to follow @phxgymwitham for more gym tips and check out our Essex gym and spa facilities.

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