Exercises for strengthening your upper body, according to a personal trainer, include these top three moves:
Zack Dzingle, an ACE-certified personal trainer and the general manager of Bay Club Portland, has shared his top three upper body exercises with Fit&Well. These exercises, besides the biceps curl, bench press, and bent-over row, are the hand-release push-up, triceps dip, and inverted row.
Hand-Release Push-Up
To perform a hand-release push-up, start in a high plank position. Lower your chest to the floor, lift your hands, place them back, and push through your palms to return to the start. This exercise is scalable, and for beginners, there are various push-up modifications to choose from to make it easier, working their way up as they build strength.
Triceps Dip
To do a triceps dip, you'll need a sturdy surface around knee height. Extend your legs in front of you, rest your heels on the floor, and sit on the surface with your hands on the surface on either side of your body, shoulder-width apart, knuckles pointing forward. Move your butt forward off the surface, supporting your weight through your hands, and slowly bend your elbows to 90° to lower. Extend your elbows to push yourself back up.
Zack Dzingle recommends keeping elbows tucked in during the triceps dip exercise. To make the exercise harder, one can make the lowering movement last longer, say over a count of four. For beginners, bringing the feet closer to the body for more support and bending the knees to 90° can make the exercise easier.
Inverted Row
To do an inverted row, set a barbell at waist height in a squat rack (or use a dedicated inverted row bar). Grasp the bar with an overhand grip and your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your body should be in a straight line from head to heels. Bend your elbows to pull your chest to the bar, pause, then slowly lower to the start.
For the inverted row exercise, sets range from 1-3 and reps range from 10. To make the exercise easier, one can bring their feet closer to their body for more support and can bend their knees to 90° if needed.
Zack Dzingle believes that these exercises are more advanced and aimed at building upper body strength and muscle beyond standard exercises. He advises paying attention to the tension you feel in your shoulders during the triceps dip exercise, as this will give you feedback on whether to progress or regress. He loves doing triceps dip for high reps to build up the lactic acid in the triceps to feel the burn.
These exercises require some equipment like bars, boxes, or benches, so you might need access to a gym or a park with suitable facilities. Dzingle has been a certified personal trainer for 14 years and has trained a wide variety of clientele from athletes to senior adults, graduating from Central Washington University in 2012, majoring in exercise science.
- Zack Dzingle suggests that for the hand-release push-up, a good technique is to keep elbows tucked in and make the lowering movement last longer for added resistance, while beginners can make it easier by choosing push-up modifications.
- Zack Dzingle also emphasizes that the inverted row exercise is advanced and can be made easier by bringing your feet closer to your body for more support or bending your knees to 90°, while doing high reps of triceps dips can help build up lactic acid in the triceps for a challenging workout.
