How to Increase Upper Body Strength
Upper body strength is sometimes underrated by both athletes and everyday exercise enthusiasts. Most people don't realize that a strong upper body is good for balance and injury prevention. Building upper body strength should be accompanied with detailed record keeping, persistence, consistency and inexpensive equipment. A gym membership is not required to build your upper body. With some inexpensive equipment and motivation, you can increase your upper body strength in less than 5 weeks.
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Instructions
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Begin you workout by laying out your workout mat in an area that will be comfortable for you. Take your log book and enter the date.
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Start your upper body workout with as many push-ups as you can do. Write down in your log book how many you performed. Do this amount of push-ups for 2 weeks consistently every other day. In 1 week, you should have 3 to 4 workouts. This exercise will strengthen your triceps.
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3
Stand with your legs slightly parted, your knees unlocked and dumbbells in each hand. Hang the dumbbells along side your hips. You are ready to start a bicep curl. Slowly lift the dumbbells, keeping your elbows tight by your side. Lift the dumbbells until they touch your biceps. Do 2 repetitions of 10 curls. Perform this exercise each day you do your push-ups. Log in your progress in your log book for 2 weeks.
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4
Standing in the same position, hang the dumbbells against your hips with your arms hanging by your side. Raise the dumbbells 1 at a time, alternating arms, to raise the dumbbell up above your head. Do 2 sets of 10 and log this into your log book. Perform this exercise each day along with your push-ups and bicep curls. This exercise will strengthen your shoulders.
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After 2 weeks, increase your reps by 5 repetitions for each exercise. This increase should last another 2 weeks. Make sure to log this increase in your log book.
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Increase your weight by a couple of pounds on the fifth week. Do what is comfortable to you. Again, log this into you log book.
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Tips & Warnings
In the first page of your log book, write your goals for your exercise routine. Sometimes these goals will help motivate you when you are not in the mood to workout.
Stretch after each exercise to maintain flexibility and prevent injury.
Consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise or diet plan.
