The Top 10 Upper Body Workout Exercises to Build Muscle

 Introduction:

The upper body includes your chest, back, shoulders, arms and hands. As the largest muscle group in your body, these muscles burn the most calories throughout the day when you’re just sitting at your desk or standing in line at the grocery store. They’re also important to build because they help support and stabilize your shoulders, which helps reduce injury during weightlifting and everyday activities like lifting groceries or carrying shopping bags. Here are 10 of the best upper body workout exercises to help you strengthen this vital muscle group.

1) Dumbbell chest press:

A classic exercise for the chest is a dumbbell chest press. To perform this movement, lie back on a bench and hold two dumbbells in front of your upper chest with your arms fully extended. Keep your elbows tucked into your sides and drive the weights up so that they touch over your head with straight arms, exhaling on the way up. Then lower them until you feel a stretch in your pectoral muscles at the bottom, inhaling as you go down. Keep tension on the pecs throughout this exercise.

2) Dumbbell row:

One of the best exercises for building muscle in your upper back and posterior chain is the dumbbell row. With this exercise, you'll work all the muscles in your body in just one movement. It's worth noting that you should use a very light weight for this exercise or perform it using resistance bands if you're just starting out. Here's how to do it

3) Dumbbell shoulder press:

Lie on a flat bench holding two dumbbells. Keep your back and neck in a neutral position. Press the weights over your chest and slowly lower them until they are just above your clavicle, or collarbone. Be sure not to allow the weights to drop behind your head; that's the common cause of rotator cuff injuries. Slowly return to starting position and repeat. If this is too difficult, do this exercise while seated on an exercise ball with your back resting against a wall for additional support (but be sure you can balance yourself on top of the ball).

4) Barbell bench press:

Bench pressing is a staple exercise in most workout routines, but the weight can get too heavy for the average person's upper body. In this case, dumbbells are often substituted for barbells. To set up for the exercise, place a bench in front of a high rack that is about shoulder-height. Set one dumbbell on each side of the rack and lie face down on top of it. Keep your feet flat on the floor or brace them against something solid like a wall or bench.

5) Seated cable row:

1. Seated cable row- This is one of the best exercises for developing a strong upper back and increasing your size. One good way to do this exercise is by sitting down at a cable machine and holding onto the bar, pulling it towards you while squeezing your shoulder blades together in order to complete the repetition.

2. Chin-ups - This exercise works best when done with just body weight because when weight is added, it places too much stress on your joints that could lead to injury over time. Doing chin-ups means grabbing the bar overhead with both hands and then using an underhand grip to pull yourself up until your chin reaches over the bar before slowly lowering yourself back down into starting position so you can repeat another rep after. 

6) Flat dumbbell fly:

Lie on your back and hold a dumbbell in each hand above your chest. Lower the weights out to the sides and then return to your starting position. Do not use too much weight as you may get injured.

Including an upper body workout into your workout routine is vital for maintaining muscle strength and preventing injuries in the future. These exercises are just a few of the many great ones that help build stronger, healthier shoulders, arms, back and chest muscles for everyone from athletes to regular joes who want a strong upper body.

7) Dumbbell triceps extension:

If you're looking for an exercise that targets your triceps, consider the dumbbell triceps extension. It may be one of the most underrated exercises. Begin by gripping a dumbbell in each hand and extending both arms straight down by your sides with palms facing your torso. Next, keeping a slight bend in your elbows and making sure not to lock them out, push the weights upwards until they touch at the top of the movement while exhaling.

8) Triceps kickback with rope attachment:

Make sure you are sitting tall with your feet firmly planted on the ground and your spine in a neutral position. Raise your arms in front of you to shoulder height and bend the elbows outwards. While squeezing your triceps, extend your arms backwards so that they form a 'V' shape. Keep looking straight ahead as you perform this exercise to ensure that you are engaging the correct muscles.

9) Barbell overhead press:

To press the barbell from overhead, start by lying on your back and balancing the bar in the palms of your hands. You'll then lift your chest up so that you are perpendicular to the floor, and then explosively press the weight straight up over your head. After a full contraction of your upper body muscles, slowly lower the weight back down to starting position and complete a full set. This is one rep of an overhead press exercise.

A variation on this exercise is holding a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length out in front of you and lifting them up until they are above your chest. Slowly lower them back down after a full contraction and complete another rep as before with both hands pressing either one or two dumbbells.

10) Cable rope face pull:

Cable rope face pull exercise is best for improving back, neck and shoulder strength. This is done by suspending a rope from a high-quality cable machine at arm's length, pulling the rope with both hands towards the face. To make this exercise more challenging, add resistance bands or weight plates.

Start by facing away from the machine and holding the ropes with an overhand grip in front of you at chest height. With straight arms, lean forward at the waist and keep your abs tight as you lean backwards while twisting your upper body around to one side so that your head goes down as far as possible without rounding your back. Keep squeezing shoulders together throughout the movement and push hard against the rope when pulling it towards your face.