What is the Best Upper Body Workout? – Massive Muscle Bulding

The top upper body workout routine requires balance, dedication, and rest. If you don’t let your muscles recover, you’re doing more harm than good. Skipping a week or even a day early on can also be problematic – if not for your muscles, then definitely for your mentality. The best upper body workouts emphasize weight over repetition, but again, balance is necessary. Not sure how to plan a proper routine? Follow mine to get started – but remember that everyone’s body is different, so be sure to adjust the intensity as necessary.

3 Day Routine

This routine requires 3 days of activity and 4 days of rest. I find it to be the best upper body workout for beginners and regular trainees alike; it involves little risk of injury and can be done with only a few cheap pieces of equipment. Remember to rest for 30 seconds between each set of reps. Push yourself, but don’t strain yourself – knowing your limits is important. Finally, see the next section for more in-depth information about each workout.

Day 1 – Body Day:

1. Elevated push-up: 5 sets of 10 reps.

2. Plank: 60 seconds.

3. Pull-up: 3 sets of 3 reps.

4. Plank: 60 seconds.

5. Dip: 3 sets of 30 reps.

6. Plank: 60 seconds.

Day 2 – Rest Day

Day 3 – Mixed Day:

1. Adjusted Burpee: 6 sets of 10.

2. Single lateral raise: 3 sets of 3 reps; repeat for both arms.

3. Pull-up: 3 sets of 3 reps.

4. Dumbbell squat: 3 sets of 10.

5. Plank: 60 seconds, 3 reps.

Day 4 – Rest Day

Day 5 – Dumbbell Day:

1. One-arm dumbbell row: 4 reps, 6 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps; repeat for both arms.

2. Single lateral raise: 3 sets of 3 reps; repeat for both arms.

3. Dumbbell bench press: 2 sets of 3 reps.

4. Hammer curl: 4 sets of 5 reps.

Days 6 and 7 – Rest Days

About the Exercises

Elevated push-up: More intense than a regular push-up, but still simple; put your toes on a chair or bench and perform a push-up as normal. Increase height for more intensity.

Plank: Deceptively tough if you’ve never done one before – enter a push-up position with your elbows and arms on the ground. Keep your body straight and hold position for the full duration.

Pull-up: Pull-ups are possibly the best upper body workout you can do in the comfort of your home. They exercise your arms, abs, and back with nothing but a bar and your own body weight.

Dip: Pull up a couple of chairs, a little longer than leg-length apart (put one against the wall to keep it from sliding). Place your palms on the end of one chair and your heels on the other. Slowly lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle. Raise and repeat.

Adjusted Burpee: This alternate version of the standard burpee is easier on your joints. Personal trainer Jamie Atlas wrote an amusing and informational post about why standard “military” burpees are awful – but they’re still useful if done with caution. For this adjusted version, start in a standing position holding two dumbbells. Squat down and release the dumbbells, put your hands on the ground, then step back into a push-up position and do a single push-up. Return to squatting position, grab the dumbbells, and stand back up. It’s still important to do this quickly, but without impact on your joints.

Single lateral raise: Stand straight with a dumbbell in one hand. Raise the dumbbell to your side so that your hand is level with your shoulder. Lower your hand; repeat.

Dumbbell squat: Squats while holding dumbbells… Need I say more? Squats are fantastic all-body workouts, and the dumbbells add to your upper-body training.

One-arm dumbbell row: Place your left knee and hand on a bench and your other foot on the floor. Grab the dumbbell and let it hang; then pull it toward your hip and return it in the same motion. Switch sides after you complete your sets.

Dumbbell bench press: Again, simple but effective; grab two dumbbells and lay flat on a bench, then perform a bench press as if you were holding a barbell.

Hammer curl: Your standard weight curl, but with one variation: hold the weights so that your palms are facing together.

Summary

This workout routine switches between muscle groups and exercise types to give you an efficient combination of endurance and strength. The best upper workout should always be combined with an appropriate diet and plenty of rest. Recovery is the key to actually building muscle, so don’t overdo it. I find myself returning to this workout over and over – scale up the number of reps each week, and you’ll have an incredible upper body in no time.

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