Thursday - Upper Body Strength Training

12 min

6 exercises

Incline Dumbbell Bench Chest Press

3 sets

12 reps

Close Grip Pullups

3 sets

12 reps

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns

3 sets

12 reps

Cable Upright Rows

3 sets

12 reps

Lateral Shoulder Dumbbell Raises

3 sets

12 reps

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extensions

3 sets

12 reps

This Thursday - Upper Body Strength Training 12 min gym workout plan effectively targets your arms, back, chest and shoulders. Easily follow this workout with confidence on your phone or printable exercise program with our clear exercise demonstrations. You can also look up step-by-step instructions for each of the 6 exercises and see which muscle groups they target. Enjoy!

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Thursday - Upper Body Strength Training

12 min

6 exercises

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Incline Dumbbell Bench Chest Press

3 sets

12 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Chest

Secondary:

Abs, Shoulders, Triceps

Set up an incline bench so the back rest is at about a 45 degree angle.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip. (Palms facing away from you)
Sit on the bench with your feet flat on the floor and your back and shoulders pressed firmly back against the back rest.
Raise the dumbbells up to your shoulder level, keeping your elbows bent at 90 degrees.
Push the dumbbells up and away from you using your shoulders and chest while straightening your arms.
Continue raising the dumbbells until your arms are straight and the dumbbells are suspended above your chest. Hold for a count of one.
Lower the dumbbells back towards your chest by relaxing your chest and shoulders while bending your elbows.
Hold for a count of one
Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Chest

Secondary:

Abs, Shoulders, Triceps

Set up an incline bench in front of a weight rack, making sure you adjust the incline to a comfortable position. The back of the bench should be facing the weight stack.
Sit on the bench placing your back firmly against the backrest.
Using an overhand grip, grasp the bar with your hands spaced about twice your shoulder width apart.
Lift the bar from the rack by pushing up with your chest muscles and hold it straight over your chest with your arms fully extended. This is the start position.
As you inhale, lower the barbell slowly until it touches your upper chest.
Hold for a count of one while squeezing your chest muscles.
Return to the start position as you exhale, pushing the bar using your chest muscles. Hold for a count of one.
Repeat.

If you are new at this exercise, you should use a spotter. If there is no-one available to spot for you, be conservative with the amount of weight you use. Do not let the bar drift too far forward. The bar to should touch down on your chest only. When performing this exercise, you should use a 2:1:1 count. That is a count of two on the downward movement. A count of one to hold and squeeze.a count of one for the upward movement.

Primary muscle group(s):

Chest

Secondary:

Abs, Shoulders, Triceps

Stand between two cable stations with the dumbbell grip handles attached to the high pulleys on each side of you.
Hold the handles with an overhand grip. Your arms should be outstretched.
Bend your knees and hips slightly so that you are leaning forward, but not too far.
Bend your elbows slightly and rotate your shoulders in towards the centre of your chest a little. Your elbows should be slightly behind you.
Use a hugging motion, keeping your elbows in a fixed, bent position to bring the grip attachments together in front of your chest.
Slowly return to the starting position until you feel a slight stretch in your chest muscles.
Repeat.

Close Grip Pullups

3 sets

12 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back

Secondary:

Biceps, Forearms, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Step up to the bar and grasp it with your palms facing you and arms close together.
Your arms should be fully extended.
Cross your ankles and bend your knees,
Pull your body up until your elbows are completely bent and close to your body, reaching your chin to the bar.
Lower your body until your arms and legs are fully extended in the starting position.

Primary muscle group(s):

Middle Back / Lats

Secondary:

Biceps

Sit at a Lat Pulldown machine and secure your legs underneath the padded surface. Select an appropriate weight on the stack. Reach up to grab the barbell, taking a close-grip. Your hands should be at or closer than shoulder-width.
Tighten your core and keep your chest up as you pull the barbell down and towards your chest. Be sure to pull with your lat muscles.
Once the bar is at your chest, slowly allow it to return to the starting position but don’t let the weight stack touch. Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps, Shoulders

Set the bar to your waist height.
Lie on your back under the bar.
Reach up and grip the bar with an overhand grip with both hands.
Keeping your body straight, pull yourself up towards the bar by pulling your elbows as far back as you can and trying to touch the bar with your chest.
Hold and squeeze your arm and back muscles.
Lower yourself back to the start position in a controlled motion.
Repeat.

For this exercise, you can use a Smith machine bar, an Olympic bar on a rack or any other straight, sturdy bar set to the right height. The lower the bar is to the floor, the more intense it will be due to the starting angles of your arms.

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns

3 sets

12 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back, Middle Back / Lats

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps

Set up a cable station with a straight bar attached to the top pulley.
Sit on the seat facing the station. Keep your feet flat and planted firmly on the floor.
Using an overhand grip, hold the bar as wide as comfortable. (Your hands should be about 1 1/2 – 2 times body width apart.)
Lean back slightly without arching your back.
Pull the bar towards the top of your chest using your shoulders while arcing your elbows out to the sides of your body.
At the end of the movement squeeze you shoulders together slightly and hold for a count of one.
Return to the start position by arcing your elbows forward while relaxing your shoulders.
Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Lower Back, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Secondary:

Biceps, Forearms, Shoulders

Standing under a pull-up bar, reach up and hold onto the bar with an overhand grip. Make sure your hands are about twice your shoulder width apart.
Keep your arms straight and hang from the bar so that your arms are taking all of your weight.
Keeping your body straight and not swinging your weight, pull your body up towards the bar by pulling your elbows down towards your torso at an angle.
Continue lifting until your chest is nearly touching the bar. You should feel a “squeeze” at the base of your lats (about midway down your back and to the side) as they contract.
Once your lats have completely contracted at the top of the movement, slowly lower your body to the starting position.
Repeat.

By using a wide grip, your lats are doing most of the lift, rather than your biceps. It doesn't matter if you keep your legs straight or bent at the knees with your feet crossed. The important thing is that you do not use your legs to assist in lifting your body weight. As your strength increases, you can add weight by using a weight belt.

Cable Upright Rows

3 sets

12 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Secondary:

Abs, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Attach a straight bar to the low pulley on the cable station.
Stand facing the station with your feet shoulder width apart either side of the pulley.
Grip the bar with an overhand grip, with your hands shoulder width apart and arms fully extended.
Keep your shoulders back.
Raise the bar straight up in one smooth movement, until it is just below your chin.
Hold for a count of one while squeezing your biceps and forearms.
Slowly lower to the start position and repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Secondary:

Abs, Neck & Upper Traps

Stand with your back straight, holding a barbell with an overhand grip slightly less than shoulder width apart.
The bar should be level with the tops of your thighs.
Keep your arms extended with a slight bend at the elbows. This is the start position.
Exhale and using the sides of your shoulders lift the bar.
As you do so, raise your elbows up and out to the side.
Keep the bar close to your body as you raise it.
Continue lifting the bar until it is just below your chin. Pause for a count of one.
Return to the start position in a single smooth movement. Inhale as you do so.
Repeat.

This exercise can be performed using a straight bar attached to a low pulley or using dumbbells.

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Secondary:

Abs, Biceps, Forearms, Upper Back & Lower Traps

Holding a dumbbell in each hand,stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
The dumbbells should be resting on your thighs with your palms facing in.
Lift the dumbbells straight up in single smooth movement until they are just below your chin making sure to keep your shoulders back and your elbows out.
At the top of the movement, flex or squeeze your biceps and forearms. Hold for a count of one.
Return to the starting position slowly to keep tension on the muscles.
Repeat.

This exercise can be performed using a barbell,EZ bar or a cable station with a straight bar or EZ bar attachment.

Lateral Shoulder Dumbbell Raises

3 sets

12 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Stand with your back straight, feet shoulder width apart, while holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip.
Hold your arms fully extended by your side, with your palms facing in to your body.
Keep your elbows close to your sides. This is the start position.
Keeping your arms fully extended and your torso stationary, lift the dumbbells out to your sides and up until they are at shoulder level. Exhale as you do so.
Hold for a count of one while squeezing your shoulder muscles.
Return to the start position in a smooth controlled movement inhaling as you do so.
Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Secondary:

Neck & Upper Traps

Sit on a bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your hands should be at your sides.
Maintain a flat back and tight core. Look straight ahead during the movement.
Be sure to maintain a slight bend in your elbows at all times.
Extend your arms out to the side and guide the weight up. Your arms should come to parallel with the floor.
Pause, slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Shoulders

Secondary:

Abs

Place your left foot onto the middle of a resistance band. Step forward with the right. Tighten your abdominals and avoid arching your back.
Maintaining a slight bend in the elbows at all times, slowly raise your arms up from the sides of your body. Be sure to favor the front as you lift.
Once your arms reach parallel with the floor, pause, feel the contraction, and slowly lower back down.

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extensions

3 sets

12 reps

Set 1 of 3

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Triceps

Secondary:

Abs, Shoulders

Lie flat on your back on a bench and position your feet flat on the floor on either side of the bench.
With a dumbbell in each hand, extend your arms over head until fully extended. Your palms should face one another and your hands should be close together.
Bend the elbows and lower the weights to either side of your head.
Extend your arms to return to the starting position.

Primary muscle group(s):

Triceps

Secondary:

Abs

Holding a preacher curl barbell with an overhand grip, carefully sit on a bench. Slowly lie back and bring the barbell above your head. Make sure that your feet are flat on the floor and your core is braced.
Keep the upper arms in place as you bend at the elbow and allow the forearms to slowly dip back towards your head.
Once the barbell reaches the bottom, pause and slowly push the barbell back to the starting position.

Primary muscle group(s):

Triceps

Secondary:

Abs, Lower Back

Holding a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip, stand tall with your chest up and core braced. Bend at the hips while keeping your back completely flat.
Once your upper body is parallel with the floor, bring your upper arms to your sides. Begin by pushing the dumbbells back and behind you.
Pause at the top of the movement and feel the contraction in your triceps. Slowly lower the dumbbells and begin again.

Primary muscle group(s):

Triceps

Secondary:

Abs

Sit on a bench with back support.
Grip a dumbbell at one end using both hands. Your palms should be facing inward.
Hold the dumbbell overhead with your arms fully extended. This is the the start position.
Keep your upper arms close to your head (biceps roughly level with your temples) and near to 90degrees to the floor.
Moving only your forearms, lower the dumbbell in a smooth arc behind your head until your forearms and biceps touch. Hold for a count of one.
Return to the start position by using the triceps to extend your arm and raise the dumbbell. Exhale as you do this.
Repeat.

This exercise can be performed standing. However, it places an extra strain on your back so is not recommended for people with lower back problems. You can also perform this exercise using an EZ bar or straight bar with a close grip behind your head, palms facing forward.

Workout done!

Exercises done

of 6

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