Sunday, November 22, 2009

How To Build Strength Upper Body

How To Build Strength Upper Body
Female Bodybuilding: How female athletes can build upper-body strength
By Michele Andrews
Editor's note: We know which upper-body strength affords tangible jaunty advantage in many, maybe most, sportseven auto racing, not often enough. This is of special significance to female athletes, who too often haven't been ...
Female Bodybuilding - http://bodybuildingwomen.blogspot.com/


Tags: strength upper body

Friday, November 20, 2009

Strengthen Back Upper With This Simple Move

Strengthen Back Upper

Strengthen The Upper Back -- Health Key
To strengthen the muscles in your upper back and rear delts (those muscles in the back of your shoulders ), try this simple move. It's ideal after hours of ...


Tags: back upper

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Workout Upper Body Routines

Workout Upper Body News

California Chronicle | Upper Body Workout Routines Pushup Pro
We are an online magazine for national, international, state, local, entertainment, sports, and government news. We also provide opinion and feature ...


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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Perfect Arm Upper Shaping with One-Arm Dumbbell French Presses

Possessing a firm arm upper is an indication that you have done your training homework and you are serious about your fitness.

Although there are good reasons to focus your training on hips, thighs and buttocks, it’s important not to ignore your arms when you are training upper body. When neglected, the back of the arms can especially become soft, lose and almost floppy. This is also unfortunately a place that fat just loves to accumulate, and this tendency can make an otherwise average conditioned arm upper appear to look worse than it really is.

Usually, the most difficult area to resolve is the inner side of the back of the arms. This problem is only accentuated with aging, but it is never too late to do something about obtaining a firmer arm upper.

The posterior arm is where the triceps brachii muscle lives. This is the same muscle you activate to push something away from you, but, pushing muscles do not usually get activated as much as pulling muscles.

By training your triceps muscles, you will begin the process of reshaping your posterior arm and increasing your strength upper body. This can be effectively accomplished with the one-arm French press, because this exercise will add a new dimension of firmness to the back of your arms and it will be especially effective for the inside area of your posterior arm.

If you have excess fat in your arms, it’s beneficial to add in some cardiovascular exercise to your workouts upper body, particularly activities involving the upper body. Perform 20-30 minutes of cardio several times a week and you’ll go a long way to sporting a leaner look.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Chest Exercises for Upper Chest

The upper chest includes the muscle groups above your nipples and below your shoulders. A lot of otherwise fit people neglect these muscles, as the exercises are more difficult and less satisfying than central chest exercises. For a balanced chest, follow these suggestions.

Incline Exercises

1. You can work your upper chest simply by modifying your posture for central chest exercises. Using an adjustable weight bench, set the angle so your back is 45 degrees from the floor. From this position, you can do bench press and flies. When lifting the weights, they still move exactly perpendicular to the floor (straight up and down). This change in angle shifts the load from the central chest to the upper chest.

If you don't have access to an adjustable weight bench, it's possible to do these exercises without back support. Wear a weightlifting belt and keep the weights low--this puts a lot of strain on the lower torso and can result in injury.

Modifying Push-ups

2. Push-ups, that staple of chest development, can be easily modified to focus on the upper chest. In fact, it's likely you've done so already to share the load of long sets. For a normal push-up, the hands are placed even with the central chest, about at the same level as your pectoral muscles. To work the upper chest, simply place the hands even with your face. Bend your arms, bringing your head toward your hands. Push back up.

If this variant is too difficult at first, stand facing a wall at a distance of about a foot. Place your hands flat on the wall just above your face. Do the push-ups standing until you've built up enough strength to do them on the floor.

A Word About Arms

3. Most upper body training exercises, including upper chest, make use of your arms. It's easy, especially as you grow fatigued, to shift the work to the biceps and shoulders instead of your chest. It's best to think of your arms as hooks or other tools attached to your body and moved by the muscles in your chest. At first maintaining that focus can be difficult, but it will come with repetition and practice.

If you find yourself routinely shifting the load to your arms, reduce the weight you are lifting. Lift the lighter weight until good form is natural, and then bump the weight back up. Sacrificing technique for high weight might look good in your workouts upper body journal, but won't get the results you want.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Back Upper Workout Routine

The ‘V’ shaped back upper; for men it shows strength, and for women it shows a lean toned back and a tiny waist. In today’s total upper body workout we are focusing on strengthening and defining the back muscles; deltoids, lats, rhomboids, and traps, along with some other smaller back muscles too giving a defined strong lower, middle and back upper.
These are some of the best back exercises I have found, we are going back to back on this workout!

Warm up: 10 minutes on the elliptical, then 5 minutes of indoor row


Back Exercise Workout Routine:
- Seated Cable Rows; Advanced = 80 to 100 lbs, Beginner = 30 to 60 lbs
- Hang Power Cleans (if you don’t know or not sure how to do a clean, then do barbell shrugs!) Advanced = 85 to 115 lbs, Beginner = 45 to 65 lb bar
- Lat pull downs (in front); rotate each set with: wide grip then normal grip on the straight bar, then close grip on the ‘V’ bar; Advanced = 125 lbs, Beginner = 40 -60 lbs
- Sumo High Pulls (or upright barbell rows)
- Back Extensions (or hyper extensions)
- repeat circuit 3 to 4 times. Post your time and how many circuits you completed!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Workout Upper Body Training

Oftentimes people are more concerned with their upper body than they are with their lower body. While we believe your strength training needs to be balanced between muscle groups, we understand the allure of working hard on your workout upper body. A hardcore workout upper body can transform those muscles most visible to the rest of the world. A high quality upper body training is crucial in building the physique you want.

A strong back, toned shoulders, ripped arms, and a nice chest are some of the benefits you can get from a truly good total upper body workout. These types of results often come in multiple workouts. For the truly hardcore fitness buffs, a day dedicated to arms or one for chest is not unusual at all. However, you have to workout at your own fitness level and strive for those highly intense workout programs.

It’s important to remember when developing your upper body to go easy. Real progress comes from challenging yourself in a smart way. Don’t push too hard or you will risk injury. An injury can postpone any sort of fitness progress for an extended period.

Workout hard but workout smart. Choose an upper body workout appropriate for your fitness level.


Thursday, November 12, 2009

Workouts Upper Body That Gets Hot Results | Physical Fitness Exercise Programs

Quick Upper Body Workouts That Get Hot Results | Physical Fitness Exercise Programs

The best workouts upper body are the ones that can be done anywhere with little or no equipment. Being single with no kids may allow for wasted time in the gym doing twelve sets per body part, but once in the real world of spouse, kids and job, those two hour gym visits are over. The great news is this should be a welcome change because the old school bodybuilder, weights and machines type workout routines can do more damage in the long run as compared to a smart, properly structured upper body, body weight exercise routine.

Weights and machines will always have their place in fitness - but they are not the only way to achieve a strong, well toned upper body. The right selection of body weight workouts can produce a sufficient training stimulus to bring about desired changes, continuous progress and visible results. As health clubs and fitness centers are filled with and endless amount of workout machines and weight training equipment it is in their best interest to promote weight and machine type fitness programs. Naturally, members develop a dependency on these types of workouts because they do not learn any alternative training methods. Some fitness experts argue that workouts with machines and weights are the only path to true upper body fitness. Nothing can be further from the truth.

The problems with this scenario range from the ‘more is better’ syndrome to the ‘I got out of my routine’ excuse. To develop a strong, fit and defined upper body your workouts must be realistic for long term adherence and they must consist of exercises that can be done at home or in a hotel room. As a career personal trainer and fitness consultant I’ve had the opportunity to work with many people at various stages of life. The people who live with long term fitness success are the ones who adopt their workouts upper body so that they are ‘portable’ - meaning if they don’t have a gym available to them - it’s not going to prevent them from getting their upper body workout session in. This ties into one of the essential elements of fitness success - consistency. Staying on a regular routine will yield the best long term results. Starting and stopping a routine that is unrealistic will yield harmful results.

Workouts upper body consisting of body weight exercises produce an incredible amount of natural strength while providing gender specific improvements in muscular development. While women seek more of a toning and firming effect, men seek more of a lean muscle building effect with muscle group definition. A silly fitness myth exists that has people believing that a woman will develop muscles like a man if she follows the same type of upper body workout program. The exercise program does not dictate this result. It’s the gender/genetic differences of the male and female DNA that dictate the characteristics of the results that men and women derive from well rounded, and properly structured upper body workouts. Not the type or intensity of the workout itself.

Yes, we occasionally see women who look like male bodybuilders or power-lifters - but these freakish looks can almost always be traced back to some method of pharmaceutical enhancement. For example, taking anabolic steroids to develop as much muscle mass as possible is one way for a woman to lose the fit and feminine look. Nothing against them - but they do not represent the definition of fitness.

Whether you are male or female, the benefits of properly structured upper body workouts that do not rely on the confines of a gym or fitness center can give you all the results you could ever want, in a program that can easily be followed for life. After all, isn’t that what true fitness is about?

Keep your health club membership - especially if you enjoy doing some of your upper body workouts there. But it would be wise for you to develop some bodyweight exercise routines for you to follow at home or while you are ‘on the road’ - so you don’t fall victim to over-training injuries or find yourself missing three weeks of workouts because you were ‘out of town’.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Best Body Building Workout to Build Upper Body Strength

Best Body Building Workout to Build Upper Body Strength

Here are the perfect body building workouts that are essential for your upper body. It is very important to be aware of your body condition and your capability of workouts. To achieve your desired muscle you have to drive yourself to new limits.

There are five important muscles to be considered when working out your upper body. We can get stared rite now with several different exercise workouts for each of the muscles.

These workouts will allow you to toggle between regular workouts from time to time. Let's get started now.

You on no account want to lift the same muscle workout two days in a line. It is great if you split it up by lifting your back and chest one day and biceps, triceps and shoulders on the next day.

Exercises like flat bench press, flat bench dumbbell flyes, incline bench press, decline bench press workouts and much more can be done for your chest.

You have to be very careful and pay more attention when you start workout for your back. A small mistake can lead you with a back injury and keep you out for weeks.

Exercises like bent over rowing, lat machine pull down, dead lifts, shrugs and hyperextensions has to be consider for building muscles on your back.

You are now ready to lift with your shoulder, biceps and triceps workouts can be done to the next day. For your shoulders exercises like shrugs, a seated dumbbell press, side lateral raises and alternate front dumbbell raises are the best exercise.

For your biceps you can workouts exercises like barbell curls, alternate dumbbell curls, incline dumbbell curls and preacher curls. A preacher curl engages you lifting a barbell on a preacher bench.

Finally triceps is the last part of your upper body building workouts. Exercises like standing cable press downs, triceps bench dips, overhead rope extensions and one arm dumbbell extensions can be the most appropriate workouts for your triceps.

It is very essential that you be aware on how to do all these body building workouts before you attempt to start.

Poor workouts will not only put off you from muscle building, but it can lead you to a bad injury that keeps you away from exercises for weeks.

If you are looking for the best body building workout, I highly recommend the turbulence training program by Craig Ballantyne. Check out my in depth turbulence training review for more details.

Big Arm Upper Workout | BodyBuilding Today .com

Welcome to the Big Arm Upper Workout! Today you will be exposed to a training protocol which will deliver some growth to any set of arms, no matter how long you have been training. It is designed to take you back to your training roots – big, bad and heavy – with plenty of resources available for growth and recovery. Are you ready to begin?

Start by taking a week off of your current training system. Whatever you’ve been doing – stop. Give your body a full week outside of the gym to repair and recover from the months or years of continuous training. No cardio, either! Your central nervous system will recover, and your body will be primed for growth. Once you’re ready for the gym, you should be training with the realization that arms are what matters most on this training month. Don’t go overboard on your leg, back or chest training days. There will be plenty of time to hit these groups adequately once you’ve added some mass to your upper arms. Rest and recovery is crucial, and training to failure on every training day will limit these resources.

This training session begins with triceps, as they are the three-headed muscle group that makes up the majority of beef on the upper arms. Skull-crushers should start your day, as they are a heavy, brutally honest way to recruit a high level of muscle fibers in the arm upper. Complete five sets of 6 to 10 repetitions. From there, move on to machine or parallel bar dips. Use chains attached to your weight belt to require your triceps to move the heavy weight or only 6 to 8 reps per set. Finish off your triceps with a solid ten minutes of triceps cable pressdowns, with as many reps as you can squeeze into this time period.

Biceps follow triceps, and the training is equally heavy, intense and brutal. Start with standing alternate dumbbell curls, then move on to the standing variety with the barbell. When you’re ready to take a seat, make it at the preacher bench, where you should be using an EZ-curl bar. Every exercise should be 5 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions. End your Big Arm workout with ten solid minutes of cable curls for biceps with as much weight as possible.

Don’t forget to hit forearms, either at the end of this training upper body session or at the end of back or shoulder day earlier in the week. Four sets of wrist curls, followed with 4 to 6 sets of Zottman (Hammer) Dumbbell curls will give your forearms more than adequate stimulation for growth. Any big arm upper workout will include forearms, as they are in fact one-third of your entire arm!

The Big Arm Workout won’t work without proper diet and rest. You should be consuming 300 to 350 grams of protein per day, and 400 or more grams if you are using chemical means of assistance. Sleep 8 to 9 hours per night, with 45 to 60 minutes daily being dedicated to resting or napping. Above all, keep your mental focus on one thing, and one thing alone – big arms!

Build A Monster Back Upper

How To Train For A Monster Back Upper

Building a Monster Upper Back | Wannabebig
A huge and thick upper back is the hallmark of the alpha strength athlete. Fluff trainees need not apply…only those with the fortitude and will to train.


  Tags: back upper

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Three Most Basic Workout Upper Body Exercises

Different exercises concentrate on building different muscle groups of the body. Some exercises are aimed at the arms or legs and some aims at the chest or back. The workout upper body includes those exercises, which make your body to work on your chest, back, arms and the shoulders.
Here are some of the very basic rules, which you must keep in mind, before you actually carry out the upper body exercises:
A.The beginners should perform 1 set of 13-15 repetitions.
B.The professionals must perform 3 sets of 12-14 repetitions.
C. Take a break of 48 hours in order to help your muscles relax and recover.
D.You must warm up your body before you start with your weight training session.
Its better to see your doctor if you have any medical conditions before starting with the workout
Here are some of the very basic, simple, easy and effective exercises that actually concentrate on your upper body:
1.Bench Press:
a.Lie on a ball with your abs contracted
b.Hold weights straight up your chest
c.Keep your elbows slightly bent
d.Keep your elbows bent and lower your arms
e.Lower them to a level where elbows are just below the shoulders
f.Slowly contract your chest and push your arms up
g.Repeat this movement for 13-15 repetitions
2.Push Ups:
a.Place your body in the push up position on the floor
b.Keep your hands wider than your shoulders
c.Rest on knees or an exercise ball
d.Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body into a pushup
e.Hold your abs tight while your elbows making an angle of 90 degrees
f.Try not to sag
g.Push yourself back to the starting position and repeat it for 15 times.
3.Back Extension:
a.Lie on the floor with your face down
b.Hold your hands behind your back
c.Slowly lift your upper body few inches above the ground
d.Keep your neck and your head in alignment
e.Now lift your feet and keep your legs straight
f.Hold your body in this position for 3-5 seconds
g.Lower and repeat for 13 reps
These three exercises are the most effective and easy workout exercises that help to concentrate on your upper body. These exercises, if done along with the above stated rules, will give you best results for your upper body muscles and shape.
Finding the perfect Workout Routines takes time and effort. These best workout routines is a great place to start if a person is interested in flat abs. The P90X workout routines is also another workout that will help develop flat abs.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Total Upper Body Workout

Total upper body workout can firm your chest, arms, shoulders, biceps, triceps and back which will improve your posture and provide the appearance of adding more shape than size to your upper body.  When done in balance, total upper body workout can help to lift and tone by strengthening the muscles and tissues.
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Weight-lifting is one of the fastest ways to see changes in your body. Most workouts upper body exercises have as their goal to build strength. In order to maximize the beneficial effect of the workouts upper body, you'll want to mix in some good cardiovascular workouts - spinning, jogging, etc - and alternate the activities with lower body work.

How much weight you use, how many reps to perform and other variables are determined by your overall goals. Do you want to build muscle mass or just tone? For more mass, use more weight. For better tone, use less weight and do more reps.  Do you want to increase flexibility and overall fitness or prepare for specific events?
No matter what routine you choose, don't overdo it. Build up your strength gradually. One of the most common reasons people don't continue workouts is pain produced from incorrect technique or excessive effort exerted too early in the process with their gym upper body workout.