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Learn all about the most important exercises to incorporate into an upper body workout routine (Plus we provide 3 full workouts that put it all together)!
If you wanted a chest workout, it was easy to find.
Back workout? Plenty of those too.
“X Weeks for Massive Shoulders” – you better believe there were plenty of those.
And arm days galore!
But what about a whole upper body workout? Not many of those.
That is until recent research showed the benefits of lowering volume per session and increasing training frequency to maximize muscle growth1.
Now, everyone is using upper body workouts to pack on size. In fact, anecdotally, I’d be willing to bet upper/lower splits are the most popular among recreational lifters at the moment.
But, how do you know if the upper body workout you’re using is the right fit for you? How do you know it’s truly effective?
In this article, we’re going to discuss exercises (and their variations) that every good upper body workout should incorporate. From there, we’ll put it all together for you in some sample upper/lower splits based on experience level. And, to wrap it all up, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about upper/lower splits.
Seriously, most workouts you find anywhere are going to have the same exercises with similar rep schemes for the most part. It’s because these exercises train important movement patterns.
They’re also compound exercises that hit multiple muscle groups in natural ranges of motions. Naturally, this makes them safer to perform and will lead to a better caloric burn during each individual training session.
For upper body workouts, the most important movement patterns to train are:
The pull up is a classic exercise and one that is used to target the muscles of the upper back. The movement accomplishes the vertical pull movement pattern.
The pull up is thought to be one of the best back exercises for lats. However, not a lot of people can perform them. The workout progressions at the bottom of this article will show you how you can train from a beginner stage to being able to perform an unassisted bodyweight pull up in the advanced stage.
Some variations of the pull ups that you can use in your upper body workouts include:
The barbell row is another back exercise used for building back muscle mass. It accomplishes the horizontal pull movement pattern.
It involves a lot of core and shoulder stability to perform the movement. However, once advanced enough to use the exercise, you’ll be able to build a lot of size with the amount of loads you are able to pull. That’s a main reason it’s seen as a bodybuilding staple.
Some variations of the barbell row you can use in your upper body workouts include:
The overhead press is used to build the push muscles of the shoulders and triceps. It is used in most upper body workouts because it accomplishes the vertical push movement pattern.
Like the barbell row, the overhead press requires a lot of core and shoulder stability to execute properly.
To accomplish this safely, a lot of progressions will be used in the workouts listed below.
Some additional variations you can include in your upper body workouts for the overhead press are:
Everyone’s favorite movement (or at least it used to be), the barbell bench press and it’s variations are used to accomplish the horizontal push movement patterns in many upper body workouts.
The bench press is great, because like all barbell variations, it allows you to maximize the weight you are able to use.
However, like most exercises in this list discussed so far, it requires a lot of stabilization – primarily from the shoulder ligaments.
Therefore, we will use several exercises in the workouts listed below to help you build the pre-requisite strength.
Other exercises used to accomplish the horizontal push movement pattern include:
The dip falls into a hybrid of the vertical and horizontal push movement patterns depending on how you perform them. Regardless, one thing is true about the exercise - it builds some serious tricep, chest, and shoulder muscle.
A lot of upper body workouts you’ll find online will incorporate a dip variation in some fashion. It may be used as a primary movement or an accessory movement.
And like the pull up, it’s a bodyweight exercise not many people can perform. So, in the workout routines to follow, we will be sure to include plenty of progressions to get you there.
Here are some dip variations you might want to consider including into your upper body workouts:
The farmer’s walk is arguably one of the greatest and least underutilized exercises one could do. It is a loaded carry that, depending on how it is used, accomplishes a level of cardiovascular conditioning, trains the core, and packs on size to the traps.
Only the farmer’s walk will be used in the upper body workout routines to come, but if you’re looking for some variety you could include:
Below, we’re going to lay it all out for you. You’ll have an upper body focused program for whatever phase of training you are in. If you are a beginner, the workouts below can be used as a form of progression from one to the next.
We also incorporated lower body workouts into the routines to ensure you have an aesthetic physique. You might even notice you get stronger on your upper body lifts as you get stronger on your lower body workout days.
The recommended duration for each phase is 4-8 weeks. Everyone’s rate of progression is different. Learn to understand your body and know when to progress to the next training phase. Earn every progression, don’t just fly through the programs.
WORKOUT SUMMARY
- Main Goal
Build Muscle - Workout Type
Split - Training Level
Beginner - Program Duration18 weeks
- Days Per Week
4 - Time Per Workout60-90 minutes
- Equipment Required
Bands, Barbell, Bodyweight, Cables, Dumbbells, Machines, Other - Target GenderMale & Female
- Workout PDFDownload Workout
Workout Description
For years fitness magazines and online media outlets put out body-part specific workouts.If you wanted a chest workout, it was easy to find.
Back workout? Plenty of those too.
“X Weeks for Massive Shoulders” – you better believe there were plenty of those.
And arm days galore!
But what about a whole upper body workout? Not many of those.
That is until recent research showed the benefits of lowering volume per session and increasing training frequency to maximize muscle growth1.
Now, everyone is using upper body workouts to pack on size. In fact, anecdotally, I’d be willing to bet upper/lower splits are the most popular among recreational lifters at the moment.
But, how do you know if the upper body workout you’re using is the right fit for you? How do you know it’s truly effective?
In this article, we’re going to discuss exercises (and their variations) that every good upper body workout should incorporate. From there, we’ll put it all together for you in some sample upper/lower splits based on experience level. And, to wrap it all up, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about upper/lower splits.
6 Upper Body Exercises You Should Focus On
When it comes to quality upper body workouts, they all have similar exercises in common.Seriously, most workouts you find anywhere are going to have the same exercises with similar rep schemes for the most part. It’s because these exercises train important movement patterns.
They’re also compound exercises that hit multiple muscle groups in natural ranges of motions. Naturally, this makes them safer to perform and will lead to a better caloric burn during each individual training session.
For upper body workouts, the most important movement patterns to train are:
- Vertical Pulls
- Horizontal Pulls
- Vertical Push
- Horizontal Push
- Loaded Carry
1. The Pull Up
The pull up is a classic exercise and one that is used to target the muscles of the upper back. The movement accomplishes the vertical pull movement pattern.
The pull up is thought to be one of the best back exercises for lats. However, not a lot of people can perform them. The workout progressions at the bottom of this article will show you how you can train from a beginner stage to being able to perform an unassisted bodyweight pull up in the advanced stage.
Some variations of the pull ups that you can use in your upper body workouts include:
- Eccentric Only Pull Ups
- Concentric Hangs
- Band Assisted Pull Ups
- Chin Ups
- Neutral Grip Pull Ups
- Wide Grip Pull Ups
- Weighted Pull Ups
2. The Barbell Row
The barbell row is another back exercise used for building back muscle mass. It accomplishes the horizontal pull movement pattern.
It involves a lot of core and shoulder stability to perform the movement. However, once advanced enough to use the exercise, you’ll be able to build a lot of size with the amount of loads you are able to pull. That’s a main reason it’s seen as a bodybuilding staple.
Some variations of the barbell row you can use in your upper body workouts include:
- Inverted Row
- Seated Cable Row
- Standing Cable Row
- Half Kneeling Cable Row
- Shotgun Row
- Dumbbell Row
- T-bar/Landmine Row
3. The Overhead Press
The overhead press is used to build the push muscles of the shoulders and triceps. It is used in most upper body workouts because it accomplishes the vertical push movement pattern.
Like the barbell row, the overhead press requires a lot of core and shoulder stability to execute properly.
To accomplish this safely, a lot of progressions will be used in the workouts listed below.
Some additional variations you can include in your upper body workouts for the overhead press are:
- Landmine Press variations
- Z Press
- Pin Press
- Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Arnold Press
4. The Bench Press
Everyone’s favorite movement (or at least it used to be), the barbell bench press and it’s variations are used to accomplish the horizontal push movement patterns in many upper body workouts.
The bench press is great, because like all barbell variations, it allows you to maximize the weight you are able to use.
However, like most exercises in this list discussed so far, it requires a lot of stabilization – primarily from the shoulder ligaments.
Therefore, we will use several exercises in the workouts listed below to help you build the pre-requisite strength.
Other exercises used to accomplish the horizontal push movement pattern include:
- Push Ups
- Floor Presses
- Dumbbell Presses
- Incline Presses
- Decline Presses
5. The Dip
The dip falls into a hybrid of the vertical and horizontal push movement patterns depending on how you perform them. Regardless, one thing is true about the exercise - it builds some serious tricep, chest, and shoulder muscle.
A lot of upper body workouts you’ll find online will incorporate a dip variation in some fashion. It may be used as a primary movement or an accessory movement.
And like the pull up, it’s a bodyweight exercise not many people can perform. So, in the workout routines to follow, we will be sure to include plenty of progressions to get you there.
Here are some dip variations you might want to consider including into your upper body workouts:
- Eccentric Only
- Pec Minor Dips
- Band Assisted Dips
- Weighted Dips
6. The Farmer’s Carry
The farmer’s walk is arguably one of the greatest and least underutilized exercises one could do. It is a loaded carry that, depending on how it is used, accomplishes a level of cardiovascular conditioning, trains the core, and packs on size to the traps.
Only the farmer’s walk will be used in the upper body workout routines to come, but if you’re looking for some variety you could include:
- Suitcase Carries
- Waiter Carries
- Trap Bar Farmer’s Waks
Building Your Upper Body Workouts
When building your upper body workouts, you’ll want to keep in mind what stage of your training you are in. If you are a true beginner who lacks any sort of stability required to perform some of the listed exercises above, you won’t be very successful with a more advanced training program.Below, we’re going to lay it all out for you. You’ll have an upper body focused program for whatever phase of training you are in. If you are a beginner, the workouts below can be used as a form of progression from one to the next.
We also incorporated lower body workouts into the routines to ensure you have an aesthetic physique. You might even notice you get stronger on your upper body lifts as you get stronger on your lower body workout days.
The recommended duration for each phase is 4-8 weeks. Everyone’s rate of progression is different. Learn to understand your body and know when to progress to the next training phase. Earn every progression, don’t just fly through the programs.
